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- big event. Small newborn kittens are completely helpless and constantly require increased attention. Sometimes a cat does not have enough milk, or she herself refuses her kittens after a while. There are cases when a cat dies, people take small kittens from the street. How to feed a newborn kitten, really help it and not cause harm? Remember the advice, proceed with caution, be sure to consider the age of the kittens and carefully monitor the babies. Then you will be able to replace the kittens’ mother and raise them strong and healthy.
The birth of kittensChildbirth in cats does not always end happily - an adult animal may die or become ill. Not knowing how to feed a kitten without a cat, owners are often confused and sometimes take the wrong actions. Both an experienced breeder and an ordinary lover of cute animals need to know the rules for feeding a newborn kitten left without a mother.
Not knowing how to feed a kitten without a cat, owners are often confused and sometimes take the wrong actions
Feeding a newly born kitten is the most important and responsible stage in caring for an animal. Here, the best way to solve the problem would be another nursing cat. Animals often willingly feed other people's cubs. But if they can’t find such a cat, the owners can only decide on the choice of milk substitute.
Many people believe that newborn kittens can be fed with cow's milk. But veterinarians categorically do not advise doing this, because it has a completely different composition than cat’s mother’s milk. Cow's milk contains much more glucose and less protein. Moreover, newborn kittens are not able to fully digest such food.
Feeding a newly born kitten is the most important and responsible stage in caring for an animal.
The best thing for feeding babies is special milk substitutes, a wide range of which is available in pet stores and veterinary pharmacies. Such mixtures are as close in composition as possible to cat milk.
If for some reason it is not possible to purchase such a substitute, you can try to feed the kitten with a formula intended for infants up to 6 months. It contains a cow's product, but thanks to additional enriching substances, the mixture is more suitable for a fragile baby than pure cow's milk.
You can also prepare formula for newborn kittens yourself using the following recipes:
In order not to harm the digestive system, it is necessary to feed and care for babies in strict accordance with the recommendations of specialists.
Feeding kittens without a cat must follow a certain regimen, which is strongly recommended by both experienced breeders and veterinarians. Its principle is as follows:
In addition to the need to adhere to the regime, it is also important to know how to feed kittens so as not to harm them by improper actions:
You need to understand that you will have to feed small kittens both during the day and at night, and the process itself can take about 30 minutes. Therefore, the owners will have to significantly adjust their personal time schedule.
In order not to harm the digestive system, it is necessary to feed and care for babies in strict accordance with the recommendations of specialists
The daily portions should be the same as what the cat would give when feeding the young on her own. A proper dosage of food will contribute to the baby’s good health, and overeating or, conversely, too small portions will cause anxiety in the kitten. Once every few days you need to increase the portion sizes.
In order not to make a mistake in determining the optimal amount of food for an animal, you should adhere to the following scheme:
Mandatory and unconditional compliance with the above scheme is not required at all. Animals, like people, also have individuality, which is why the volume of portions eaten by kittens born from the same cat can differ significantly. By carefully observing your pet and getting used to it, you can determine how much food it needs.
It is also necessary to take care of how to feed the kittens using improvised means. Experienced breeders recommend using the following items for this purpose:
When the baby reaches one month of age, you can start feeding him porridge cooked in milk or water. Gradually, crumbs and vegetables should be introduced into the diet. After 8 weeks have passed since the birth of the kitten, it is necessary to completely transfer the animal to self-feeding.
Of course, artificial feeding and human care will never replace the affectionate care of a mother cat for kittens. But perseverance, great patience and love for babies are guaranteed to help successfully feed orphans left without a mother.
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Newborn kittens are often left without a mother. This happens for various reasons: the nurse may die or get sick, sometimes the cat refuses to feed the kittens on her own. If a person takes on all the care of a newborn animal, he must first figure out how to feed a kitten without a cat.
Of course, in an ideal case, you can find a healthy nursing cat and place the baby on the new mother. Usually such animals easily accept other kittens. But such a chance comes extremely rarely.
Feeding a newborn animal on your own is not so difficult if you know some basic rules. A person accepting newborn kittens into a home must provide them with comfortable living conditions, namely:
In order to better understand the kitten’s needs and understand how to organize its feeding, it is worth determining the baby’s age:
Even experienced breeders sometimes find it difficult to answer when the question arises: how to feed a newborn kitten without a cat. Feeding is the most important stage of caring for an orphan.
Nursing cats produce colostrum in the first days after birth, and only then does milk appear. The first nutritional fluid contains the most important elements to protect the baby from numerous infections. If a cat has abandoned kittens, then in the first days of life it is important for them to receive food similar in composition to colostrum.
Many mixtures sold in pet stores are relatively expensive. Not every owner has the opportunity to feed small kittens with expensive products. Therefore, many owners who are still deciding what to feed their newborn kittens have the idea of feeding.
Is it possible to give this product to a small animal? In its pure form it is undesirable. Only whole goat's milk, undiluted, can be given to newborn kittens. However, a variety of mixtures can be prepared from cow's milk.
Mixture with milk and yolks:
Mixture with condensed milk and flour:
All ingredients must be mixed until the lumps disappear.
Formula for weak newborns:
Food servings per day for kittens:
If it is not possible to purchase formula at a pet store, you can pay attention to baby dry formulas without additives. It is important to know that a newborn kitten does not eat solid food.
Now it’s clear what to feed kittens and in what portions. However, you should also take care of the frequency of meals. Kittens from 0 to 3 days old should be fed every 2 hours. A kitten needs round-the-clock care, so it is necessary to give it food both day and night.
Until the baby begins to feed on his own, it is necessary to provide him with feeding. A variety of auxiliary devices are suitable for this - a bottle, a pipette for feeding kittens, a syringe with a special latex pad, a nipple for animals.
For any baby, both at one and at 2 weeks, underfeeding and. It is important to correctly calculate portions for small kittens, and give them food only in the required doses. From a small amount of food, the animal will not gain weight and will become lethargic or restless. Eating too much will lead to bowel problems. The kitten may refuse food if it is already full.
Owners need to pay attention to the animal's stool. If it is yellowish in color, it means that the baby is being overfed slightly. Constant overfeeding causes animals to have gray stools. Sometimes the kitten produces white stool. What to do in this case? It is best to consult your veterinarian as soon as possible regarding possible infections.
It’s not a rare sight in the city - very small blind kittens crawling near a garbage dump or simply lying on the road and squeaking. Some even kill newborn kittens. This is how some people, although I don’t consider them people, they have only one name – murderers, get rid of unnecessary offspring. All abandoned kittens are doomed to death. Such kittens can only count on the kindness of the people who found them. If the kittens did not have time to become hypothermic, then they can be saved and raised as healthy, beautiful animals. It is very difficult to feed a blind kitten; he can only suck. He also needs conditions for the nest and special care.
Food for newborn kittens.
Feeding technique.
Caring for kittens.
A place for kittens.
Kitten feeding schedule.
Every day the kitten gains 15 grams in weight, for each added gram the amount of mixture increases by 4-5 grams.
A week |
Day |
Quantity of food |
Temperature mixtures |
Feeding schedule |
from 1 to 4 days: 30 ml. per 100 gr. weight |
on the first day 38-39 degrees |
Every two hours and at night |
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Every two hours and at night |
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Days 3, 4 and 5: during the day they feed every 2 hours, at night - every 3 hours |
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from days 5 to 13: 38 ml. per 100 gr. |
from 5 pm – every 4 hours |
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every 4 hours |
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from 14 to 24 days: 46 ml. per 100 gr. |
every 4 hours |
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From this day on, kittens can begin to be fed additionally. You can let the kitten lap up formula milk on its own from a saucer or spoon. |
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every 4 hours |
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From 3-4 weeks, kittens should be fed other foods. |
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53 ml. for 160 gr. |
It happens that a kitten has a mother, but for some reason he does not suckle her milk. The problem can be in both the kitten and the cat. If the problem is with the kitten, then you will have to feed it yourself; you can milk the mother cat’s milk and collect it in a bottle. Your cat may also have problems, such as hard, congested nipples. In such cases, the kitten will not suckle, and the cat may develop mastitis. In such cases, you need to milk the milk, and then apply a cabbage leaf, softened with a hammer, to the cat’s nipples (so that the juice is released). The cabbage leaf can be fixed with a postoperative bandage. The cat's chest will become soft, and the kitten may begin to latch on.
When kittens are born, it is very important to properly care for them. They are born deaf and blind, but from the first days they already have a keen sense of smell and touch.
It is important that they are near their mother. If you get kittens without a cat, you will have to care for them yourself.
It is better to purchase a bed or incubator for kittens in advance
It is necessary to prepare a comfortable place for the kittens in advance. An incubator or a special bed is suitable for this. You should not place it close to heating devices or a radiator, as kittens can quickly overheat. Also, you should not heat the area with the crumbs with lighting fixtures. This can have a bad effect on the children's vision and affect their fragile eyes.
Useful information: A heating pad is best for heating the area. Take a simple bottle and fill it with warm water (up to 35°), then wrap it in a towel and place it in the bed. In the second week of life, you can gradually reduce the water temperature to 28°, in the third – to 24°. There is no need to add colder water.
While feeding, hold the kitten in your palm and give it a bottle with a nipple or a pipette
Of course, the best food for newborn kittens is mother's milk. But sometimes you have to feed the babies yourself. However, even if the cat feeds her children herself, then already at 4 weeks of life you will have to feed the babies. A few spoons of milk per day will be enough. Kittens can also be fed milk powder. To do this, dilute it with honey and a spoonful of sugar and pour in water.
In the first month of life, it is better not to feed babies too rich milk. Gradually increase the amount of complementary foods, and in the second month you can start giving liquid milk porridge. If you feed kittens yourself from the first days of their life, then get ready for some difficulties. The fact is that this must be done every 2.5 hours, including at night. The most convenient way to feed kittens is with a bottle with a nipple or a pipette. It is better to make a little milk mixture so that there is no excess left, since it cannot be stored for a long time in its finished form. The bottle must be sterilized and cleaned before each feeding.
Useful information: If you feed babies with a pipette, do not put it deep into the kitten's mouth, as the liquid may enter the respiratory tract. We advise you to hold them in your arms in a straightened position. This will make it easier for kittens to eat, and they will also be able to burp air.
In the second month of life, you can also add meat, ideally dietary meat, to your kitten’s daily diet. Moreover, it can be given both boiled and raw. Roll the meat into a small ball and place it in your baby's mouth. After the kitten has tried the new food, you can introduce liquid chicken or fish puree mixed with rice into the diet. Beef will also work. When introducing new products into the diet, you should not stop giving your babies milk porridge. Without it, it will be difficult for the kitten to go to the toilet (constipation will form). Feed your babies cottage cheese, and already at 9 weeks you can gradually switch them to food.
At birth, kittens weigh up to 120 g. With normal development, they will add 100 g every week. Moreover, boys gain weight a little faster than girls. If you notice that the weight does not increase over several weeks, consult your veterinarian. Perhaps the kitten is sick and needs help.
Mastitis can be life-threatening for cats and kittens. At the first symptoms of the disease, kittens must be weaned and the cat must be shown to a veterinarian
If a cat has mastitis, the kittens will have to be switched to artificial nutrition. This disease occurs when milk stagnates in the mammary glands. To avoid mastitis, the cat owner must ensure that the kittens suckle from all nipples in turn. If the disease has already manifested itself, you need to immediately relieve the pain syndrome and in the future ensure that mastitis does not worsen.
For treatment, you can use camphor oil. To do this, apply it to a scalded cabbage leaf and apply it to the sore nipples. In advanced cases, septic mastitis appears. It differs in that bloody purulent discharge appears from the nipples. In this case, you must definitely contact a veterinarian: such a condition can threaten the life of a cat and even kittens.
When kittens become active, spend several hours a day playing with them.
It is worth remembering that babies develop very quickly. They open their eyes for the first time on the 8th day of life, and in the second week they begin to hear. At this time, it is important to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the bed, babies and cat. It is important that kittens' ears and eyes are always clean.
Useful information: If improper care is taken, purulent discharge may appear. In this case, be sure to invite a veterinarian to your home. Do not take children out of the house under any circumstances, because infectious diseases develop quite quickly in a weakened body.
Of course, newborn kittens need to gain strength so that they grow up healthy and active. Therefore, you should not disturb them unnecessarily. From the 3rd week they begin to walk independently, and they will have to devote a lot of time. Play, pet and pick up the kittens more often. So the babies will grow up very playful and affectionate, they will be attached to their owner. Children who have not been given enough attention will become aloof and wild.
Newborn kitten after washing
Regardless of whether the kittens have a mother or not, you will have to wash them yourself. Even if the cat copes with its responsibilities on its own, this will be a good help for it. This does not mean at all that they need to be bathed intensively; it is enough to wipe their fur daily with a damp cloth.
Start toilet training your kittens as early as possible
It's quite easy to train kittens to use the litter box. The main thing is to start doing this as early as possible (you can even when they have not yet been weaned from their mother). From the 8th day, the kittens' eyes are already open, and the babies are actively moving. If their bed is located close to the litter box, the cat will help them move there to relieve themselves. If you raise babies yourself, then you will have to take this care upon yourself. Until the baby is 3 weeks old, his toilet must be organized after each feeding. This needs to be done gradually:
If you follow these tips correctly, no problems will arise. You should know that newborn kittens pass stool once every few days. Urination should be more frequent. If your kitten can't go to the toilet and is constipated, change its diet. Give only liquid milk porridge or food that is familiar to him. Just chop it finely and mix with warm water.
Make sure that kids do not eat litter from the tray. This may harm their health. Many litters contain chemical compounds, and when dirty, they become a source of infection.
There are not many ways to remove fleas from kittens. These include:
Single preparations that can be used for kittens under two months of age should be used only after they are weaned from their mother, just like shampoos. Otherwise, the chemicals will be licked off by the cat and then end up in the baby's body.
If a kitten’s eyes do not open for a long time, the veterinarian will solve this problem in a few minutes
It happens that the baby is born very weak. To grow it healthy, you need to carefully monitor any changes in its condition. Keep an eye on the following details:
Eye problems can be easily resolved with the help of a veterinarian. The last two, unfortunately, cannot be eliminated in any way. They will interfere with the kitten's normal life. However, if you can take care of it, the animal will grow up loyal and happy.
To ensure your kids grow up healthy and active, you need to provide them with proper care. By following our advice, you can raise just such kittens. And remember: the most important thing is to give them your love!