Free Information
About Taking Care of
Abandoned Kittens
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Caring For Abandoned & Orphaned Kittens
Sometimes it is necessary to care for a kitten in place of its
mother. This may occur if the mother is neglectful, she does not
produce enough milk, or the kitten is orphaned. If you decide to
foster the kitten (s) yourself, the appropriate bottles and
supplies can be found at your local pet store.
Colostrum
Kittens are born without immunity to infectious diseases and need
at least one meal of their mother's colostrum (the first milk
produced after giving birth) in order to provide them with
important antibodies.
If this is not possible, the kittens must be kept in a clean
environment and avoid other cats, other than littermates.
Although there is no perfect substitute for mother's milk, there
are several good commercial alternatives for nursing kittens.
Nursing
Several options are available for young kittens. Kittens can be
fed with premature baby bottles, a simple eye dropper, a
hypodermic syringe, or a special curved kitten bottle. Check with
your veterinarian to find out what's right for your baby.
Always remember to sterilize your kitten's bottle to ensure that
your kitten receives the healthiest care possible.
Warm the formula by placing the bottle in a bowl of very hot
water, then test it against your forearm. It should be 95° to
100° Fahrenheit, or approximately body temperature. Test the
nipple to ensure the flow is just right.
Sit in the chair with the towel folded in your lap. Place the
kitten prone (face down) on your lap. Make sure the kitten is
warm before feeding. Feeding formula to a cold kitten can cause
serious digestive problems. Without raising the kitten's head,
place the nipple in his mouth. He should start nursing right
away. If all goes well, let him continue nursing until finished.
Do not overfeed.
If the kitten does not start nursing right away, or if he seems
to have trouble getting the milk, check the nipple again. It
should not drip milk when held upside down, but should drip given
a small amount of pressure. It may also be helpful to stroke his
head or gently pet his back to start his nursing reflexes, but
once he gets the idea, he will nurse readily.
Much like human babies, kittens may need "burping" after nursing.
This is best accomplished by holding one hand under his abdomen
and gently patting his upper back. Not too hard - you don't want
him to vomit. If he doesn't burp right away, go to step #6.
The mother cat will stimulate her kitten's elimination by licking
his anus and genital area with her rough tongue. You can emulate
this process with a warm, damp, rough washcloth or dampened paper
towel. It may take a couple of feedings to see results, so don't
despair if he doesn't defecate right away. Urinating may take a
bit longer. Keep the kitten clean and dry in this area to prevent
a rash from forming.
Your kitten will want to sleep after nursing, so put him back
into his bed to let him sleep undisturbed.
Formulas
Commercial milk substitutes are available at most pet food stores
and veterinary offices. If you are unable to obtain a commercial
formula, a few home recipes are also available until you can pick
up a commercial brand.
1-7 days
1/2-1 tsp. of formula every 2 hours
7-14 days
1-1 1/2 tsp. of formula every 2 hours during the day and every 4
hours at night
14-21 days
1-1 1/2 tsp. of formula every 2 hours during the day and once
between 11pm-8am
Your newborn kitten will need approximately 1.1 oz. of formula a
day, divided into 9 - 12 feedings a day, depending on his size
and condition. Count on feeding him every two hours or so, around
the clock, for starters. Yes, it's a demanding job, but intensely
rewarding to watch your newborn develop and grow.
Between Meals
Your kitten should be kept in a warm box with a blanket or a
heating lamp. You may also wish to supply some sort of a mother
substitute such as a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket or
towel.
Be Careful With Heat
Be careful with heat sources and your kitten. In general, heating
pads are not recommended, if used put on lowest setting and cover witha
blanket or towel. Never use a sun lamp. Animals placed directly on
heating pads are at high risk of thermal burns.
Milk Replacer
When preparing milk alternatives, remember that cow's milk is not
balanced for the kitten's dietary needs and isn't good for long
term use. Try to get a commercial milk replacer at your local pet store,
or veterinary clinic. It is not a good idea to constantly switch
formulas. Only switch to a different formula if you see the kitten is
not doing well on one. Be careful about over feeding, diarrhea is
the first sign of overfeeding.
Homemade Recipe for Short-term Use
One such formula consists of:
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoonfuls of Karo syrup
Another similar recipe is:
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Karo or maple syrup per pint mixture
• 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast or bee pollen per pint mixture
• A vitamin-mineral supplement like Fauve or Vital Nutrition.
12oz of water
1 envelope Knox Gelatin
1 12oz can of whole evaporated milk (not skim)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt, not nonfat
Boil the water, add the gelatin - stir well. Add the following
ingredients in order, mixing well after each addition:
1/2 of canned milk (canned goats milk preferred)
mayonnaise and yogurt
the rest of the milk
Alfred Recommends:
The bodies of kittens are in the developing stages. The cells are forming
at a rapid pace, and the DNA and RNA within these cells are being
"programmed" so they will know the blueprint for how to build a cell
that will eventually replace that first one.
In order for cells to build DNA & RNA, certain proteins, minerals,
and enzymes are necessary to be present, along with pure water and oxygen.
If these are not available to the cell in the right amounts, and Quality,
a cell will be formed that is a bit malformed or defective.
When the fetus was in the mother's womb, the cells were fed from the
mother's blood. Now, the cells must be formed from the ingredients in
the food the kitten eats.
If the food does not contain the right ingredients the kitten needs, then
obviously the cells will not have the proper nutrients to build the strongest
and healthiest cell possible.
Millions of cells make up what we call organs. If these cells are malformed
or defective, then we have an organ with a tissue structure that is weak
and unable to perform to capacity or is susceptable to disease.
Does this make sense to you?
If so, then we would like to suggest that a kitten needs an excellent quality
food with a very wide range of nutrients in it.
You know that cats are carnivores, meaning they are meat eaters. They
don't have the ability to manufacture proteins in their liver as dogs and
humans do, thus they have to get their proteins from food.
Complete proteins come from meat sources. Incomplete proteins come
from grains. Incomplete proteins do not have all the amino acids present
required to form what we call a complete protein.
Also you will want to consider the presence of harsh chemical preservatives
that are in some foods, such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. All have been
proven to play a role in various degenerative diseases such as kidney
and liver disease, and cancer.
Now, what do you believe would be better for your little kitten, a food
that has a cancer causing agent, or a food that has all natural
preservatives?
Our suggestion then is to look for a kitten food that has at least 2 to 3
meat sources of proteins to every one grain source.
And to look for a food that has all natural preservatives instead of toxic
chemicals.
Our recommended food for kittens is:
Life's Abundance Premium Health Food For Cats
It is a 100% complete and balanced formula that is safe for your kitten, and
will supply your kitten with the nutrients it needs.
Start your kitten off the right way.....
Go here to find out more:
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