How To Care For Newborn Kittens And Mother Cat

Instead keep the kitten s feet down and it s head straight as though she s nursing from her mother.

How to care for newborn kittens and mother cat. The following is a general eating schedule for newborns and young cats. Never hold a kitten and feed it like a human baby. Housing a clean warm and dry place should be provided for moms and babies. Newborn kittens may nurse about every 1 2 hours.

The most commonly available type of kitten formula is called kmr which stands for kitten milk replacer kmr comes in cans or cartons and is available to buy in most pet supply stores and on websites that sell pet supplies. Mother cats encourage their young to defecate and urinate by licking the anus and genital areas. Use a large enough box to comfortably hold the mother cat and her kittens. Correctly position the kittens and bottles for feeding.

At about three to four weeks old they can be offered milk replacer from a. It is also essential to provide motherly care to newborn kittens. These antibodies last for six weeks or more. With the mother cat out you ll also have to do this job.

4 to give the baby cat milk you can use a baby bottle a syringe or a dropper. This gives the mother cat and her kittens extra calories and nutrients. The first milk produced called colostrum is rich in antibodies and will help protect kittens against diseases. However the kitten will stop drinking milk when it is full.

If the mother cat is not around you will need to help the kittens to urinate and defecate during their first few weeks of life. Stack clean towels to line it. This will continue until they gradually transition to solid foods when they are around four weeks old weaning. You should place the food and water near the mother and kittens.

Use a wet washcloth or a piece of damp gauze to gently rub each kitten s genital region until it urinates and or defecates. Hold her by the scruff of her neck and place the nipple into the side then center of her mouth. Using damp cotton wool wipe the area around her anus. Chilling is one of the most critical dangers to newborn kittens.

Once she relieves herself wipe the area then clean up her bottom with a clean fresh of cotton wool. Mom will do most of the initial care but you will need to frequently check on the babies to ensure the mother is caring for them and the kittens appear healthy. Newborn kittens should get all of their nutrition from their mother. During the time a mother cat is pregnant until a month after she s done nursing feed her a high quality kitten food.