Sometimes due to circumstances beyond your control, you can find yourself having to raise not one or two, but a whole litter of orphaned kittens. If they are newborn kittens, chances are they will be suckling each other, especially if there are male kittens in the litter. So when this happens, besides thinking to yourself...
Having a sturdy box for your kitten is important. You can use a clean, strong cardboard box or better still, an inexpensive see-through Rubbermaid box. Carefully cut a large section out of the lid (about the size of a large dinner plate) place screening over the hole and tape securely with duct tape. You can...
As well as feeding, stimulating and keeping your kitten clean and warm, it’s important to spend some quality time with him. Hold him, pat him, talk to him, and offer him cuddles and other things that a kitten enjoys. If the kitten is newborn or very young, just holding him close to you and talking...
Very young kittens cannot eliminate without help and the mother-cat licks the kitten’s abdomen and anal area to stimulate elimination. You need to mimic this action after every feeding. You can even do it a bit before each feeding as well. Prepare a bowl of warm water and some cotton balls, tissues, gauze or a...
Kittens are fragile and sensitive to disease and infections. This is particularly true for kittens that did not get any milk from their mother. During the first few days after the birth, the mother-cat secrets a special condensed milk called colostrum. The colostrum contains vital antibodies that provide the kitten with passive immunity to many...
Your first priority is warmth for your kitten. Chilly night air can be deadly, especially to a wet kitten. If your kitten is wet, getting him dry becomes paramount. Gently dry him off with a towel and if it doesn’t cause him to be too anxious, blow-dry him with a hairdryer set on low. Avoid...
In kittens younger than about two weeks, it is often difficult to tell their sex. Even competent rescuers and vets can be fooled! A female kitten will have what looks like an upside-down exclamation mark, whereas a male will look more like a colon. Also, the male’s urinary opening is lower than the female’s and...
Birth to 1 week: Feed every 3 hours (8 feedings per day) From 1 to 3 weeks: Feed every 4 hours (6 feedings per day) From 3 to 4 weeks: Feed every 5 hours (5 feedings a day) From 4 to 5 weeks: Feed four to five times a day. Total Formula Required Per Day...
To feed your kitten, use a dropper, syringe, doll’s bottle or ideally, a specifically designed nursing bottle, available from most grocery and pet stores. If you are using a bottle, the size of the hole in the nipple is critical for success. If the bottle is turned upside down and formula dribbles from the nipple,...
While your kitten is warming up, you can prepare something for him to eat. If this little kitten was hypothermic (abnormally-low body temperature) and in shock when you found him, you should only give him children’s Pedialyte (or an equivalent) for the first two hours, until he warms up. Then switch to kitten formula. If...
