What Do I Feed Orphaned Kittens

Follow the directions on the label.

What do i feed orphaned kittens. When the orphaned kittens reach about 3 weeks of age you can start providing watered down meat based kitten food for them to nibble on. Do not feed a kitten until it is warm since it can t properly digest when cold. Kittens under three weeks old can t control their body temperature. Compared to cow s milk queen s milk contains more than twice as much protein which helps explain why cow s milk is not ideal for feeding orphaned kittens.

A heating pad on low a warm water bottle or even a sock filled with rice and put in the microwave can all provide a steady but mild heat source to a cold kitten. This is very time consuming for someone who is bottle feeding a newborn kitten so if at all possible you will want to try to keep the kitten with its mother or a surrogate lactating cat who can nurse it. Commercial kitten milk replacers are recommended as they are superior to cow s milk and home made mixtures. Try to find a nursing mother feline queen.

It is okay though to syringe feed a few drops of 5 sugar water or to rub a little bit of karo syrup on the kitten s lips. After feeding the kittens you ll need to wipe their genitals with a damp cotton swab to encourage them to urinate. Mix the wet food with water until it achieves a soupy consistency and consider warming the mixture before serving. A newborn kitten can only digest milk and more specifically the milk from a female cat.

Feed the kittens kmr or kitty formula that you have mixed yourself. Suppose you find orphaned kittens after all the pet stores in your area have closed. Kittens cannot control their body temperature so help them regulate their body temperature before trying to feed them especially if they have been exposed to cold temperatures. It is specifically formulated for kittens to provide all the nutrients they need.

Make sure you keep a fresh supply and not too much at one time. Kittens need a kitten milk replacement specifically formulated to contain the proper balance of proteins and nutrients they need to support healthy growth. Kittens that are bottle fed should consume about a tablespoon or 15 ml of special kitten formula at each feeding. How to feed a newborn kitten.

But not everybody keeps such a product in the pantry. To care for orphaned kittens less than 3 weeks of age feed them every 2 3 hours with powdered cat milk replacer heated to 95 degrees f. Kmr the canned cat milk replacer is available at most vet clinics in either a premixed or dry form. Consult with local veterinarians and shelters to find out if there is a nursing mother cat who may be.