I just rescued an infant kitten whos mother has been killed. Can anybody give me a crash course on what to do? Also, I have 2 dogs - UTD on all shots - should I take any extra precautions, aside from keeping them seperated from the kitten? The kittens age is unknown, but her eyes are open. my uneducated guess is about 3-4 weeks.
Please help me!!
2007-06-15 08:49:11 · 11 answers · asked by haha2982 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I recently successfully raised a kitten from about this age.
You do need to get the kitten to a vet very soon, in case of dehydration or other problems. They will check for fleas as well, which is typically easy to fix if there are any. Please don't give the kitten any cow's milk, human baby formula or any human food whatsoever. Felines weren't made to digest the stuff!
A kitten this small needs to be fed every two hours. I fed every two hours during the day and every 3 hours through the night, which worked fine. A lot of kittens won't take to those bottles, if yours doesn't you can use an eyedropper but be EXTREMELY careful in feeding formula that way as you can easily drown a kitten by squirting too much down it's throat. If they are on the formula, they don't really need water or solid food. If they need solid food you may need to help wean the kitten to water. My kitten wouldn't touch water on her own until I showed it to her and made her drink some for a couple days.
If it seems dirty, or flea ridden you can give it a warm bath in the sink using Palmolive dish detergent. (Vet told me to do this) .. It will kill the fleas currently on it, and clean the kitten up nicely. Be sure to rinse well. You may also want to use a warm wash cloth to mimic the way a mother cat would lick a kitten clean - since the kitten has no other way of learning this.
Make sure to give the kitten lots and lots of love, I strongly believe this makes a difference in the kittens growth and stability! Best of luck!
2007-06-15 14:58:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to a vet and ask for a nursery kit, or buy the following from them.
Eyedropper, kitten formula, bottle with nipple.
Try the bottle first, it should know how to suckle by now. If it fails, then use the dropper to trickle milke down the side of it's mouth and try the bottle again.
you will need to feed it often, (every 2-6 hours depending on it's mews), and make sure there is companionship often, as well as a nice warm blanket or towel.
In about three weeks, try putting some wet food, (dry food that has been soaked with milk) out for the kitten to sample. It may or may not eat it right away in another week, turn the milk to water, and one week after that, try some dry food, or barely wet food.
Tada!
Make sure your baby gets some shots!
2007-06-15 09:05:54 · answer #2 · answered by redsquirrelpooka 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to a pet store and get a bottle for the kitten as well as formula and start to nurse it. After feeding the kitty take a warm wet washcloth and rub it's tummy in a downward motion to make it have a bowel movement after the feedings. If the kitten can't go on it's own this is a very necessary thing you need to do or the kitten will back severely and suffer and die perhaps painfully. The rear end will still need cleaning if it can't clean itself yet because there are glands back there that plug up and swell. Then the kitten will not be able to go to the bathroom normally.
2007-06-15 09:04:25 · answer #3 · answered by Cat 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You need to get the kitten to a vet ASAP. The vet will help you determine the age and what kind of care is necessary for the kitten. It may be to young for food and need milk - the vet can help you find a milk product that will provide the nutrients the cat needs.
You should definitely keep the kitten away from your dogs. Keep her in a small room - like a bathroom - with a night light and a warm place to sleep. Give her lots of attention through the day to get her socialized.
Definitely get to the vet ASAP though!
2007-06-15 08:55:13 · answer #4 · answered by Go Bears! 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should take her to the vet (or humane society) ASAP. In the mean time she'll need to be feed every 2 hours. Baby formula NOT milk! If you have some kind of dropper that would work. To get her to go to the bathroom you need a warm towel and rub it over her lower stomach and butt. I had to do all this when a friend of mine found a kitten. Also check her over for any cuts. She can't clean herself so it wouldn't be hard for dirt to get in there.
2007-06-15 09:03:20 · answer #5 · answered by m118m2002 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have had to bottle feed kittens when they were a week old. you will need to get kmr formula from the vets office or from petsmart. you will need to feed this to the kitten every 2 hours and make sure you massage its belly so that it can birp, you will need to do this until it is old enough to be weaned. when you feed the kitten you will also need to wipe its bottom to help it use the bathroom becasue mama cat would naturally do that for the kitten anyway. in between feedings you will need to keep the kitten on a heating pad covered with a towl to keep the kitten warm.
2007-06-15 10:33:09 · answer #6 · answered by Tiffany J 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should probably call a vet for advice, that's awfully young for the poor little thing to be on her own. I know they sell infant formula for cats and I've known of people who feed it w/an eyedropper. I'd also think you should keep her in a little box or some contained area w/a towel or little blanket or something. I've heard that a warm hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket for cuddling is like having its momma kitty. Good luck!
2007-06-15 08:55:12 · answer #7 · answered by LiLiJo 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
looking after orphans isn't an elementary activity, it in simple terms takes time and staying power. and now and lower back some help from extra matured human beings. this is nice to bathe them. Use heat water, gentle cleansing soap, and a heat towel to dry. The bottles slightly extra problematic. i do no longer in my view like droppers. make optimistic the hollow is great adequate so as that they do no longer might desire to artwork too no longer elementary to get the formulation out. make optimistic once you feed them, feed them as though they have been feeding on mom, do no longer placed them on their lower back, that may no longer organic for them, this is for people-no longer animals. now and lower back they do properly with you open their mouths and place it on the bottle nipple and with slightly rigidity shop their heads interior the comparable place and don't enable them to squirm. stable luck and that i think of this is great which you're putting soo plenty attempt into little orphaned kittens!!
2016-10-09 07:03:01 · answer #8 · answered by antonanzas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One time we had a cat who was the world's worst mother, and we had to raise at least one litter that she abandoned. We used doll bottles to feed them. We only used milk at the time, but that might not be rich enough for them, so you might want to ask a vet to see if something like baby formula might work. If there is a farm store anywhere near you, they should also carry formula for calves, which might also work. I haven't seen formula at any pet stores, but you can always check.
2007-06-15 09:00:34 · answer #9 · answered by cross-stitch kelly 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
We had new born ittens, 5 of them, there mom got hit by a car.
Use a seperste room from the dogs for her living space, she should be fine....
2007-06-15 08:55:16 · answer #10 · answered by Tea Crazed Person. 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋