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Raising Orphaned Kittens
A kitten may need hand raising because the mother has died, become ill, rejected the
kittens or abandoned them. In the case of feral cats, the kittens may have been taken
from the mother for taming.

Kittens should not be taken from the mother before 5 to 6 weeks of age if possible. (For
wild kittens you may want to take them away from the mother at 4 weeks to tame them. As
they get older, taming gets progressively harder.) The longer the mother is able to feed
the kittens the better since the young kittens need mother's milk for best nutrition as well
as important antibodies. This passive immunity usually lasts until the kittens are 6-14
weeks of age. Since orphans have no such protection, they are especially vulnerable to
disease.

First try finding a foster feline mother; breeders, veterinarians and animal shelters may
know of nursing cats or dogs in your area. Try calling any “cat people” that you know for
leads as well. Cats will very often feed kittens other than their own.

If you must feed them yourself before weaning age, you must devote considerable energy
and weeks of constant care if the kitten is to have a good chance at survival. The younger
the kitten, the more fragile it is. Very young may not survive without a mother no matter
how good the care.

WARMTH AND FIRST AID
As soon as you find an orphaned kitten it must be protected from becoming chilled. Place
it under your clothes next to your skin. Most of the young kitten's energy is needed for
growth and yelling for more food, so there's not a lot left over for heat generation.
Normally the mother cat and litter mates would provide a good deal of warmth. During
their first week, kittens should be kept between 88 and 92 environmental degrees F.
Taking the kittens temperature rectally is the most important step toward insuring the right
environment is being maintained. The body temperature of the kitten should be 100 to
102 degrees, the normal body temp for cats. For the next 2 weeks they still need
environmental temperatures of 80 degrees or so. When they reach 5 weeks they can
tolerate a lower room temperature.

If possible, take the kitten to a veterinarian to be checked out for dehydration and general
condition. Kittens can become dehydrated very quickly without a mom and may need
fluids given under the skin as opposed to IV. Kittens that are dehydrated from lack of
fluids or diarrhea will have very little energy or appetite, so this is important to take care of
immediately. Stools should be checked by a vet for worms and parasites as some are
microscopic. The vet can supply a lot of advice on hand raising kittens as well as needed
supplies so don't skip this step.

When you get the kitten home you must continue to provide warmth. Find a place in your
home that is warm, draft-free and isolated. An incubator can be made using a cardboard
box, some warm bedding, and a gallon jug filled with hot water. Keep the box covered with
a towel. This will provide a nice warm environment with moist heat for breathing; just keep
a check that the water in the jug stays hot/very warm. A light bulb, turned on near the
kitten is another good source of heat. Heat lamps are inexpensive and can be purchased
at any hardware store, or in the hardware department of larger retail stores. Allow kitten to
crawl from the light if it wants to.

Feeding
Feeding can be done with an eyedropper or a nursing bottle (available at the vet). If using
the eyedropper be careful not to force feed the kitten. Let the baby suck the fluid at its
own pace, otherwise you can fill the baby's lungs with milk and cause pneumonia. If a
kitten is weak or has become chilled it may no longer have a nursing reflex. To test for
this, insert the tip of your little finger into its mouth. If it attempts to suck then it can take a
bottle. If not, using a medicine dropper or syringe, feed a few drop of warmed Gatoraid or
Pedialyte at a time. At this time warmed Gatoraid or Pedialyte is better than milk to
strengthen a weakened kitten. When the nursing reflex returns, warm milk replacer may
be used.

If the baby is old enough to suckle, the bottle method is best. Milk replacer and bottles
may be purchased at any vet clinic or pet store. If it is late in the evening or a weekend
and these establishments are closed, do not give regular milk. Goat’s milk may be
purchased at most grocery stores and this can be used as a substitute until you can
purchase milk replacer especially made for kittens.

All utensils should be sterilized before each feeding.

To feed your kitten, place it stomach down on a towel or other textured surface to which it
can cling. Open its mouth gently with the tip of your finger, then slip the nipple between its
jaws. To prevent air from entering the kitten's stomach, hold the bottle at a 45-degree
angle, keeping a light pull on the bottle to encourage vigorous sucking.

If a suckling kitten aspirates formula into its lungs, immediately hold it upside down until
the choking subsides. If the kitten is not strong enough to suckle, seek veterinary
assistance ASAP.

Formula should be warmed to body temperature and fed to small kittens every 2-3 hours.
As they get older every 4-6 hours will be enough. Check the package for recommended
feeding amounts and feedings per day. A kitten needs approximately 8 ccs of formula per
ounce of body weight per day. The kitten's age determines the number of daily feedings it
should receive.

When a kitten has had enough formula, bubbles will form around its mouth, and its tummy
will be rounded. After each meal, burp the kitten by holding it upright against you shoulder
and patting it lightly on the back.

Do not over feed kittens, as this can bring on diarrhea as well as other problems.

FEEDING GUIDE

AGE IN      AVG. WEIGHT      AMOUNT OF FORMULA         NUMBER OF FEEDINGS
WEEKS        OF KITTEN            PER   DAY                 PER DAY
1                  4 ounces                 32 cc                        every 2-3 hours
2                  7 ounces                 56 cc                        every 4-6
3                10 ounces                 80 cc                            4
4                13 ounces               104 cc                             3
5                  1 pound                 128 cc                            3

For kittens with a lack of appetite or anemia, "Pet-Tinic" vitamin/mineral supplement
(available at the vet and pet food stores) will stimulate appetite and rebuild systems.
Follow the directions on the bottle for dosage and give direct by dropper or add to food.
Kittens should be weighed frequently to ensure that they are growing properly. You'll soon
know if your orphans are thriving because they will grow at an incredible rate.