How To Take Care Of Newborn Kittens And Mother

Like a human baby a newborn kitten will need to be fed frequently approximately every two to three hours.

How to take care of newborn kittens and mother. So a kitten weighing 3 ounces will need about 24 ounces of milk replacement every 24 hours. As a rule of thumb for every ounce of kitten body weight he or she needs 8 ccs of formula. Don t take the kittens to a shelter. If the mother cat is still present and caring for her kittens then the kittens will be better off if you let their mother take care of them.

You should never feed a kitten on its back because this can cause them to aspirate or inhale fluid into their lungs. Newborn kittens may nurse about every 1 2 hours. At about three to four weeks old they can be offered milk replacer from a bowl and then small amounts of moistened kitten food four to six times a. But you can still help by providing food and shelter for the mother cat.

Provide blankets a heat lamp or a heating pad to ensure the kittens stay warm. When you feed the kitten hold it horizontally with the belly facing downwards and the head tilted slightly upwards. With the mother cat out you ll also have to do this job. When your kitten is around 6 or 7 weeks of age you can switch her to a dry diet.

Begin by offering formula in a shallow bowl that s easy for her to drink from. Hold the kitten correctly while feeding. Provide food for the mother cat if she is still around. You should place the food and water near the mother and kittens.

Mother cats encourage their young to defecate and urinate by licking the anus and genital areas. You can start to transition your kitten away from the bottle at 3 or 4 weeks of age. Stack clean towels to line it. Once she relieves herself wipe the area then clean up her bottom with a clean fresh of cotton wool.

The mom is the best suited to care for them so leave them with her unless you re able to take the whole family in and care for them if the mom does not return within an hour or two it is time for you to step in and help. Using damp cotton wool wipe the area around her anus. Chilling is one of the most critical dangers to newborn kittens. As a general rule you should give a newborn kitten thirteen milliliters of milk per hundred grams body weight.

4 to give the baby cat milk you can use a baby bottle a syringe or a dropper. Think of how a kitten would eat from its mother. However the kitten will stop drinking milk when it is full. Then start the shift to an adult diet by mixing canned or dry cat food with warmed formula.