BOTTLE FEEDING ORPHANED KITTENS: ITS JOYS AND PERILS & INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUCCESS

Josie Marrero
Mar 31, 2018
6 min read

You found newborn kittens and they’re cold. They need warmth right away and you don’t know when they nursed last. The danger is of low glucose but also of the arteries in the stomach closing off resulting in death.

Your first priority is warmth and then a drop of honey or Karo Syrup into the kitten’s mouth or rectum (for faster absorption into the kitten’s system.) In this case I give the kittens a drop of KMR every few minutes until I see that they are nursing on their own.

Supplies you will need to have on hand

At least two coarse washcloths that simulates the mother’s tongue
Towels and blankets
A deep basket or box
Two Nursing bottles (get the tapered nipple)
Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) or Emergency Formula

Beware: Kittens can slip through the bars of a cage and any opening even slightly larger than their Mouse Sized bodies.

Two bottle set ups: When feeding a litter the bottle may get cold – a back-up that is kept warm helps. Kittens may reject the bottle if it’s too cold or too hot.

The first week is the hardest. The Instructions on the Internet for feeding newborn to one week old kittens say to feed every 2-3 hours and to give 15 ML of KMR. But there can be complications based on the situation.

A 1cc syringe enables you to put a single drop at a time onto the kitten’s tongue. Watch to make sure it’s swallowing. Once the kittens are stabilized you can try feeding every hour (as much as the kitten will drink) and then every two hours. Then for a week do the recommended schedule, always let the kitten drink until it rejects the bottle. Be sure that the formula is at body temperature. Test it on your forearm.

If the arteries in the stomach have closed off the kitten may nurse but you will see it expel a clotted mass. There is nothing you can do about this and the usual outcome will be that the kitten will expire.

Don’t expect feeding to be a breeze. Kittens may be ravenous but they have a “routine” and you need to flow with it. Kittens squirm and squeal until they “find their stride” on the nipple.

Always stimulate the rectum and genitalia and this will help the kitten to wake up in preparation for nursing. Be careful when stimulating around the umbilical cord: Rough handling of this area can result in an infection to the umbilical cord. Work around it – better safe than sorry.

This is a video that I made many years ago and it has a lot of extra information that you can use. Notice the tapered nipple on the bottle – I think it’s the best one.

This video will show you how to stimulate the kittens; how to get them started on the bottle and the feeding position. You'll notice that in the video I start them in an upright position and then they move into the preferred and safe position on their bellies.

https://youtu.be/6f3x-0CF0R8

KMR powder often causes constipation: I add a tablespoon of whole milk to the formula until they begin to have bowel movements on their own. Then taper off the whole milk and add Yogurt to their formula.

Be careful not to overheat the bottle when you add the Yogurt – cooked yogurt curdles. Adding a little yogurt (fage whole and plain) to their formula helps their intestinal tract and provides them with probiotics.

KMR canned often causes diahhrea and just adding a little water to the mix solves this problem.

I prefer the powder because it is more economical and the canned formula must be disposed of within a few days.

NEVER squeeze the bottle to squirt formula into the kitten’s mouth – feeding is time consuming and cannot be rushed. The kitten doesn’t quite have swallowing down to a science and will aspirate as the liquid goes down their nose and into their lungs causing them to drown. If you feel tired or irritable put the kitten down and come back to it later: Go and wash your hands; drink a glass of water or do a short meditation.

NEVER feed a newborn on their back the way that we do with human babies: Kittens nurse on their stomachs as they would if they were nursing from their mother. Sometimes they start struggling with the bottle and then settle into a Prairie Dog position on their back legs. Support them with your hand and when they start to ease back into a sitting position they will nurse happily until they just slip off the bottle.

At some point you may notice a kitten suckling the genitalia of a sibling. This is normal: they are searching for mom’s nipple. Offer them an in between meal “snack” of a bottle.

You may find the litter has urinated all over each other or even defecated. Wrap the kitten in a warm and moist washcloth and wipe them clean. I’m sure you can wash them and dry them off too. I prefer to wipe them clean because it stimulates them and prepares them for nursing. This happens so often that I prefer not to put them through full baths.

Emergency Kitten Formula

This recipe makes a big container of formula so just heat the portion that you need. Remember that it contains egg and yogurt and they will harden when cooked. Heat the formula: Don’t cook it.

Please remember that emergency formulas are not nutritionally balanced for a kitten, so you should feed your kittens emergency formula for only as long as it takes you to get some kitten milk replacement formula (KMR) -- hopefully no more than 24 hours.

Mix 1 small can of evaporated milk 1 small can
Mix 1 small can water and
Mix small container of plain yogurt
With one small egg yolk

Warm the portion of this formula that you’re using and allow it to cool. Test by placing a drop or two on the inside of your wrist; don't serve the formula too hot, as it could burn your little one. (duh)

Caretaker Physical Health

You are losing a lot of sleep and must be extra protective of your nutrition and health. After you feed the kittens be sure that YOU drink a glass of water. It sets a habit and keeps you from dehydrating. Be sure to EAT nutritious foods.

Caretaker Mental Health

See my article in this AMOC blog:

http://aministryofcats.wixsite.com/ministry/single-post/2018/03/27/Three-Days-of-Death-and-The-Life-Affirming-Lesson-For-Rescuers

Plan your time for cleaning; cooking and self-care.

Keeping a Kitten Warm

I avoid heating pads. Kittens can’t regulate their body heat and if they can’t move away from of off a hot pad they will overheat and die.

Options

Bottles of hot water wrapped in towels. They’re like a radiator and let out a small amount of heat enough to keep the nest comfortable. They need to be checked and changed often.

Heat lamp – there is a caveat: It is bright and there is a potential fire hazard if not monitored properly. It’s a good amount of heat and never gets close to the kitten’s skin. Be sure to hang it over the nest and not use it over a grid as in a Reptile Tank.

ALWAYS CHECK THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE NEST FOR OVERHEATING OR COLD DRAFTS

The Nursing Schedule and Meal Servings

Newborn kittens - 1 week old, every 2-3 hours;
2 -3 weeks old, every 4-6 hours
5 weeks old, gradually introduce a good canned kitten food, mixed with equal parts of a "kitten formula" such as KMR. (Kitten Milk Replacer).
As the kitten approaches six weeks old, the amount of KMR can be gradually reduced, until the kitten is eating canned food alone.
At 6 Weeks: Four or more small feedings spaced regularly throughout the day. Be sure to weigh the kitten regularly, and record his or her weight in a dated chart to keep track of its development.
12 Weeks: Increase the amount of each meal, and gradually space them out to three meals a day.
Around 6 Months: You may gradually space out the meals to twice daily.

https://bestfriends.org/resources/bottle-feeding-kittens

Your Time and Energy

Personal Care; Housework; Appointments; Cooking; Cooking utensils/washing dishes all of this will suffer because you won’t have the energy or time to give it the attention that you normally have the energy to do.

If you can prepare start by getting paper plates and paper coffee cups - plastic is so bad for our environment.

If you can prepare by stocking up on canned soups and frozen meals.