How to Feed a Newborn Cat

Ideally, the kittens should be around and nursed by the mother for up to eight weeks before being separated and/or given away. In the event of a rescue, the mother cat dies or the mother cat is forced to abandon her kittens, human intervention is necessary. There are many things to consider if you want to adopt a newborn cat. Careful consideration and preparation will make bottle-feeding kittens a pleasant and comfortable experience, while keeping them happy and healthy.

Table of Contents

Preparing to Raise a Newborn Cat

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Try to find a nursing mother cat. Ask your veterinarian and animal shelters in your area if there are nursing mothers who can care for the kittens. Breast milk is best for any new-born mammal, and before supplementing with formula, it is advisable to find a nursing mother to replace a dead or incapacitated mother. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Note that even if you find a cat that can accommodate a newborn, it may not necessarily accept a kitten. Always be present when the surrogate mother communicates with the kittens; because that cat can kill the kitten it doesn’t accept.
If you are lucky enough to find a replacement cat, try to disguise the smell of the newborn kitten. Pet the surrogate mother’s kittens and then your kittens. This will help transfer the mother’s scent to your cat. The mother cat won’t accept the kitten if it smells completely different, so by “disguising” your kitten’s smell, you will increase the likelihood that the mother will accept it.

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Get milk. Newborn kittens can only digest milk, especially female cat milk. Feeding the wrong kind of milk, such as cow’s milk, can have short- and long-term consequences, including diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition, and long-term health problems from poor growth. . You can buy formula milk replacement (KMR) at your local pet food store, veterinarian’s office, and even online. Popular brands in Vietnam include Cimicat and Just Born kitten milk, but you can also consult your veterinarian about formula they recommend and are available where you live. ^{[2] X Research Sources}^{[3] X Research Sources}

Cat replacement milk is available in round cans or in bottles as formula or liquid milk. You use the same way as baby formula, follow the instructions on the package to know how many tablespoons of formula to mix with how much water.
Note that milk in cardboard boxes labeled “cat milk” will NOT be suitable. It is lactose-free cow’s milk designed for adult cats (serving the needs of the cat breeder, rather than the biological needs of the cat itself). This milk is not suitable for kittens.

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Have a backup plan if you can’t find a replacement right away. Ideally, the mother’s milk should be used in place of the mother’s milk. If not, give the kitten cooled boiled water and buy a replacement milk right away. If the kitten seems very hungry, you can add a teaspoon of glucose to a cup of cooled boiled water. However, you should only give it once. Do not give it again after that. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Another way to fight fires until you have a milk substitute is to use rice water, which is the water in which you cook the rice. Cook some white rice and drain the rice water. Among them are starch (energy) which is not a laxative, which can be used as a temporary solution.
Giving the kitten water from time to time will help keep the kitten from becoming dehydrated and will be a better way of holding back than giving something (like cow’s milk) that can make your cat upset and sick.

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Arrange a time. Remember that the smaller the cat, the higher the metabolic rate and the more frequent need to eat (due to the small stomach). That means you, or someone in the family, a friend or neighbor needs to be present throughout the day until the cat is strong enough to transition to solid food.

A newborn kitten is basically under two weeks old, and needs to be fed day and night until it’s old enough to start transitioning to solid food.

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You need to know that you can early wean a kitten that has lost its mother. Weaning means not giving your cat milk and gradually introducing solid food. You can do this when the kitten is four weeks old, when it is no longer a kitten. You can tell when your kitten is past infancy and ready to be weaned to solid food when it begins to bite the nipple of the bottle. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

To wean a kitten, place a small amount of food on the cat’s plate. If the kitten is not ready or willing to eat, you can add a few tablespoons of formula to soften the food and stimulate the cat’s interest. Make sure to always have solid food available to your cat when he feels ready and wants to eat. In the long run, decrease milk intake as solid food intake increases.
Most kittens can eat solid foods by seven weeks of age.
Kittens aged six to 10 weeks 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 nine-month-old kittens need three meals a day. . Remember that it is not until the adult cat is given two meals a day.

Feeding a Newborn Cat

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Preparing instruments. To feed a newborn kitten you need several tools. If possible, use a set of bottles and pacifiers specifically designed for kittens, such as the Catac bottle and teat set. The bottle is very small and has an open top so you can put your thumb in to regulate the milk flow if the milk comes out too quickly through the teat to overwhelm the kitten. The nipple is long and flat, to fit the mouth of a newborn kitten, allowing the cat to suck milk just like from the mother’s breast.

If you don’t have a feeding kit, the next option is a syringe to put milk into the kitten’s mouth. However, kittens cannot suck milk from a cylinder, so try to buy a bottle as soon as possible.

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Disinfect tools. Keeping instruments sterile is very important. Simply washing everything is not enough. Consider using a sterilizing boiler (same as for baby bottles) or submerging the utensils in a bowl of Milton disinfectant solution. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You can buy Milton disinfectant solution at the drug store, the infant section. Follow the instructions on the package. If instruments must be disinfected with Milton’s solution, be sure to rinse thoroughly with boiled water to remove any remaining solution.

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Brew 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, see the instructions on the package for how many tablespoons of milk and how much water to use. Always follow the instructions because too thick milk can cause colic and too thin milk will lack nutrition for the kittens.

Always make fresh milk each time you feed your cat. Milk should not contain preservatives because newborn cats have weak immune systems, so milk contaminated by bacteria can be extremely dangerous to kittens’ health.
Do not put milk in the microwave; This can cause very hot or very cold milk froth in the bottle. Instead, pour milk into a pitcher and soak in hot water.
Make sure the milk is at the right temperature – neither hot nor cold. Ideally, the milk should be at body temperature so that when you put it on the back of your hand, it feels like your skin temperature. If it’s too hot, the milk can burn the kitten’s mouth.

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Check the kitten’s temperature. As you prepare to feed the kitten, make sure the cat’s body is warm. A cat’s digestive capacity depends to some extent on body temperature. If it is cold, digestion slows down and the milk stays in the stomach and ferments. Newborn cats often stay close to the mother cat and have a high temperature. The ideal temperature is 32-38 degrees Celsius in the first three weeks of birth. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Try to keep the kitten at this temperature by using a bottom heating pad or a good thermostat. If you don’t have a heating pad, use a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel to avoid direct contact as it can cause burns. Change the water in the bottle regularly to keep it warm. ^{[8] X Research Source Reproduction in the Dog and Cat. Christiansen. Publisher. Baillerie-Tindal.}

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Feed the kittens. Sit comfortably in a chair with a folded towel on your lap. Position the kitten the way it would suckle with its head straight, legs low, and belly leaning somewhere. When feeding a kitten for the first time, place a drop of milk on the tip of the syringe or nipple, holding it close to the kitten’s mouth. The cat’s hearing is very good, it will smell the milk and try to push its mouth in. ^{[9] X Research Source}

If you use a pacifier, at this stage you can help by wriggling the nipple to open its mouth. Just let it happen and the kitten will suckle.
If you’re using a syringe, gently press the plunger to release the milk into the cat’s mouth. Give it time to swallow the milk. Do not let the cat’s mouth fill with milk because it can also inhale the milk into the lungs while breathing, leading to pneumonia, which is fatal in newborn cats. You need to take your time and do this slowly. ^{[10] X Research Source}
The position of the kitten is very important. Never feed a cat lying on its back as you do with children, and always make sure the cat is leaning against something while eating. Pay attention not to raise your head too high because it can cause aspiration of milk into the lungs, which is very dangerous, even fatal. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Feed your cat the right amount of food. Cimicat formula and other milk alternatives have feeding instructions and frequency on the packaging. Follow the instructions on the package. Here are some general guidelines for dosage and frequency of feeding kittens as young as a few weeks old: ^{[12] X Research Source Cimicat packaging information.} .

One to three days old: 2.5ml milk replacer every two hours
Four to seven days old: 5ml milk replacer 10 to 12 times per day
Six to 10 days old: 5 to 7.5ml milk replacer 10 times a day
11 to 14 days old: 10 to 12.5ml milk replacer every three hours
15 to 21 days old: 10ml eight times per day
21 days of age and older: 7.5 to 25ml, three to four times per day, with extra solid food

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Notice the signs. When learning and training kittens to drink milk, keep in mind that giving too much or incorrectly can lead to breathing problems. Observe the kitten during feeding to make sure milk doesn’t get into the nose or the cat doesn’t get bloated.

As for the number of feedings, if the kitten is voracious and continues to drink from the bottle despite exceeding the recommended dose, look at the cat’s belly. If the cat’s belly is full and distended, stop feeding. It is a sign that the cat is full but it has not yet recognized it. Don’t overfeed. ^{[13] X Research Source}
If your cat eats less than the recommended amount, fear not. It can be each cat’s own preference. If you’re worried your cat isn’t eating enough, instead of forcing it to eat more because it can lead to the risk of milk spilling into the lungs, stop, let the cat rest for a while and continue feeding about an hour later. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Calm and relax. It’s important to stay calm and patient while bottle-feeding your cat to make sure she’s comfortable. Also, give your cat milk slowly to avoid overeating or digestive problems.

Encourage and stimulate burping by holding your cat with his back against you and gently stroking his belly. In a mother-kitten relationship, the mother cat will lick the kittens to help with farting and defecation. Don’t be surprised by either outcome – that’s a good sign! ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Wipe the kitten’s bottom. Immediately after each feeding, the mother cat licks the bottom to encourage the kitten to defecate. The fact that the mother cat will lick everything that comes out is a natural way to avoid a dirty litter that can attract predators. However, if there is no mother cat, you will have to help. Use a damp cotton cloth to rub the cat’s bottom. When the cat is done walking, use that cotton cloth to wipe it clean. Wipe again with another clean cloth, so you’re done until the next meal. ^{[16] X Research Source Reproduction in the Dog and Cat. Christiansen. Publisher. Baillerie-Tindal.}^{[17] X Research Source}

This is an important step in successfully feeding the kittens. If you don’t imitate how the mother cat helps her kittens, the kitten’s bladder and intestines won’t get rid of all the waste and it could get sick.

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Bring the kitten back to the nest to rest. Continue the daily feeding schedule over the coming weeks until it is appropriate for weaning to transition to solids. At this point, talk to your veterinarian about a suitable weaning diet.

Add solid foods such as soft cans and solid foods to the cat’s diet when the cat is about four weeks old. Some kittens can be bottle-fed up to eight weeks old and this process should be done in consultation with a veterinarian.

Warning

Measure the kitten’s weight every day for the first two weeks. You can use a food scale to measure, but be sure to spread a clean cloth or rag over it. Your kitten will gain weight about 15g per day for the first two weeks. Monitor weight fluctuations closely during feeding and consult your veterinarian if the kitten is losing weight or gaining weight too quickly. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
It is best to leave the kittens with the mother until at least 6 weeks old, although eight or 10 weeks is better. Cat owners recommend waiting until the cat is 12 weeks old before separating. There will be complications for kittens who have lost their mother; they may have difficulty communicating, have health problems, as a result, their development and overall health will be negatively impacted. ^{[19] X Research Source}
Consult your veterinarian if the kitten is not eating at all as it could be a sign of illness.

Steps

Preparing to Raise a Newborn Cat

Feeding a Newborn Cat

Warning

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