What To Feed Newborn Kittens By Hand

Feeding your newborn kittens what to feed your kittens.

What to feed newborn kittens by hand. To feed the kitten place them in the same position that they would have if their mother gave them milk. Bottle syringe feeding ideally a bottle and teat designed specifically for kittens is the best form of feeding however a syringe can also be used. Fill a 10 ml syringe place the index and middle finger each side of barrel wings and the plunger head into the palm of your hand. When the kitten is basically newborn with eyes closed the very first meal is a little complicated since the sucking habit has not been formed and also the condition is extremely weak particularly if orphaned or malnourished before.

If a litter is too large for the queen to support and as long as the kittens are gaining some milk from their mother they may only need supplementary feeding. If possible kittens should remain with their queen and litter mates because orphaned kittens may develop behavioural issues. This allows the kitten time to swallow and breathe. Watch my youtube video on how to bottle feed a kitten for tips on proper preparation and feeding posture.

You should feed the kitten for 5 10 minutes every 2 hours and never go longer than 4 hours in between feedings. If possible you should use bottle and teat set specifically designed for use with kittens such as the catac bottle and teat set. Instead you will. The teat is long and narrow which is ideal to fit inside the mouth of a newborn kitten.

It is good practice always to check the smooth running of a syringe this way. Each week increase the amount of formula you re using and after 4 and a half weeks gradually wean the kitten by introducing it to moist food. Orphaned kittens should be fed on a strict schedule preferably every 2 4 hours. To feed a baby kitten without a mother feed it a kitten milk replacement formula using a sterilized feeding bottle.

If a queen is only temporarily ill kittens may only need to be hand fed for a few days while in other situations kittens will need to fed by hand until they are weaned. This is available from most vets and reputable pet shops. Kitten puppy milk from the supermarket is not suitable. Hold the kitten with their head high and belly on a towel let them suck over and over again but do not give him too much.

Squirrel teats available from the usa are particularly good for small kittens and attach easily to a 5 or 10 ml syringe. If it s your first time bottle feeding don t panic. Newborn kittens need artificial milk formula specifically for kittens. You must be quiet when they eat so that they feel confident and let them take their time to breastfeed to avoid digestion problems or that you eat too much food.

And please never feed cow s milk to a kitten as this is extremely dangerous to their health and can lead to death. The bottle itself is very small and it has an open end at the top so the you can place a thumb over it to control the flow of milk if it is dripping too fast from the teat and overwhelming the kitten. Small breed kittens should be limited to 10 15ml per feeding during the first week of life in order to prevent diarrhea. Kittens up to two weeks old can generally consume their daily intake in 4 5 meals per day.

You can do it but you ll want to know some tricks so you don t hurt them. For a particularly small kitten you may want to use a syringe or dropper to feed it instead. Cow s milk is also unsuitable.