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Easy Steps to Bottle Feed a Newborn Kitten – In the case of kittens that won’t suckle or when there is no lactating mother cat available, homemade kitten milk replacer, or formula, is essential.
Easy Steps to Bottle Feed a Newborn Kitten
Easy Steps to Bottle Feed a Newborn Kitten
Kitten supplement formula, also known as “kitty glop” among breeders or “cat milk substitute,” is often provided to orphaned kittens or hungry newborn kittens. At the beginning of a kitten’s life, their mother provides all the essential nutrition they need, but there can be circumstances that make obtaining the mother’s milk difficult.
Easy Steps to Bottle Feed a Newborn Kitten
- The mother cat may not survive giving birth.
- The mother cat may be killed by a car or outside animal if an outdoor or indoor/outdoor cat.
- The mother cat may reject her entire litter or one or more kittens because they are too small or weak.
- The litter may be too large for the mother to handle on her own.
- The mother may be sick and/or have postnatal issues.
Without a human caregiver, the kitten may not receive sufficient nutrients and care, leading to fatalities. Therefore, it is essential to provide the necessary nutrients to ensure the survival and proper development of kittens in their early days.
How to Make Homemade Kitten Formula
There are numerous homemade kitten formula recipes available, but purchasing a kitten milk replacement from a pet store is ideal. Until you can obtain store-bought formula, use a recipe that you have all the ingredients for. It is important to bear in mind that homemade kitten replacement formula should not be used beyond 24 hours (as long as it is out of the refrigerator).
Here are a few formula recipes from The Cornell Book of Cats, published by the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine:
Easy Steps to Bottle Feed a Newborn Kitten
Kitten Replacement Formula #1
- 1 quart whole goat’s milk
- 1 teaspoon light Karo syrup
- 1 tablespoon nonfat plain yogurt (preferably made with goat’s milk)
- 1 egg yolk
- Unflavored gelatin
- Newborn to 1 week — 1 package gelatin
- 2nd week — 1-1/2 to 2 packages gelatin
- 3rd week — 2-1/2 to 3 packages gelatin
- 4th week — 4 packages gelatin
Place the goat’s milk in a saucepan and add the proper amount of gelatin according to the kitten’s age. Heat the mixture until the gelatin dissolves, then remove it from heat. Finally, mix in the remaining ingredients, refrigerate, and use it within one week.
Kitten Replacement Formula #2
- 8 ounces homogenized whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon salad oil
- 1 drop liquid pediatric vitamins (optional)
Mix well and store in the refrigerator.
Kitten Replacement Formula #3
- 1 part boiled water to 5 parts evaporated milk
- 1/2 teaspoon bone meal per 16 ounces fluid
Mix the ingredients well and keep refrigerated.
Kitten Replacement Formula #4
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 drop liquid human pediatric vitamins (optional)
Mix the milk, egg yolk, and syrup until well blended and store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator. At feeding time, mix half of the estimated feeding amount with an equal amount of boiling water. Once a day, add one drop of the human infant liquid vitamins to each kitten’s portion of the formula.
How to Feed a Newborn Kitten
If you need to bottle-feed a kitten, you will need to invest in special baby bottles with tiny nipples for kittens. These bottles can be purchased online or at pet stores and should be used to feed small amounts of formula, making it easier to handle and feed the kitten. Should you fail to find a suitable baby bottle, you can try using a syringe without the needle, particularly if the kitten refuses the bottle. You can purchase oral syringes at most pharmacies for this purpose.
Warm your homemade or store-bought formula and test a few drops of milk on your wrist to ensure it’s not too hot. Most people do not use a microwave to warm the formula but put it in the bottle or syringes and place them in a bowl of hot water. Once it passes the skin with ease, you’re prepared to feed the kitten.
Feeding time for the kitten should be every three to four hours while keeping it in a natural feeding position on their belly. Kittens should consume roughly 8 mL of formula per ounce of their body weight every day. This implies that if the kitten weighs 4 ounces, they should consume about 32 mL of formula over the day, with 8 mL of the formula offered every four hours.
If constipation develops, add one drop of vegetable oil to each kitten’s formula, up to a maximum of once per day, until the situation resolves.
FAQ
Kitten formula must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours
Refrigerated kitten formula can last up to two days.The cost of baby bottles for kittens can range from about $20 to $40, so it’s best to shop around as prices may vary.
