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URGENT
Town Cats needs your help!!
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Click on the banner for more details |
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Chilling
is the greatest threat to an orphan kitten's survival.
Dehydration is a close second.
Follow these instructions carefully to avoid losing your kitten(s).
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| Immediate
Care |
- The
newly found kitten is usually chilled (body cool to the touch,
may cry constantly) and/or dehydrated (mouth and tongue dry, mucous
membranes pale, scruff doesn't spring back quickly when pinched).
- Warm
the kitten up slowly -- with body heat only! Do not use
hot water bottles, heaters, blow dryers, etc!!
- Give
the kitten 5-10% glucose in water. (Glucose is available at drug
stores, example: Pedialyte) ½ cc per ounce of body weight
per hour.
- Do
not feed a chilled kitten! Its intestines aren't working and
it may become bloated and die.
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| What
to do next |
- The
kitten's bed should be enclosed, with a heating pad set on low.
Cover this with a waterproof layer, then thick absorbent bedding
(such as a cloth diaper). If needed, cover part of the box to
trap heat and warm up the air.
 Heating
pad should only cover ¾ of the bed so that the kitten can
move away in case it gets too hot.
- Change
the bedding daily -- or more often if necessary -- to prevent
sores from urine burn.
- Young
kittens cannot retain body heat. Both low and high temperatures
can chill them. (High temps can chill them by expanding surface
blood vessels and radiating off too much heat.) Keeping the temperature
of their surroundings at the proper level is CRITICAL!
(Hang a cheap thermometer, such as an aquarium thermometer, down
near where the kitten sleeps.)
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| Feed
the kitten |
- Feed
the kitten a milk substitute such as Borden's KMR, available
at vet clinics, pet stores, and feed stores. (Also see A
note about formula at the end of this article.) Follow
the directions on the can for the amounts to feed.
- DO
NOT feed cow's milk or human baby formula. These may cause diarrhea
and dehydrate the kitten to death.
- Warm
formula to 100°F, or slightly warm to the skin. Nipple hole
should be large enough that milk drips out slowly when held upside
down.
- DO
NOT hold kitten on its back to nurse. Keep it upright on its stomach.
Hold bottle at a 45° angle, keeping a slight pull on the bottle
to encourage suckling.
- If
the kitten is too weak to nurse then it must be tube fed. See
your veterinarian.
- Frequent
feedings help prevent chilling. Too frequent may not allow stomach
to empty completely, causing the milk to ferment and the kitten
to bloat. Follow the schedule below unless the kitten is weak
or dehydrated.
- Kittens
should gain weight according to the chart below. If your kitten
is not, see your vet.
- Elimination:
Kittens under four weeks of age cannot urinate or pass feces on
their own. After feeding, wipe the kitten's bottom with warm moist
cotton balls, gauze, or Kleenex to stimulate them to go (this
movement simulates a mother's tongue). When done, wipe the belly
and then apply a thin layer of baby oil. Kittens should urinate
after each feeding. They may pass feces less often.
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VERY
IMPORTANT NOTE: - Very young kittens rarely cry.
Frequent crying indicates a cold, hungry, sick, or pained kitten. |
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| Age |
Surrounding
temp. |
Feeding
frequency |
Expected
weight |
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0-1
weeks
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85°-90°
F
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6
times daily
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3-4
ounces at birth
6-8 ounces at 1 week
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1-2
weeks
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80°-85°
F
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5
times daily
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8-10
ounces
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2-3
weeks
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75°-80°
F
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4
times daily
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10-12
ounces
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3-4
weeks
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70°-75°
F
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3
times daily
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12-14
ounces
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4+
weeks
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70°
F
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3
times daily
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14
ounces and up
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Here is information to help you determine a
kitten's age.
| Age |
Characteristics |
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5-8
days
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Ears
open
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8
days-2 weeks
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Eyes
open
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2½
weeks
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Can
crawl
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3
weeks
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Ears
erect; Stands up
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3½
weeks
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Sight
and sound oriented; Can follow noise/objects
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4
weeks
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Can
eliminate without help; Can learn to lap from dish and eat
solid foods
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KMR is the best nourishment for kittens,
but if you are unable to obtain KMR immediately, here is a
temporary formula:
- 1
can evaporated milk
- 1
can water
- 1
egg yolk
- 1
teaspoon Karo syrup
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