Expert: Tina - 10/4/2006

Question
Help! I have 5 Kittens that are 5 weeks old and there mom got hit by a car and is no longer with us. Do I need to nurse can they eat real food? They seem to potty will they need mom milk?

Answer
HI Crystal,

Bless you for saving these orphaned kittens. At five weeks kittens can start to eat mushy canned food, but you need to start gradually. Are you certain they are 5 weeks old? They should have their eyes open and be moving around a lot at this age.

First, but some KMR (kitten milk replacement) at the pet store or your vet office. See if they will lap this froma  saucer. If they do not, first try feeding them with an eye dropper (you can buy at a drug store). Usually once they get the taste they will start to lap it from the saucer. You can warm it slightly to just above room temperature, but make sure it is not too hot. Once they lap the KMR, you can start mixing in a little bit of canned food. I recommend a high quality canned food such as Wellness, Innova, or Natural Balance. Each day, mix in more of the canned food until the KMR is not needed any more.

You will have to keep the kittens clean because they won't start grooming themselves effectively for a few weeks. Natural baby wipes (no harsh chemicals or scents) or Nature's Miracle pet wipes are a convenient way to clean the kittens but a warm damp washcloth will work just as well.

Young kittens can become constipated easily so watch them to make sure they all urinate and defecate daily.

Let the kittens stay together until they are at least 8 weeks old because without their mother, they need to learn from eachother things like biting too hard hurts, and how to play.

Once they are 8 weeks, they are old enough to be spayed and neutered and vaccinated - call your local humane society to find a program to have them spayed and neutered for low cost. Then you can find them good homes, hopefully where they will live indoors so they will not meet the same fate as their poor mother.

Good luck!