Content

• Steps
• Warning

Ideally, a kitten should be around and nurse from the mother for up to eight weeks before being separated and / or offered. In the case of the rescue, the mother cat dies or the mother is forced to abandon the baby, human intervention is needed. There are many things to consider if you want to raise a newborn cat. Careful consideration and preparation will make bottle-feeding a kitten a pleasant and comfortable experience, while also making her happy and healthy.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Feed a Newborn Cat

1. 

   Try to find a mother cat that is nursing a baby. Ask your veterinarian and local animal rescue centers if a nursing mother can care for the kittens. Breast milk is best for any newborn mammal, and before feeding a kitten with complementary formula, find a nursing mother to replace a dead or incapable mother.
   • Note that even though you have found a cat that can keep a newborn cat, it may not be able to accept a kitten. Always be present when the alternate mother cat communicates with the kitten; for that cat can kill a kitten it will not accept.
   • If you are lucky enough to find a replacement cat for the mother, try to disguise the scent of the newborn kitten. Stroking the kittens of the surrogate mother and then petting your kitten. This will help pass the mother's scent to your cat. The mother will not accept the kitten if the scent is completely different, so by "disguising" her kitten's scent you will increase the chance that the mother will accept it.

2. 

   
   
   Earn milk. Newborn kittens can only digest milk, especially the milk of a female cat. Feeding the wrong kind, such as cow's milk, can have short-term and long-term consequences, including diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition and long-term health problems caused by poor growth. . You can buy kitten milk replacement (KMR) at your local pet food store, veterinarian's office and even online. Famous brands in Vietnam include the cat milk Cimicat and Just Born, but you can also consult your veterinarian about the formula they recommend and is readily available in your area.
   • Cat milk replacement milk comes in a round can or bottle form or as a formula or liquid milk. You use the same formula for baby formula, follow the directions on the packaging to see how many tablespoons of milk to mix with water.
   • Note that milk in a cardboard box labeled "cat milk" is NOT suitable. It is lactose-free cow's milk designed for adult cats (for the cat's needs, rather than for the biological needs of the cat itself). This milk is not suitable for kittens.

3. 

   
   
   Have a back-up plan if you can't find replacement milk right away. Ideally, the cat's milk should be substituted for the mother cat. If you don't have one, give the kitten cool boiled water and buy a replacement milk right away. If the kitten seems very hungry, you can add a small teaspoon of glucose to a cup of cooled boiled water. However, you should only give it to drink once. Do not give next drink.
   • Another way to fight fires until you have replacement milk is to use rice water, which is the water where you cook rice. Cook some white rice and drain the rice water. Including non-laxative starch (energy), can be used as a temporary solution.
   • Giving your kitten water from time to time will help keep the kitten from becoming dehydrated and will be a better way to be more restrained by giving something (like cow's milk) that could cause her stomachache and illness.

4. 

   
   
   Arrange a time. Remember that the smaller the cat, the higher the metabolic rate and the need to eat more times (because the stomach is very small). That means you, or someone in the family, a friend or neighbor, needs to be around all day until the cat is strong enough to switch to solid food.
   • A newborn cat, essentially under two weeks of age, needs to be fed day and night until it is old enough to start switching to solids.

5. 

   Be aware that you can wean a dead kitten early. Weaning means not feeding your cat milk and gradually offering solids. You can do this when the kitten is four weeks old, when the kitten is no longer a newborn cat. You can tell when your kitten is newborn and ready to be weaned and switch to solids when it begins to bite the teat.
   • To wean the kitten, place some of the food on the cat's plate. If the kitten is not ready or ready to eat, you can add a few tablespoons of formula to soften the food and stimulate the cat's interest. Make sure there is always solid food available to your cat when it feels ready and wants to eat. In the long run, reduce the amount of milk with increasing solids.
   • Most kittens should be able to eat solids after seven weeks of age.
   • Kittens six to 10 weeks old need to be fed six to eight meals a day, while kittens 10 weeks to six or seven months old need four meals a day, and a nine-month-old kitten needs three meals daily. . Remember that it is not until an adult that cats will feed two meals a day.
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Part 2 of 2: Feeding a Newborn Cat

1. 

   Preparing instruments. To feed a newborn kitten you need some equipment. If possible, use a bottle and teat set specially designed for kittens, such as a Catac bottle and teat set. The bottle is very small and has an open end so you can put your thumb in and regulate the flow if the milk flows too quickly through the nipple overwhelming the kitten. The long, flattened nipple fits the newborn kitten's mouth, allowing the cat to suck from the breast.
   • If you don't have a feeding kit, the next option is a syringe to put the milk in the kitten's mouth. However, the kitten cannot suckle from a syringe, so try to buy the bottle as soon as possible.

2. 

   Tools disinfection. Keeping sterile tools is very important. Simply washing everything is not enough. Consider using a steam sterilizer (like a baby bottle) or submerge the equipment in a bowl of Milton disinfectant solution.
   • You can purchase a Milton disinfectant solution from the pharmacy, an infant section. Follow the instructions on the package. If you must disinfect the tools with Milton's solution, be sure to rinse them thoroughly with boiled water to wash away any remaining solution.

3. 

   Mix and warm milk. If using liquid formula, open the can and measure the required amount according to the instructions on the package. If using powdered formula, check the directions on the package for how many spoons and how much water to use. Always follow the instructions as too thick milk can cause stomach upset and too thin milk will lack nutrition for a kitten.
   • Always make fresh milk each time you feed your cat. Milk does not contain preservatives because newborn cats have weak immune systems, so contaminated milk can be extremely dangerous to the health of a kitten.
   • Do not microwave milk; This can cause very hot or very cold bubbles in the bottle. Instead, fill the bottle with milk and soak it in hot water.
   • Make sure the milk is at the right temperature - neither hot nor cold. Ideally, the milk should be as hot as body temperature so that when you put the milk on the back of your hand, you will feel the same temperature as your skin. If it gets too hot, the milk can burn the kitten's mouth.

4. 

   Check the kitten's temperature. When you are preparing to feed the kitten, make sure it is warm. A cat's ability to digest depends to some extent on its body temperature. If it gets cold, digestion slows down and the milk is stored in the stomach and fermented. Newborn cats are usually around the mother and have a high temperature. The ideal temperature is 32-38 degrees C for the first three weeks of life.
   • Try to keep the kittens at this temperature by using a lower heating pad or a well-heated nest. If you do not have a heating pad, use a bottle of warm water rolled in a towel to avoid direct contact as it can cause burns. Change the water in the bottle often to keep it warm.

5. 

   Feed the kitten. Sit comfortably in a chair with a towel folded on your lap. Position the kitten the way it will breastfeed with its head straight, legs low, and belly leaning somewhere. When first feeding the kitten, place a drop of milk on the end of the syringe or nipple, held close to the kitten's mouth. The cat has good hearing, and will smell the milk and try to push her mouth in.
   • If you are using a teat, at this stage you can assist by squeezing the nipple so that the cat opens its mouth. Just let things go and the kitten will suckle.
   • If you are using a syringe, gently press the plunger to release the milk into the cat's mouth. Let it have time to swallow. Do not fill the cat's mouth with milk as it may inhale milk into the lungs while breathing leading to pneumonia, which can be fatal in newborn cats. Take your time and do this slowly.
   • The kitten's posture is very important. Never feed a cat on its back like a child and always make sure the cat leans on something while eating. Take care not to put your head too high because it can cause the inhalation of milk into the lungs, which is very dangerous, even fatal.

6. 

   Give the cat the correct dose. Cimicat formulas and other milk substitutes contain feeding instructions and feeding frequency on the package. Follow the instructions on the package. Here are some general guidelines for how much and how often to feed your kitten at a few weeks of age:
   • One to three days old: 2.5 ml of replacement milk every two hours
   • Four to seven days old: 5 ml of milk replacers 10 to 12 times daily
   • Six to 10 days old: 5 to 7.5 ml of milk replacers 10 times a day
   • 11 to 14 days: 10 to 12.5 ml of milk replacer every three hours
   • 15 to 21 days old: 10ml eight times daily
   • 21 days and older: 7.5 to 25 ml, three to four times daily, with solid foods added

7. 

   Watch for the signs. When learning and training your kitten to drink milk, remember that overfeeding or improper feeding can lead to breathing problems. Watch the kitten during the feeding process to make sure the milk doesn't get into the nose or that the cat isn't bloating.
   • As for the number of feedings, if the kitten is greedy and continues to take the bottle despite exceeding the recommended dose, look at the cat's belly. If the cat's belly is tight and distended, stop feeding. This is a sign that the cat is full, but it doesn't recognize it yet. Don't overfeed.
   • If your cat eats less than the recommended amount, don't panic. That may be a cat's own preference. If you are concerned that your cat is not eating enough, instead of forcing him to eat more because it could lead to the risk of spilling milk into his lungs, stop, give the cat a break and feed it again for about an hour.

8. 

   Stay calm and relax. It is important to stay calm and patient while bottle feeding your cat to make sure the cat is comfortable. Also, feed your cat slowly to avoid overeating or digestive problems.
   • Encourage and stimulate burping by holding the cat with her back against you and gently stroking the cat's belly. In the relationship between the mother and the kitten, the mother will lick the kitten to help with gas and bowel movements. Don't be surprised by either of those results - that's a good sign!

9. 

   Wipe the bottom of the kitten. Immediately after each meal, the mother licks the lower part to encourage the kitten to go to the bathroom. The fact that the mother cat will lick up all the kittens comes out is a natural way to avoid a dirty nest that could attract predators. However, if you don't have a mother cat, you'll need to help. Use a damp cotton cloth to scrub the bottom of the cat. When the cat is gone, wipe it off with the cotton pad. Wipe it off with another clean cloth, so you're done until next meal.
   • This is an important step in successfully feeding the kitten. If you don't mimic how the mother helps the kitten poop, the kitten's bladder and bowels will not get rid of all the debris and she could get sick.

10. 

    Return the kitten to the warm nest to rest. Continue the daily feeding schedule for the coming weeks until it is appropriate for weaning to switch to solid foods. At this point, talk to your veterinarian about a suitable weaning diet.
    • Add solid foods such as soft canned foods and solid foods to your diet by around four weeks of age. Some kittens can bottle feed up to eight weeks of age and this should be consulted with a veterinarian.
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Warning

• Measure your kitten's weight every day for the first two weeks. You can use a food scale to measure it, but be sure to spread a clean cloth or rag. Your kitten should gain about 15g daily for the first two weeks. Closely control the weight gain and loss during feeding and consult your vet if the kitten is losing weight or gaining it too quickly.
• It is best to leave the kittens with the mother until it is at least 6 weeks old, although eight or 10 weeks is better. Owners recommend that you wait until the cat is 12 weeks old to separate. There will be complications for kittens that have lost their mother; they can be difficult to communicate with, have health problems, so their development and general health will be negatively affected.
• Check with your vet if the kitten is not eating anything as this could be a sign of illness.