What Do Baby Kittens Need

Getting a new kitten is an exciting time.

What do baby kittens need. The first milk produced called colostrum is rich in antibodies and will help protect kittens against diseases. These have all the necessary nutrients needed by kittens to thrive. Kittens need large amounts of energy about two to three times that of an adult cat. Kittens should be eating a food that is labeled as either a kitten food or an all life stages food which essentially means it is formulated for the most nutritionally demanding life stages and less appropriate for other mature life stages.

You may have been anticipating getting a kitten for some time or you might have not even known a kitten was about to join your household. Fading kitten syndrome symptoms. Newborn kittens should get all of their nutrition from their mother. Yes it s a demanding job but intensely rewarding to watch your newborn develop and grow.

Count on feeding him every two hours or so around the clock for starters. Food for your kitten should contain at least. Preparing for your kitten s arrival you ll need a cat carrier make sure you buy one that s large enough for a fully grown adult cat a low sided litter tray a litter scoop a cosy bed shallow. When kittens are first born they are completely helpless their eyes are closed their ears are folded and they can t stand keep themselves warm or eat on their own.

They can be found at a good pet supply store. Therefore you will need to purchase kitten milk replacement kmr formulas to feed the baby kitten. The same goes for adult cats for that matter. When do kittens lose baby teeth.

Kittens are typically fully weaned by around eight weeks of age. But regardless of the circumstances of the arrival the first month with your new kitten is a month of changes and there. Kittens get everything they need from a mother cat s milk for the first four weeks of life and are usually able to chew dry food by 6 to 7 weeks and completely weaned by 8 to 10 weeks of age. Your veterinarian is an excellent source of information as to what food will be the best for your cat.

Once a kitten is weaned don t offer milk as it can give her diarrhea. Your newborn kitten will need approximately 32 cc 1 1 oz of formula a day divided into 9 12 feedings a day depending on his size and condition. These antibodies last for six weeks or more. Some of the best kitten milk replacement formulas are nutri vet hartz just born nurturall c and pet lac.

They rely on mom for everything. This will continue until they gradually transition to solid foods when they are around four weeks old weaning. Learn more about newborn kittens in our kitten.