From choosing the right bottle and nipple to blarney a loath kitty to suck , here ’s how to aid an orphan or vacate kitten grow potent and healthy .
You know that old saying : “ As incapacitated as a new-sprung kitten ” ? There ’s a reason for the comparison . New kitty are indeed fairly lost . And if a kitten does n’t have a mama to shepherd it through those former weeks , he will need human assist to bridge the gap . specially when it comes to feed .
Bottle - feeding a newborn kitten takes commitment and solitaire , but the rewards are well worth the endeavour . In just a few calendar week with the right eating formula and docket , you ’ll see a helpless ball of fur turn into a fun , frolicking glad kitten .
Photo: anurakpong / Getty
What You Need To Bottle Feed a Kitten
To get start you ’ll need several baby bottles with nipples designed specially for kittens , and some kitten milk replacer . ( take note : Never offer cow ’s Milk River to a kitten . ) Most nipples do n’t number with holes , so you may have to make a little hole in the terminal to leave milk to drip out . Kitten milk replacer is available in pre - interracial liquid form and in a wry pulverization . Both work equally well , but some people find oneself the powder to be more commodious because you only need to commingle what you need for each feeding .
Before you proffer your kitty a bottle , verify the Milk River replacement is warm . To check that it ’s not too hot , shake a few drop of convention onto your carpus to make certain it ’s well affectionate . Carlene Strandell , founder and director ofSmitten with Kittens , a non-profit-making , foster - based kitten rescue that operate in Tallahassee , Fla. , says that the first thing you demand to do when feeding a new-sprung kitty is to insure that the kitten is fond . “ You should not feed a cold kitten . A cold kitten is a fading kitten , and trying to feed them is just adding one more stress to their bodies , ” she say . If your kitten ’s pads or gums feel cold , wrap him in a cover and/or bind him against you until he warm up up .
How to Bottle Feed a Kitten
Once the kitten and formula are ready , set the kitten on his stomach ; never attempt to feed a kitten on its back . contain his head gently with one hand to encourage the kitten to latch onto the mamilla . According toAlley Cat Allies , try your effective to imitate the position a newborn kitten would use when nursing from its mother . practice your other mitt to start the kitten ’s mouth to the nipple . Never pressure a kitten onto a mammilla . The kitty ’s tongue should forge a v - shape to facilitate suction . By holding the head of the kitty , you ’ll be able to feel if he ’s swallowing the milk .
If your kitten refuses to wet-nurse , you may require to try gently rubbing his font and head with a terrycloth washrag or an old toothbrush to simulate the raggedness of the female parent cat ’s natural language . If the kitten still refuses to latch onto the teat you’re able to use a syringe to provide nourishment . Offer small drop cloth of normal this way . Never force formula down the kitten ’s throat or you could stifle the brute by filling its lungs with liquidity .
How Much to Bottle Feed a Kitten
new-sprung kittens should be flow every 2 to 3 hours . kitten who are 2 to 3 week in age need to eat every 4 to 6 minute . See how much to feed your kitten for every old age with this eating chart . stave off overfeed , which can stimulate digestive problems .
When your kitten is about 4 workweek sometime you could begin offering a small bit of formula on a spoon , tardily mixing in a fleck of canned food to startle the ablactation cognitive operation . Until kittens are eating solid intellectual nourishment on their own , you may ask to remain bottle - eating several times a 24-hour interval to keep them healthy . During and after weaning , bid a shallow bowl of fresh water at all time .
Keeping a Bottle-Fed Kitten Healthy
Newborn kittens ca n’t regulate their somatic mathematical function on their own ( their mother helps them with that ) . To imitate the action at law of the mother , rub the kitten ’s stomach with a diffuse tissue paper or a cloth after every meal until it micturate and poop . Then , place the kitty in a warm , quiet place until the next feeding .
harmonize to Shelter Medicine at the University of Wisconsin , it ’s also crucial to weigh your immature kitty every day to be sure he ’s hit free weight . Newborn kittens should gain 3 to 4 ounce a week and consider approximately 2 hammering by the time they ’re 8 calendar week former . If your kitty is not flourishing or shows mark of crusty eyes or take to the woods nose , get him to a veterinarian as shortly as possible .
