What To Feed Newborn Kittens By Hand
A kitten aged between six to 10 weeks old needs to be fed six to eight meals a day while a kitten aged 10 weeks to six or seven months needs four meals a day and a kitten up to nine months needs three meals a day.
What to feed newborn kittens by hand. Here s how to safe. 1 in order to bottle feed the kitten you will need to gather a few supplies. Kmr milk replacer a commercial formula comes in both liquid and powdered varieties for hand feeding newborn kittens. Kittens can only absorb colostrum during their first 16 to 24 hours of life and they should feed within two hours of birth.
Newborn kittens need to feed every two to three hours. Kittens under 10 days old are not able to maintain their own body heat so you will need to supplement heat for them. When the kitten is basically newborn with eyes closed the very first meal is a little complicated since the sucking habit has not been formed and also the condition is extremely weak particularly if orphaned or malnourished before. For the first two weeks of life you will need to count on feeding the kitten every two hours during the day and every four hours overnight.
If you re caring for a newborn orphan kitten syringe feeding might be a good option but you want to make sure you re doing so carefully. If any kittens do not receive the first milk contact your vet. As the very best thing to make use of to feed them is really a syringe with no needle. It is essential that kittens receive colostrum to protect them against disease.
Up to two weeks old your kittens will need feeding approximately 2mls of milk every two hours including through the night. Once they are three weeks you can extend the time between milk feeds to three hours. Normally all water needs should be covered in their entirety by breast milk during the first weeks. Depending on its size and condition your newborn kitten will need approximately nine to 12 daily feedings.
Fill a 10 ml syringe place the index and middle finger each side of barrel wings and the plunger head into the palm of your hand. What to feed a kitten raising newborn kittens. This allows the kitten time to swallow and breathe. Most kittens can handle a diet of solids by seven weeks of age.
Your kitten cannot properly digest foods or liquid if she is cold and will most likely refuse food as well. Gently depress the plunger with the palm to give drip by drip. The liquid is more convenient and less prone to clumping but it is less economical than powdered formula since an opened can has a very short lifespan and must be thrown out within days. It is good practice always to check the smooth running of a syringe this way.
First and foremost keep your kittens warm.