Newborn Kittens How To Care For Them

These antibodies last for six weeks or more.
Newborn kittens how to care for them. If the kitten in your care has been orphaned it is essential that you keep the young one warm. If the mother cat is not around you ll need to prepare and feed them yourself. To assist you in your kitten care you can picture the correct amount if you know one teaspoon is just about 5 cc. If you are using a brand new bottle cut a small hole in the nipple using small and sharp scissors.
You will also want to check the feeding guidelines on your particular brand. Bottle feeding a newborn kitten newborn kittens need help eliminating waste. As a rule of thumb for every ounce of kitten body weight he or she needs 8 ccs of formula. During their first week of life it is best to handle kittens as little as possible so that the mother cat is not upset says klumb.
If you are committed to helping the newborn kittens and become their surrogate mother then you will need to provide a safe warm home for them. Use a large enough box to comfortably hold the mother cat and her kittens. How do i keep a newborn kitten warm. Stack clean towels to line it.
Provide blankets a heat lamp or a heating pad to ensure the kittens stay warm. A two week old kitten can be fed every four to six hours. At 3 4 weeks old provide formula and water softened kitten kibble 4 6 times daily. Newborn kittens should get all of their nutrition from their mother.
For about 3 4 weeks after birth kittens are not able to poop or pee on their own. Be sure to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible if you have a kitten that exhibits any of these signs or if you have a mother cat that is unable to care for one or more of her kittens it may be tempting to pick up a newborn kitten and snuggle it all day but you should refrain until the kitten is a bit older she adds. A heating pad or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel works. If the kittens are 1 2 weeks old bottle feed them with milk replacer formula every 1 2 hours.
The first milk produced called colostrum is rich in antibodies and will help protect kittens against diseases. You will need to replicate this activity using a soft cotton ball or tissue paper soaked in warm water. Make sure you change the bedding frequently so it doesn t get too soiled. This will continue until they gradually transition to solid foods when they are around four weeks old weaning.
After that it s best to. Chilling is one of the most critical dangers to newborn kittens. To care for newborn kittens when the mother cat is still present feed the mother to keep her strength up but leave the kittens alone for the first week to ensure the mother doesn t reject them. During the course of bathing their kittens with their tongue mother cats clean the kittens butts.
You can use a box or small crate with plenty of dry clean bedding. Orphaned neonatal kittens require around the clock care so you ll want to establish a routine of care every 2 4 hours the younger they are the more frequent the intervals between feedings it s normal for the kittens to sleep just make sure they are in a safe and confined space. On the first week of the newborn kittens life they should be fed every two to three hours. Like a human baby a newborn kitten will need to be fed frequently approximately every two to three hours.