How You Can Help Kittens Thrive

Yes, there is a Kitten Season, but kittens are also born year round and many need life-saving care. The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary offers these helpful tips:

FEEDING: Newborn kittens should be fed milk replacement formula that is made specifically for them. There are a couple different brands of formula available at pet stores and online. The formula can be found in both powder and liquid forms.

Never feed kittens (or cats) cow’s milk. Not only does it not have the necessary nutrients they need, but it could cause extreme (possibly fatal) GI upset.

20 USEFUL BOTTLE FEEDING TIPS:

1. Patience is key when getting babies to latch. They feed off our vibes.
2. Smell the formula, bottle, nipple, & bottle cap before every feeding. Scent is babies’ primary sense, and they will refuse to drink if anything smells bad/old/stale to them (they can smell much better than us!)
3. Formula should be the correct temperature (100°-102°)
4. Nipple opening should be correct size; formula should drip out slowly when held upside down
5. Shake warmed bottle (the warmer formula is on the outside) and test formula temp on arm/hand before feeding
6. Try different temperatures of formula – every baby has different preferences
7. Try different nipples too: round, cone, Miracle Nipple (2 sizes)
8. Always feed most urgent (smallest, sickly, etc.) kitten first
9. Keeping siblings together while feeding can encourage drinking (like it would be with mama). This also helps give them drinking breaks while you rotate through the sibling(s).
10. Place fingers on cheeks/temples to steady their head or make a circle with finger and thumb and loosely set it around their eyes/chin. This action can serve as a cue for them to begin drinking.
11. If they’re not latching, try stroking their back and forehead as a mother cat would do with their tongue, this may stimulate the kitten to nurse
12. Kittens under 2 weeks like to nurse when sleepy, kittens older than 2 weeks need to be fully awake & alert.
13. Formula should be less than 24 hrs. old, preferably less than 12 hrs. old. Check for chunks clogging nipple opening.
14. Letting kittens out to run/wobble around burns calories and makes them want to eat more
15. If they look plump and clean it may take longer to start latching bc they’re used to drinking from mama’s nipple
16. Use distilled or filtered water to prevent tummy troubles bc some tap water’s chemicals are too rough on neonates
17. Try slowly, gently starting to pull the nipple out of their mouth to encourage latching
18. Bright lights in babies’ eyes can be jarring. Keep room darkish or cover/shade their eyes.
19. Most babies like to drink lying on tummy slightly propped up; some may prefer a swaddle.
20. Always try to recreate the “mother cat” nursing experience for them: soft, warm, on tummy.

STAYING HYDRATED: Newborn kittens receive all the hydration they require from the formula you give them. You should not offer water to kittens until they’re fully weaned and confidently eating solid food. And please offer it in a shallow bowl for safety.

POOP TIME! it’s all about trying to re-create the Mother cat experience for orphaed kittens. Mama cats lick the kittens’ genital area to stimulate them to pee and poop. Use a paper towel or an unscented baby wipe to accomplish the same stimulation. Just think about how a mother cat’s tongue would do this and try to do the same with a wipe. They won’t poop every time, but once every day or two.