Caring for Orphaned Kittens
Caring for Orphaned Kittens
Raising kittens
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2 weeks old kittens
Warmth first:
Kittens depend on their mother to keep them warm because they can’t maintain their own body temperature.
Chilling is the greatest single threat to a neonatal kitten’s survival. If the kitten is cold to the touch hypothermia has already set in. This means your kitten’s body temperature is dangerously low and her condition is critical!
Use your body first. Your own body provides the best immediate insulation. (Do not put kittens that display defensive behavior next to your skin- have a layer of clothes between you and the kitten).
Massage in the warmth. Gently massage the kitten’s body to stimulate circulation.
Wrap a towel around a hot water bottle or bottles of warm water- place it close to the kitten.
Never feed a chilled kitten any type of milk replacement formula or anything else. This can prove fatal! To stabilize a kitten as you warm him, try rubbing .01 cc (a thin layer on your finger tip) of light corn syrup, or a solution of equal parts sugar and water on his gums.
Place the kitten/kittens in a quiet place in a clean draft free area – the area should be large enough for the kittens to move around freely.
It is best to use a heating pad made for specially for pets, but if you must use a regular heating pad, set it on the lowest temperature, be sure to cover the heating pad well with a towel making sure the kitten cannot crawl under it and come into direct contact with the pad. The kittens must be able to move away from the heat, so be sure it covers only part of their bed. Check the kittens frequently.
During the first week of life the kitten area should be kept at 86 – 90 degrees and lowered five degrees a week until 75 degrees is reached. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of heating pad.
Keep it clean:
You’ll want to keep the kitten’s environment as clean as possible. Unweaned kittens can generate amazing messes in a short time by relieving themselves in their bed. Do not use strong disinfectants or detergents. Wash with 1 part bleach to 32 part water. Be sure to keep the kittens area dry.
Dehydration:
Kittens can easily become dehydrated due to lack of mother’s milk, hypothermia, or prolonged vomiting or diarrhea. To detect whether a kitten is dehydrated gently pick up a fold of skin along the kitten’s back (the scruff). The skin should quickly pop back into place. If the skin stays put dehydration has occurred.
A dehydrated kitten requires quick help. An electrolyte solution made for human babies and sold at most grocery stores is a good first line of defense for mildly dehydrated kittens. You can give your kitten 1cc of the electrolyte solution (slightly warmed and tested on your wrist) 3 times a day to help maintain electrolyte balance.
Severe dehydration is a veterinary emergency. Signs include sunken eyes, lack of skin elasticity determined by the skin fold test described above, dry mouth, exhaustion or lethargy.
Record:
Chart the kitten’s initial weight, taking notes on kitten’s general appearance, and accurately recording the feeding schedule with the time and amount of formula given.
To safely weigh kittens at home use a kitchen baking scale that contains a large capacity bowl.
Average weight for kittens:
Age (days)________Weight
1 2 ½ to 4 ¾ oz
5 3 to 7 oz
10 4 ½ to 9 ¾ oz
15 6 to 11 ¾ oz
20 7 ½ to 14 ½ oz
25 8 to 16 ¾ oz
Reprinted courtesy of Alley Cat Allies
The most important thing to note is that each kitten is gaining some amount of weight every single day.
Stages of Growth:
First week- kittens are virtually helpless at birth. Tiny and wet, they generally weigh in between 3-4 oz and are less then 6 inches long. Their eyes are closed and ears folded over. They are deaf and blind at birth. During the first week their sense of smell, hearing and taste begin to take shape. They can’t urinate or defecate on their own.
At this time they spend 90% of their time sleeping and the other 10% nursing. They can call out in distress and purr.
Second week- The kitten’s eyes begin to open (they are blue) and focus a bit. The ears also begin to open and stand up. They begin to crawl and snuggle in their nest. They are unable to retract their tiny claws, but knead enthusiastically.
Third week- Their eyesight improves. Those important first steps take place in the form of wobbly movements. They begin to cut baby teeth. True eye color appears. They begin to notice the world around them – full of sights, sounds and siblings.
Fourth week- by now they’re busy exploring their environment, playing with litter mates (if they don’t have litter mates, you need to be their litter mate and play with them a lot!) be careful not to teach them to play roughly with your hands- it’s cute at this age, but will not be so cute when they are adults biting your hand. They learn how to dig; they roll over and get back up. They begin lapping and go to the bathroom without help. Litter box training begins.
Fifth week- vigorous kitten play, including hiding, stalking, and pouncing. Baby teeth are in. Individual personalities emerge. The process of learning to nibble solid food continues.
Sixth week- their balance has improved. They learn to negotiate their territory, trotting and running in a smoother fashion. They’re more playful and begin to use their nails to climb (your legs) and they thrive on physical and mental stimulation.
Boy or Girl:
To determine the sex of you kitten, gently lift their tails and take a peek. Keep English punctuation in mind. The anus, testes and penis will resemble an exclamation point on males. Females will exhibit an anus and vulva that looks remarkably like a colon.
Feed Me:
Cow’s milk should never be given to kittens. It’s a poor substitute for a mother cat’s milk. The lactose level is too high and the fat and protein level are too low for kittens.
Even worse it causes diarrhea which can quickly dehydrate kittens.
Always use premixed formulas made specifically for kittens.
General feeding:
Kittens age Average Amount of Number of
(Weeks) weight formula per day feedings daily
1 4 oz 32 cc 6
2 7 oz 56 cc 4
3 10 oz 80 cc 3
4 13 oz 104 cc 3
5 1lb 128 cc 3
This is the average, but this is only a guideline and you will need to monitor your kitten to be sure it is gaining weight. It is important to not over feed or under feed your kitten.
Over feeding can cause diarrhea. One way to tell if you are overfeeding is the kittens will have appearance of grayish stool. On the other hand, a kitten that is not fed enough will cry continuously and appear restless, then listless. Under feeding will result in the kitten becoming dehydrated and chilled. Keep in mind a kitten’s milk intake is limited to her small stomach. The stomach should feel full but not swollen after she is fed.
A kitten requires about 8 cc’s of formula per ounce of body weight a day, divided among feedings. Follow the general feeding guide, but realize that each kitten is an individual and feeding is not an exact science. Healthy kittens let you know when they want to be fed and will often let you know they are full by releasing the nipple. If your kitten wake up and cries, she is probably hungry.
Bottle Feeding:
Kittens that are strong enough to suck vigorously on your finger should be bottle fed. Be sure to make the hole in the nipple big enough that kitten milk can go through, but not so large it runs out too quickly risking aspiration (milk in kitten’s lungs)
Be sure to sterilize all utensils before each feeding and warmth the formula to no more than 100 degrees F – test the formula on your wrist, it should feel warm not hot. Make sure the formula has no hot spots if you use the microwave.
To bottle feed kittens visualize the kitten’s natural position if she were nursing from her mom. Place the kitten stomach down on a towel it can cling to at roughly a 45 degree angle. Squeeze a drop of milk on the tip of the nipple, gently open her mouth and slip the nipple between her jaws. The angle helps prevent air from entering the stomach.
Never hold the kitten in the air or on her back while feeding. Never force feed your kitten or squeeze the bottle. Let the kitten suck on her own and sit back and relax. You and your kitten will catch on quickly! When you kitten is full, her tummy will be slightly rounded and bubbles will form around her moth. Just like young human babies, kittens must be burped after each feeding. Hold your kitten upright on against your shoulder. Pat and rub her gently on her back.
If your kitten appears to choke during a feeding or you notice formula coming out of his nose, don’t panic. The kitten may have aspirated some formula into his lungs. Immediately and gently hold the kitten upside down until the choking or coughing subsides. Tip: Make sure the hole in the nipple is not too large.
Stimulation means elimination
kittens younger then 3 weeks of age cannot eliminate on their own, they need your help. A mother cat normally licks the kitten’s genital and anal areas to stimulate them to urinate and defecate. You can do this after feeding and burping your kitten, take a cotton ball and moisten with warm water and gently rub over stomach and bottom. This action mimics the mom’s licking and will stimulate the kitten to relieve themselves. You will need to do this after every meal.
Wash after every meal
Tiny kittens are irresistibly cute, but they are also very messy. Like the mother cat you will want to clean them up after meals or after they eliminate. Don’t immerse a kitten in water this can cause respiratory problems. Instead, wash her with a warm, damp washcloth using short, gentle strokes; this mimics the moms licking her baby clean. Get them as dry as possible and then leave them in a warm, draft-free area until you are sure they are completely dry. Never allow your kitten to become chilled.
Weaning your kitten
the first thing to learn about weaning is that kittens do not always stick to the schedule we plan for them. Weaning has a lot more to do with the kitten’s readiness to be weaned than our desire to hurry the process along.
When your kitten reaches 4 weeks (occasionally earlier) start putting the formula in a shallow bowl or pan. Neatness doesn’t count, so be prepared for some wildly messy moments as your preschoolers learn to eat from a pan and not in it. At this time also, start leaving out fresh water in shallow dishes. From this point on fresh water should be available at all times.
Continue to keep your kittens as clean and dry as possible. Like a mother cat you will teach your kitten to clean their fur and groom themselves. The old adage about cleanliness being nest to godliness will prevent a host of skin problems.
Begin to add solid foods gradually. Use a high quality canned food designed specifically for kittens. Smear some on their lips or touch a finger to the mixture and put it in the kitten’s mouth. This is also when to leave dry kitten food out in a bowl. Be patient with the dry food; remember it takes time for the young kittens to become strong enough to chew dry kitten food. Weaning should not be finished until the kitten is 6 weeks or older.
Litter box time
At approximately 4 weeks your kitten is ready for litter box training. Her first litter box should allow for easy access- a small litter box or pie tin with a shallow layer of litter works well. Place the kitten in the litter and scratch the paws in it. This should be enough, but if necessary you should put a bit of their own stool in the box so they know what to do. They usually figure this out quickly. Use only clay litter or another non-clumping alternative (like Yesterdays News made from recycled paper) for safety sake. If they ingest it, they could end up with an obstruction. If it sticks to their nose it could impede their ability to breath.
Socializing
The kittens need to be handled a lot in order to be easy to handle adults. It is crucial they be given lots of attention, play time, cuddling. This is also a good time to get them used to having their nails trimmed. Place them on their back holding them like a baby. The more they are handled as kittens the more accepting of this they will be as adults. It is also important for them to be around noises, such as t. v., radio, people talking and so on.
(thank you Casa de los Gatos)
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