Expert: Jessica - 4/18/2010

Question
Need help. Mommoy cat was killed, can't find the 2 other kittens, but do have 1 of them.  Kitty was found about 10:00pm making it 2 days old.  Last seen with mommy at 5:30pm that evening.  kitty was given pet milk/half water about 11:00pm because I could tell he was hungry and crying all the time.  Finally went to sleep.  Woke up to fing mommy in front yard with puncture wounds to abdomen.  Kitty sucks out of medicine syringe a little and then doesn't want it any more. Crying nonstop. Worried cause mommy not here. What to do?

Answer
Hi Melissa.  Sorry to hear about the mama.  The kitten needs to eat formula specifically made for kittens, at full strength.  He will have to be fed every two hours until he reaches two weeks, then dropped down to every three hours until he reaches three weeks, and then dropped down to every 4-5 hours after this.  This seems like an excessively frequent feeding schedule, but this is how often mom feeds, and I have been much more successful raising orphans now that I feed them this often.  At 2 days old, the kitten will probably only want to eat 3-5 cc's (the same as ml's) at a time.  This is only about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon.  Over the next week or two, her food intake will grow exponentially.

Also, remember that the formula needs to stay at body temperature and the kitten needs to have regular bowel movements in order for his belly to stay healthy.  Cool formula cannot be digested and will essentially cause the digestive system to shut down.  The kitten can't move his bowels on his own yet, and he will need you to gently massage his anal area after each meal using a cotton ball moistened with warm water.  Around 3-4 weeks old, he will begin to move his bowels on his own.  Additionally, the little one needs to be kept warm.  He will cry if he's catching a chill.  I recommend keeping the baby in a box with a heating pad that is wrapped in a towel and set on low to medium heat.  There should be enough room in the box for the kitten to move off the heating pad if he feels too warm.

Hopefully these things will have the kitten feeling more comfortable.  Best of luck!

Jessica