How to Care for a Stray Kitten
Be sure the kitten is actually abandoned., Estimate the kitten’s age., Try to find a mother cat who is already nursing., Keep the kitten warm and dry., Purchase kitten formula., Make emergency kitten formula., Feed the kitten based on a schedule...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be sure the kitten is actually abandoned.
Mother cats are not always able to stay with their kittens, they have to leave the kittens alone in order to find food for themselves.
If you find one or more stray kitten, you need to be sure it has actually been abandoned by its mother before you take it inside.Unfortunately the only way to know for sure if the kitten is abandoned is to wait and watch the kitten.
You’ll need to do this from a distance where the mother cat cannot see or smell you.
If you wait a few hours and the mother cat doesn’t return, there is a good chance she’s not going to return.
If the mother cat returns, it is best if the kitten stays with her until the kitten is weaned.
Until then, you can help the mother cat by providing her with food, water, and some shelter.
Once the kitten is weaned, you can decide if you want to bring her inside and try to socialize her, or leave her to live outside.
Many stray cats and kittens actually live in colonies.
If a kitten is at least 4 months old it can survive in the colony on its own. -
Step 2: Estimate the kitten’s age.
A kitten needs different care depending on its age, so the first thing you should do is try to estimate how old the kitten is.
You can perform this estimation before touching the kitten and bringing it inside, if you can see her clearly.A newborn kitten who is less than a week old will: weigh approximately 3 to 8 ounces, have her eyes closed, have her ears folded down, and be unable to walk.
She might even have a piece of her umbilical code still attached to her belly.
A kitten who is between 1 and 2 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 11 ounces, have slightly open blue eyes, slightly open ears, and will attempt to move around.
A kitten who is around 3 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 15 ounces, have open eyes and ears, be able to take tentative steps, and respond to noises and other movements.
A kitten who is between 4 and 5 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 17 ounces, be able to run and play with her litter mates, be able to eat wet food, and will no longer have blue eyes. , Mother cats who are nursing have very strong maternal instincts and have been known to adopt other kittens into their litters.
Since a mother cat’s milk is the absolute best food a kitten can be given, and a mother cat already knows how to take care of a kitten, being able to give the kitten to a nursing mother is the best option.Call your local humane society, veterinarian offices, and rescue organizations and ask if anyone has a mother cat who could take on an extra kitten (or two).
Even if the kitten can be given to a nursing mother, you can still agree to take the kitten back once it’s been weaned. , Kittens have a lot of trouble regulating their own body temperatures (in fact, they cannot control their body temperatures at all until they’re at least 3 weeks old), therefore they need a lot of help to stay warm.
Usually kittens will cuddle with their mother to keep warm, or they’ll cuddle with each other (often in a pile, one on top of the other).If the kitten is cold to the touch, warm her up with your own body heat.
Use your hands to rub her body and increase blood circulation.
Use a box, laundry basket, plastic tub, etc., and build the kitten a nest.
Put blankets and towels inside the box to help keep her warm and prevent her from falling or climbing out.
You can also put a heating pad inside the box (under a towel) if you need to, but make sure it’s only under a portion of the towel so the kitten can move away from the heat if she’s too hot.
Because the kitten doesn’t have a mother cat to clean up after her, the bedding is going to get messy.
Make sure to change it often so the kitten doesn’t get wet.
If she does get wet, wipe off the mess and dry her with a towel. , A kitten can only drink kitten formula.
Do not ever give a kitten any other type of milk that you may have on hand.
This likely means you’ll have to go out and purchase some kitten formula at the pet food store as soon as possible.In addition to the formula, you’ll also need to purchase a bottle for the kitten.
They’re likely sold in the same section as the formula.
If available, purchase an elongated nipple for the bottle as they’re easier for the kitten to drink from. , If you need to feed the kitten, but there are no stores open, you can make up an emergency formula from things you may have at home.
If you don’t have all the ingredients, chances are there’s a grocery store open even if the pet store is closed.
This formula should only be used for emergency purposes.Option 1 — Mix together an 8 ounce can of evaporated milk with 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of karo syrup.
Strain the mixture to remove any lumps.
Keep the mixture in the fridge until you need it for feedings.
Make a bottle with ½ this mixture and ½ boiling water when it’s time for a feeding.
Allow the mixture to cool before giving it to the kitten.Option 2 — Mix together 2 cups of whole milk, 2 raw egg yolks (organic if possible), and 2 tablespoons of protein powder.
You may need to use a fork or a whisk to mix these ingredients together.
Warm them up by putting the bottle in a bowl of warm water. , Kittens need to be fed as often as every 2 hours, depending on their age.
Kittens also need to be fed while on their tummies, with the bottle upwards but at a slight angle.
The milk you feed a kitten must also be warmed up, but not hot.Kittens 10 days old and younger need to be fed every 2 hours, around the clock, including the middle of the night.
Kittens between 11 days old and
2.5 weeks old need to be fed every 3-4 hours, around the clock.
Kittens between
2.5 and 4 weeks old need to be fed every 5-6 hours, around the clock.
Once a kitten is 4-5 weeks of age, you can start weaning them off the bottle.
You can do this by mixing formula with wet food and giving it to the kittens in a bowl, instead of a bottle.
You can also start to give them dry food to see if they’re interested. , Just like human babies, kittens who are drinking formula via a bottle need to be burped when they’re done feeding.
A kitten will usually stop drinking when she’s full, unless she’s having trouble latching onto the nipple of the bottle.If the kitten isn’t latching onto the bottle, you can pull on the nipple when she's trying to drink to help encourage her to suck harder.
You can also move the nipple around, again, to encourage the kitten to suck harder.
If the kitten is ill you may need to feed them via a tube directly into their stomachs.
You’ll need to go to a veterinarian before you attempt to do this.
Once the kitten has finished drinking, place her on your shoulder or on her belly and pat her back gently until she burps.
Once she’s burped, use a warm and wet cloth to wipe her off and remove any excess milk that might have missed her mouth. , Kittens under the age of 4 weeks need help going pee and poo.
Normally their mother will lick them to stimulate them to pee and poo, but since they have no mother, you’ll have to do this.
Thankfully you don’t have to lick them, you can simply use a soft tissue or warm, moist cotton ball to do the job.Use the tissue or cotton ball to gently rub their bum until they pee and poo.
While they’re only drinking formula, a kitten’s poo won’t be solid or in normal poo shapes. -
Step 3: Try to find a mother cat who is already nursing.
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Step 4: Keep the kitten warm and dry.
-
Step 5: Purchase kitten formula.
-
Step 6: Make emergency kitten formula.
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Step 7: Feed the kitten based on a schedule.
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Step 8: Burp the kitten after a bottle.
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Step 9: Stimulate the kitten so she pees.
Detailed Guide
Mother cats are not always able to stay with their kittens, they have to leave the kittens alone in order to find food for themselves.
If you find one or more stray kitten, you need to be sure it has actually been abandoned by its mother before you take it inside.Unfortunately the only way to know for sure if the kitten is abandoned is to wait and watch the kitten.
You’ll need to do this from a distance where the mother cat cannot see or smell you.
If you wait a few hours and the mother cat doesn’t return, there is a good chance she’s not going to return.
If the mother cat returns, it is best if the kitten stays with her until the kitten is weaned.
Until then, you can help the mother cat by providing her with food, water, and some shelter.
Once the kitten is weaned, you can decide if you want to bring her inside and try to socialize her, or leave her to live outside.
Many stray cats and kittens actually live in colonies.
If a kitten is at least 4 months old it can survive in the colony on its own.
A kitten needs different care depending on its age, so the first thing you should do is try to estimate how old the kitten is.
You can perform this estimation before touching the kitten and bringing it inside, if you can see her clearly.A newborn kitten who is less than a week old will: weigh approximately 3 to 8 ounces, have her eyes closed, have her ears folded down, and be unable to walk.
She might even have a piece of her umbilical code still attached to her belly.
A kitten who is between 1 and 2 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 11 ounces, have slightly open blue eyes, slightly open ears, and will attempt to move around.
A kitten who is around 3 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 15 ounces, have open eyes and ears, be able to take tentative steps, and respond to noises and other movements.
A kitten who is between 4 and 5 weeks old will: weigh 8 to 17 ounces, be able to run and play with her litter mates, be able to eat wet food, and will no longer have blue eyes. , Mother cats who are nursing have very strong maternal instincts and have been known to adopt other kittens into their litters.
Since a mother cat’s milk is the absolute best food a kitten can be given, and a mother cat already knows how to take care of a kitten, being able to give the kitten to a nursing mother is the best option.Call your local humane society, veterinarian offices, and rescue organizations and ask if anyone has a mother cat who could take on an extra kitten (or two).
Even if the kitten can be given to a nursing mother, you can still agree to take the kitten back once it’s been weaned. , Kittens have a lot of trouble regulating their own body temperatures (in fact, they cannot control their body temperatures at all until they’re at least 3 weeks old), therefore they need a lot of help to stay warm.
Usually kittens will cuddle with their mother to keep warm, or they’ll cuddle with each other (often in a pile, one on top of the other).If the kitten is cold to the touch, warm her up with your own body heat.
Use your hands to rub her body and increase blood circulation.
Use a box, laundry basket, plastic tub, etc., and build the kitten a nest.
Put blankets and towels inside the box to help keep her warm and prevent her from falling or climbing out.
You can also put a heating pad inside the box (under a towel) if you need to, but make sure it’s only under a portion of the towel so the kitten can move away from the heat if she’s too hot.
Because the kitten doesn’t have a mother cat to clean up after her, the bedding is going to get messy.
Make sure to change it often so the kitten doesn’t get wet.
If she does get wet, wipe off the mess and dry her with a towel. , A kitten can only drink kitten formula.
Do not ever give a kitten any other type of milk that you may have on hand.
This likely means you’ll have to go out and purchase some kitten formula at the pet food store as soon as possible.In addition to the formula, you’ll also need to purchase a bottle for the kitten.
They’re likely sold in the same section as the formula.
If available, purchase an elongated nipple for the bottle as they’re easier for the kitten to drink from. , If you need to feed the kitten, but there are no stores open, you can make up an emergency formula from things you may have at home.
If you don’t have all the ingredients, chances are there’s a grocery store open even if the pet store is closed.
This formula should only be used for emergency purposes.Option 1 — Mix together an 8 ounce can of evaporated milk with 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of karo syrup.
Strain the mixture to remove any lumps.
Keep the mixture in the fridge until you need it for feedings.
Make a bottle with ½ this mixture and ½ boiling water when it’s time for a feeding.
Allow the mixture to cool before giving it to the kitten.Option 2 — Mix together 2 cups of whole milk, 2 raw egg yolks (organic if possible), and 2 tablespoons of protein powder.
You may need to use a fork or a whisk to mix these ingredients together.
Warm them up by putting the bottle in a bowl of warm water. , Kittens need to be fed as often as every 2 hours, depending on their age.
Kittens also need to be fed while on their tummies, with the bottle upwards but at a slight angle.
The milk you feed a kitten must also be warmed up, but not hot.Kittens 10 days old and younger need to be fed every 2 hours, around the clock, including the middle of the night.
Kittens between 11 days old and
2.5 weeks old need to be fed every 3-4 hours, around the clock.
Kittens between
2.5 and 4 weeks old need to be fed every 5-6 hours, around the clock.
Once a kitten is 4-5 weeks of age, you can start weaning them off the bottle.
You can do this by mixing formula with wet food and giving it to the kittens in a bowl, instead of a bottle.
You can also start to give them dry food to see if they’re interested. , Just like human babies, kittens who are drinking formula via a bottle need to be burped when they’re done feeding.
A kitten will usually stop drinking when she’s full, unless she’s having trouble latching onto the nipple of the bottle.If the kitten isn’t latching onto the bottle, you can pull on the nipple when she's trying to drink to help encourage her to suck harder.
You can also move the nipple around, again, to encourage the kitten to suck harder.
If the kitten is ill you may need to feed them via a tube directly into their stomachs.
You’ll need to go to a veterinarian before you attempt to do this.
Once the kitten has finished drinking, place her on your shoulder or on her belly and pat her back gently until she burps.
Once she’s burped, use a warm and wet cloth to wipe her off and remove any excess milk that might have missed her mouth. , Kittens under the age of 4 weeks need help going pee and poo.
Normally their mother will lick them to stimulate them to pee and poo, but since they have no mother, you’ll have to do this.
Thankfully you don’t have to lick them, you can simply use a soft tissue or warm, moist cotton ball to do the job.Use the tissue or cotton ball to gently rub their bum until they pee and poo.
While they’re only drinking formula, a kitten’s poo won’t be solid or in normal poo shapes.
About the Author
Scott Thompson
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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