Newborn Kittens And Mother Care

Young kittens can also suffer from what is called fading kitten syndrome a fading kitten is one that appears healthy at birth but fails to survive beyond 2 12 weeks of age.

Newborn kittens and mother care. If you cannot find a foster mother please consult with your veterinarian about the proper way to bottle feed with a commercial milk replacer. But if for some reason the mother is not there to provide warmth you can still do something to the newborn kittens. Please see the article titled what should i feed my kitten for more information. Let the mother cat set the pace for your attention.

When a new kitten comes it is immense pleasure for the mother as well as the family. Position the bottle in such a way that the kittens would still be able to move away from it anytime they want. In the absence of this feline family you have to use warm blankets to keep the little kitten at a nice temperature. Caring for newborn kittens and mother is essential.

It is important for them to receive their mother s milk up until this age as it contains substances that are vital to their health and immunity. At 3 4 weeks old provide formula and water softened kitten kibble 4 6 times daily. Happy to see the newborn kitten as well as the proud mother. As a rule of thumb for every ounce of kitten body weight he or she needs 8 ccs of formula.

If the mother cat is not around you ll need to prepare and feed them yourself. To care for newborn kittens when the mother cat is still present feed the mother to keep her strength up but leave the kittens alone for the first week to ensure the mother doesn t reject them. New kitten and mother cat care the first two to three weeks are the most crucial for a mother cat and her newborn kittens. Healthy kittens have moist gums elastic skin and colorless urine when they are adequately hydrated.

One way to help them is by wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel then place it next to the kittens. The birth of a kitten is a much awaited phenomenon when we expect it. Where possible allow the kittens to wean naturally from their mother. To assist you in your kitten care you can picture the correct amount if you know one teaspoon is just.

This generally occurs by the time the kitten is about 8 weeks of age. They rely on their mothers to keep themselves warm. However the blankets should not be too heavy. At about 3 to 4 weeks of age this is when you can start to offer moistened kitten food several times a day.

The kittens should be developing rapidly and if the mother is going to have any postpartum problems it will happen during that period. As mentioned earlier newborn kittens don t have the ability to produce their own body heat. But if your kitten is separated from her mother you ll need an alternative milk source kitten formula. If you have newborn kittens who ve been separated from their mother consult with a veterinarian shelter or experienced foster care giver who can help you find a new mother cat with a small litter she may be able to nurse the orphaned babies.

Like a human baby a newborn kitten will need to be fed frequently approximately every two to three hours. Meanwhile the kitten can continue to nurse from his mother or drink the formula source from a bottle or bowl. We have a lot of work to do after the birth. If the kittens are 1 2 weeks old bottle feed them with milk replacer formula every 1 2 hours.

Deaths generally occur due to one of the following. Caring for newborn kittens and mother. The mother s milk is all a kitten needs to survive during this time. So a kitten weighing 3 ounces will need about 24 ounces of milk replacement every 24 hours.

At 6 12 weeks old start giving them dry. Your vet can help you pick one that will work best.