Taking Care Of Newborn Kittens And Mother

Keep the mother cat and her babies in a quiet part of the house.

Taking care of newborn kittens and mother. At about three to four weeks old they can be offered milk replacer from a bowl and then small amounts of moistened kitten food four to six times a. As a rule of thumb for every ounce of kitten body weight he or she needs 8 ccs of formula. Kittens are considered newborn kittens from 0 4 weeks of age. At 6 12 weeks old start giving them dry.

They are also learning how to regulate body temperature. 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. Keep an eye on the heating pad to ensure that it s working properly and that it doesn t get too hot or malfunction. Monitor hydration by checking the moisture of the gums skin elasticity and color of the urine.

If the kittens are 1 2 weeks old bottle feed them with milk replacer formula every 1 2 hours. If the mother cat is still with the kittens there is very little required for human caretakers. Newborn kittens cuddle up with their mother and siblings to stay warm. Obviously the mother cat will take care of not only feeding the kittens but also keeping them clean.

Newborn kittens may nurse about every 1 2 hours. Chilling is one of the most critical dangers to newborn kittens. When a kitten is born find a soft toy or teddy bear to comfort the newborn cat as a surrogate mother and to share warmth. The mother cat can keep the babies warm but if she leaves to eat or use a litter box the kittens can get cold.

Some basic tips for how to take care of a kitten in the first six months of its life are as follows. A separate room is ideal. Make sure the room is warm enough as kittens are unable to regulate their body temperature when they are only a few days old. Turn the baby often to encourage breathing.

Provide blankets a heat lamp or a heating pad to ensure the kittens stay warm. 7 to make sure the kitten defecates and urinates you need to take on the role of mother. If the mother cat is not around you ll need to prepare and feed them yourself. Like a human baby a newborn kitten will need to be fed frequently approximately every two to three hours.

At this time in their life they count on their mother for warmth. At 3 4 weeks old provide formula and water softened kitten kibble 4 6 times daily. If your kitten has been abandoned you ll need to keep her warm. Kitten care tips if a kitten seems cold place hot water bottles wrapped in towels nearby.

So a kitten weighing 3 ounces will need about 24 ounces of milk replacement every 24 hours. Healthy kittens have moist gums elastic skin and colorless urine when they are adequately hydrated. In fact she will eat any urine and feces her little ones produce. You can use a box or small crate with plenty of dry clean bedding.

Make sure you change the bedding frequently so it doesn t get too soiled. As mentioned earlier newborn kittens will do nothing but sleep and eat during the first week of their lives. Under 4 weeks of age. You must accomplish this task.

When the baby begins to warm up encourage them to take in some food such as warmed gruel baby food or milk replacer. During this time newborn kittens are just developing motor skills and coordination.