Orphan kitten care

Sometimes, we find a kitten which has apparently been separated from its mother, or its mother is not able to take care of it. Mother cats have an instinct about the health of their kittens, and if they abandon their kitten, it may have a serious health problem and will not be able to survive, no matter how much effort we expend in trying to care for it. But, sometimes, a mother cat becomes ill or injured herself, so the kitten needs immediate help to survive.

The tips in this article are intended to guide you in giving immediate, emergency supportive care to an orphaned kitten. For more complete information, please read our article, Kitten Basics.

If there is a mother, and she is able to care for the kitten(s), she is their best chance for survival. She also provides them with valuable nutrients in the first day or two of nursing, colostrum, which provides her babies with antibodies to protect them in their first weeks and months of life. Without these antibodies, they are defenseless against many bacterial and viruses. Replacement nursing formulas which contain colostrums are now available from veterinarians, but they must be used within the first 24-48 hours in order to be effective.

Sometimes mom lacks enough milk to feed her babies, but she is still willing to take care of their other physical and developmental needs, including teaching them about litter pans and proper kitten behavior. If this is the case, it is best to leave the kittens with their mother and to provide supportive care in the form of feeding, and leave momcat to handle the rest of the chores.

Here is a list of items you probably have in your home, and can use to give immediate care to your orphaned kitten, until you can get to a pet store or veterinarian to get the proper diet and other items you need.

First and foremost, a kitten MUST be kept warm at all times. A cold kitten will not eat, and will rapidly lose core body temperature, become lethargic, lapse into a coma like state and ultimately die. The nest should be lined with an absorbent cloth, and then covered with either flannel or fleece to help reflect the baby's body warmth back to it, keeping it cozy and warm.

The nesting box is intended to provide a warm, safe place for your orphan. The sides must be at least 12inches high to prevent drafts (or an escape). The top should be draped with a towel or blanket to keep in the warmth (heat rises), and to make it reasonably but not totally dark. A regular pet carrier, covered with a towel and placed on top of another towel so that the bottom doesn't get cold, is an ideal nest.

To help keep the kitten(s) warm, a heat source is also helpful. A human heating pad should NEVER be used; even the lowest heat setting is too high, and they have a very strong electrical field. If you have a heating pad designed for animal use (a kennel warmer) this should be sued, but placed so that the kitten can get off the warm area if it feels uncomfortable. Kennel warmers typically don't feel warm to the touch, but are designed to feel warm where a kitten's body presses against it. These kennel warmers also are designed to need insulation; they MUST be covered with a fabric pouch made for this purpose, or wrapped in a towel or other insulating fabric. The nest fabric will need to be checked frequently and changed whenever it is soiled or wet, usually 3-4 times a day, at least until the kittens are 5-6 weeks old.

If you don't have a kennel warmer, Snuggle Safe disks are available at most pet supply stores. These plastic disks are filled with a special gel. After being warmed in the microwave, they continue to give off heat for many hours. CAUTION: the Snuggle Safe MUST be wrapped in cloth to protect the kitten from too much heat. We typically wrap them in a towel and place them under the kitten's fleece or flannel bedding.

If you don't have either a kennel warmer or a Snuggle Safe disk, empty plastic soda bottles can be filled with hot water, wrapped in towels and placed around the edge of the nest area. If bottles are used, you must make sure that they don't leak and wet the kittens, which will chill them, and they must be checked and refilled frequently, usually after an hour or so, because they cool rapidly. A soda bottle filled with cool water (below kitten body temperature) will cause the kitten to lose body heat rapidly, leading to shock and even death.

Feeding the kittens a proper diet on a proper schedule is crucial to maintaining their health. Cow's milk and human infant formulas cause a number of problems and should not be used. The BEST diet is one which has been specially formulated to meet all of the nutritional needs of a kitten. They are usually available in either dry (powder) form requiring mixing, or pre-mixed liquid. The best known brand with the highest rate of acceptance by kittens is KMR, but there are others available from local pet supply stores and veterinarians. Once a can of dry formula is opened, the unused powder should be stored in the freezer to prevent the milk solids from becoming stale or rancid.

Mixing dry powder formula should be mixed using the manufacturer's label instructions, preferably with a blender, as the solids tend to be difficult to mix. Only a one-day supply should be made at a time to ensure freshness, and should be mixed several hours ahead of feeding time in order to allow air bubbles in the formula to disperse. Otherwise, you may have a kitten with a very upset stomach. Refrigerate any left over mixed formula.

TEMPORARY FORMULA (not nutritionally complete)
A ½ cup WHOLE (not reduced fat) milk,
Evaporated (not condensed) milk,
Light cream or Half-and-half
1 egg yolk (uncooked)
2-3 unflavored Tums antacid tablets, finely crushed.
Cats in general are lactose intolerant, and may Develop severe diarrhea when given cow's milk dairy Products. The Tums will neutralize the lactic acid In the milk, promoting digestion and preventing Diarrhea.
Blend ingredients thoroughly.
Refrigerate unused portion.
Do not use for more than 24-48 hours.
OR, if you use goat's milk or Lactaid brand milk,
½ cup WHOLE (not reduced fat) Lactaid or goat's milk
1 egg yolk (uncooked)
Blend ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate unused portion.
Do not use for more than 4-48 hours

The use of temporary formula is intended for emergency use only. This formula lacks the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which cats specifically need for proper development and health. Feeding a deficient formula can result in blindness, faulty development of the heart and lungs, weak bones, and other health problems.

Bottle/Dropper Feeding - While use of a nurser specifically designed as a pet nurser is the preferred method of feeding orphaned kittens, there are cases where they simply don't seem to be working. Sometimes a nipple is too stiff, and the kitten can't suck hard enough to get its formula. Or the formula may be too dense and not pass through the nipple. The important thing to bear in mind is that the feeding is supposed to mimic the natural sucking/nursing behavior as closely as possible. The kitten should be held in as natural a nursing position as possible. This means it should NOT be on its back, but should be semi-upright on its stomach.

Preparing the bottle - Using a hot needle or a pair of fine nail cutting scissors, make a hole in the nipple big enough that the formula will slowly drip through the hole when the bottle is held upside down. This will allow the kitten to be fed with minimal sucking effort. If a dropper is used, it is important not to squeeze the formula out, but to allow the kitten to suck the dropper to dispense the formula.

Feeding Schedule - Most orphaned kittens need to be fed every 3 hours or so during the day. If you adhere to this schedule, they may reward you by sleeping for longer periods during the night, just when you want a little sleep, yourself. Kittens expend a great deal of energy keeping warm, so having a comfy warm nest will help to conserve their energy. It is best to let sleeping kittens lie and NOT to wake them to feed them.

How Much will the kitten eat? - The answer to this question is: as much as they want. From experience, the smallest kittens (under 6 oz) tend to eat ½ to 1ml at a time. Their stomach simply isn't big enough to take any more. This volume gradually increases as they grow older.

Warming the formula - The bottle should be warmed in a cup of hot water. Just as with human babies, the bottle should not be warmed in a microwave, because a microwave does not warm evenly. It is possibly to cause serious scalding burns to a kitten's mouth and throat from hot spots in the formula. The formula should be tested before giving it to a kitten. Does it taste or smell sour? If so, it should be discarded and new formula should be mixed. The temperature should be tested on the inside wrist; the formula should not feel cold, or noticeably warm or hot - it should be body temperature.

Formula coming out of the nose - this happens when the kitten is unable to swallow the amount of formula in its mouth. This is very dangerous, as the formula can go into the kitten's airway and lungs, leading to infection or pneumonia, in effect drowning the kitten. If the kitten does not seem to be able to swallow any amount of formula at all, no matter how little, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

Burping the Kitten - Just like human babies, orphaned kittens need help in digesting their food. This means that after eating, they should be loosely wrapped in fleece or flannel to keep them warm, held upright against your chest, where they can feel and hear your heartbeat, and have their backs and sides gently rubbed and massaged to help them expel any air they have swallowed, and to help their digestion. These functions are usually performed by the mother cat when she licks the kittens after they eat.

Urinating/Defecating - Very young kittens don't have control over their bowel and bladder function. They need help, which their momcat usually provides when she licks their genital area. While we don't have to do that, we do have to mimic mommy cat's function. This is done easily by taking a cotton ball, dampening it with warm (not hot) water, and gently rubbing across the urinary and anal areas of the kitten. Urine often comes out, and is immediately soaked up by the cotton ball. A second cotton ball can them be used to stimulate production of feces. In very young kittens this is often very soft and of a green or grayish brown color. Although the stool is usually very soft, it should not be watery. Watery stool must be treated as diarrhea which can rapidly dehydrate a kitten.

Diarrhea - If you see diarrhea, an immediate call to the veterinarian is in order. You may receive specific instructions to add ingredients to the KMR or other formula, or you may be given medication. You may also be told to add water to the formula to increase the proportionate amount of fluid.

Bathing/Kitten Hygiene - Humans are somewhat at a disadvantage when they are foster parenting kittens. As a species, we are not physically equipped to perform the nurturing activities required by a kitten in the same way that their momcat would. We are less able to assure their hygiene, and must be vigilant to be sure that urine and feces do not remain on the kitten's fragile skin. Urine can cause a chemical-like burn (think diaper rash), and caked dry feces provides an ideal environment for infection to develop. If a kitten doesn't pass the sniff test, it is time to think about bathing the kitten.

Bathing - Kittens should be bathed using ONLY very small amounts (a drop or 2) of baby shampoo or mane and tail shampoo. Water should be only comfortably warm when tested on the inside of the wrist, and the kitten should NEVER be submerged in the water. It is preferable to wash only the hind quarters, rather than getting the whole kitten wet. The kitten should never have its head or face in the water, as it can easily drown or develop fatal pneumonia if water goes in its lungs. It should immediately be carefully and gently blotted dry with a warm absorbent towel, and then gently blow dried. Always use the LOWEST possible dryer setting, and hold the dryer at least 6-8 inches from the kitten to prevent burns from the heated air. Make sure the kitten is fully dry before returning it to its nest, and don't allow it to get chilled.

Eye care - Orphaned kitten's eyes should be examined every time they are fed or otherwise handled. A kitten's eyes begin to open between 7 days and 2 weeks of age. If a kitten's eyes appear bulging behind closed lids or have discharge of any type, they may have an eye infection, which left untreated may cause corneal scarring, lesions, and even loss of the eye. If the eyes do not begin to open on schedule, bulge behind the lids, or have a discharge, veterinary advice should be obtained immediately to prevent permanent problems.

Solid Food - Orphaned kittens are usually are able to begin eating solid food at about 3-4 weeks. This is highly variable, with some kittens preferring to maintain a liquid diet until they are considerably older. The transition is usually amusing AND messy. Kittens simply lack the understanding that walking through food isn't socially acceptable/ It is quite common to find kittens sitting in their plate of food while they eat, or simply to walk through it on their way to a toy. They will get the hang of it, though!

The transition from formula to (semi) solid food can be helped along by providing the food on a flat plate. The kittens have to adjust from sucking to lapping and this takes a little time and effort. We suggest using a fine textured ground canned food in a chicken, turkey, lamb or veal flavor, mixed with formula to make a soup or gruel. A small amount of this mixture can be placed in the kitten's mouth and a gentle puff of air blown into the kitten's face to encourage it to swallow the food. This can be repeated a couple of times, and then the kitten can be put down and placed next to the plate. Most kittens will walk through the plate, and some will immediately explore the plate and try to eat. It may be necessary to repeat this process several times, supplementing the kitten's eating efforts with formula. It is often necessary to bathe the kitten after the initial efforts to get it to eat solid food.

As a kitten becomes more interested in eating solid food, a high quality dry kitten formula food like Science Diet, Eukanuba, Iams, Royal Canin, etc. can be moistened with formula for about 10 minutes, then mashed and offered on a flat plate, or the dry food can simply be covered with canned food on the plate. It will become soft from the canned food juices.

Litter Pan Training - Momcats generally train their kittens to use a litter pan, and their training efforts start at about the time kittens begin to be comfortably mobile - about 3 weeks of age. To train a kitten to a litter pan, you need a very low sided (not more than 1 ½ - 2inches deep pan. Smaller litter pans are available at most pet supply stores, super markets, WalMart and other discount stores, for about $2. Or you can make your own disposable pan using the cardboard tray used for canned cat food. Make sure that litter won't fall out the bottom by lining the cardboard tray with a sheet of newspaper, and put in an inch of litter. We generally recommend clay type non-clumping litter for kittens. This type of litter does not stick to their feet quite so easily, and there is less litter tracked into their bedding.

After feeding the kitten, place it in the litter pan and holding it in place, gently stroke its back to encourage it to eliminate. Usually the kitten is in a hurry to leave the pan the first few times you do this, but if you persist in placing it back into the pan several times, it often will take a few moments to explore this new area and may even urinate in the pan. After this, the training is usually self maintained and the kitten becomes pan perfect rapidly. In the event of accidents the urine or feces should be thoroughly cleaned up using paper towels and a baking soda and water solution to remove the odor. Enzyme products and other cleaning solutions can be caustic and dangerous to kittens; they should be avoided.

Socialization - One of the biggest challenges of a human surrogate is to provide the proper stimulation and training to a kitten. The mother cat typically teaches the kitten how to play and how to interact with others. This generally takes the form of instinctive hunting activities, which is why kittens pounce, wrestle, and carry objects in their mouths. These behaviors need to be duplicated by humans with their foster kittens through the use of items which are dragged to stimulate stalking and hunting, pole toys with colorful feathers and mylar strips can be used to catch the kittens' attention and encourage interactive play with a human. Items with strings or elastic bands, and small parts like bells should never be left for kittens to play with without supervision; kittens can chew off small parts and choke on them, or can become entangled in strings or elastic bands. Small furry mice and balls large enough not to be swallowed should be left for independent play. Kittens should also be handled frequently and cuddled, to encourage bonding with humans.

Going Home - Kittens are cute, but they are a living creature. The socialization process with a mother cat requires a full 8 weeks to complete. It is tempting to send a kitten to a new home when it is 6 weeks old, but at that age, a kitten is still learning acceptable behavior boundaries, including appropriate use of its claws, interaction with humans, and play behaviors. It is best for all to keep a kitten for a full 8 weeks before releasing it for adoption. By this age, a kitten is also old enough to begin receiving its protective vaccinations. This is crucial to maintain health; by moving a kitten from its usual environment, it may become stressed and therefore more susceptible to disease.

For more information about Kittens, see our Basic Kitten Care.