How to feed and care for orphaned kittens

Over the past 15 years, I have raised nine orphaned kittens. Four of them were two weeks old when their mother was killed, three others were only hours old when their mother died, two more kittens fell out of the nest in our barn when they were only one day of lives.

The increase kittens without a mother is not a difficult process, but it requires patience, time and lots of TLC.

Here are some tips to help you raise your orphaned kittens:

1. Make a nest.

Normally, a mother cat spends many hours a day in the nest with her kittens, which helps her children to stay warm. Keep the kittens warm is important because if they are not hot enough, they will not eat, and in fact, all their body functions slow down.

To keep your orphaned kittens, make the nest in a small box and line it with towels or old t-shirts or sweatshirts to help children maintain their body heat. Put a towel over the box to keep out the light. Female cats choose nests that are dark. If you do not have a heat lamp, use a small 40 watt table lamp and place it a few meters above the box to help keep the kittens warm.

If the box is big enough, you can also use a jug or another large container filled with hot water to keep the children warm. Place the jar in the box and then make a nest with towels beside it. Fill the jar as it cools. You can use a quart jar as "hot water bottle" too except that a quart jar cools off very quickly.

2. Use an eyedropper or syringe to feed the kittens.

The first time I raised orphaned kittens, I discovered that the small nursing bottles available at vet clinics were too large. The kittens could not get their mouths around the nipples. So, at first, for newborn kittens, I used an eyedropper. As the kittens grew bigger, a syringe worked very well, the type of syringe for giving injections (without needle of course). I started with the 3 cc size and used larger syringes when the kittens grew bigger. The tip of a syringe is about the size of the nipple of a cat, and my pet then sucked hard enough at the end of the syringe to draw the piston down alone. Check with your veterinary clinic to see if the used syringes are available or to see if you can buy new syringes from the clinic.

A word of caution: Whether you're feeding with an eyedropper or a syringe, be careful to give only a few drops at a time. My vet told me that if the kittens were given too much formula at once (more than he could swallow), you could inhale. Inhaling formula will make your kittens much more susceptible to pneumonia.

Along the way, I also discovered that it is better to feed the kittens because they want to eat. They settle down and sleep until the next feeding if they have enough to eat. Kittens start taking maybe 1 CC at a time. As they grow larger, it will eat about 12 candidates at a time (usually in several different portions).

Kittens learn very quickly that food comes from the syringe is held in his hand. If you can not take the formula from the syringe, let nuzzle in the palm of your hand for a few seconds or let them suck their fingers. Then introduce the syringe and let them suck on it very slowly while pushing the piston down.

3. Feed the kittens KMR or kitty formula that you have mixed.

KMR, the canned cat milk replacer, is available at most veterinary clinics and in one form or premixed dry. And 'specially formulated for kittens to provide all the nutrients they need. Follow the directions on the label. The amount of food is determined by body weight. My newborn kittens weighed three ounces each, and for the first few days, they only need half an eyedropper of KMR at a time.

My vet clinic also gave me a recipe for "kitten formula." After the can before KMR, this is what all my puppies have been bred.

Here is the recipe for Kitten Formula

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon white corn syrup

1 egg yolk

a pinch of salt

Mix in a blender and mix until well in advance, so the bubbles will have time to dissipate.

Heat over medium heat. Heat the formula so it feels a little 'warm to the touch. All my puppies have refused to swallow the formula if it is too cold or too hot. The same was true for KMR.

4. Feeding your puppy at regular intervals three times a day.

Mother cats nurse their kittens every couple of hours. I consulted the vet warned me not to feed them often. "We do not eat well and you will get frustrated and frustrated and will be more difficult for everyone," he said. He was right. Feeding the kittens three times a day has worked very well.

5. Groom your kittens with a warm, wet cloth and help them to empty their bladder and bowels.

Kittens are able to empty their bladders or move his bowels, so you'll need help. Use a warm, damp cloth and wipe under their tails until they have emptied their bladders and / or moved their bowels. Be prepared to use four washcloths for each kitten. If you only have to empty your bladder, you will not need that many. If you have to empty their bowels, look out - could be messy! Small washcloths that you can squeeze with one hand while holding a squirming kitten with the other works best. I put towels in a bucket of hot water and put the bucket where I can reach easily.

Kittens also do not know how to groom, and after a day or two of eating kitten formula, become sticky from the formula that inevitably dribbles their minds. From time to time, use a warm damp cloth to remove the formula, but be careful not to let the kittens too wet or it will be difficult for them to stay warm.

6. Provide a bowl when they are four weeks.

Cats have a strong instinct to use material that can scratch around when it comes to empty their bladders and move their bowels. By the time the puppies are four weeks, will already be thinking in this direction and provide them with a pan will help you get the idea. You may still have to help them with a cloth for a while ', but will not be long before you use the litter box.

Kitty litter in an aluminum pan works well to start. As the kittens grow larger, use a larger container for a litter box.

7. Start feeding solid food when kittens are about six weeks.

Puppies that are raised by their mothers probably start eating before six weeks, but you'll be able to provide more milk from their mothers at their disposal.

When your kittens have got their teeth, you can start feeding them solid foods. If you want to eat dry food, good quality kitten chow will work well. Kitten chow has all the nutrients and protein they need to continue to grow. Kitten Chow is also produced in small kitten-nibbles. For groped their appetites and give them a "deal", you can also try a little 'canned cat food. Be sure to provide fresh water for your kittens to drink, as well. And until the puppies are eating solid food regularly, supplement their caloric intake with kitten formula. At this point, you will not have to feed them with a syringe. You can enter the formula in a small saucer, and once you discover where he is and what it is, they drink alone.

8. Be prepared to be surprised and amazed.

Kittens grow very rapidly, and on some days, you will think that they are always before your eyes.

Kittens get their eyes open when they are about 10 days.

They will start purring when they are young as 6 days.

Kittens will start other behaviors "kitty" like shaking his head, trying to groom and lifting the rear of a food to scratch behind the ears when they are between two to three weeks of age.

Kittens sometimes have hiccups (!) While feeding them.

Kittens are like human beings of the child, in a sense. Their days consist of eating, sleeping and emptying their bowels and bladders. After the kittens have gotten enough to eat and have had their bodily functions taken care, when you put them back into the "nest", they will sleep or rest quietly until you are ready to feed them again. If you are restless and crying and meowing, may need some more 'food, or it may be necessary to empty the bladder or move their bowels, or may feel cold.

As the puppies grow, they will be awake for long periods of time and finally start playing with each other.

By the time the puppies are four weeks old, is very likely to move into a bigger box, if not before, because the first will be too small and they know how to find out yourself!

If you have questions regarding the collection of orphaned kittens, I can e-mail address bigpines@ruralroute2.com

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LeAnn R. Ralph...