How to Keep Kittens Alive When The Mother Left Them

Young kittens under four weeks of age have the best chance of survival when left with their mother to nurse, receiving the necessary vitamins, minerals and antibodies they need from her milk. If you find a litter of kittens without a mother, observe them from a distance for an hour or two to make sure the mother is not going to come back for them. To properly care for any abandoned kittens you find you need to provide them with constant care and feedings to help ensure their survival.

Things You'll Need

  • Small cardboard box
  • Facial tissues
  • Heating pad
  • Plush towel
  • Aquarium thermometer
  • Towels
  • Milk replacement formula for kittens
  • Syringe (without a needle)
  • Kitten feeding bottle
  • Rehydration solution for children
  • Cotton balls
  • Castile soap
  • Flea comb
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Instructions

    • 1

      Keep the kittens warm as young kittens cannot regulate their own body temperature well. Set up a small cardboard box big enough for all of the kittens to sit in as a "nesting" box for them to stay warm and cozy in. Line it with soft facial tissues for your kittens to snuggle in together. Take a heating pad and wrap it in a plush towel. Place the towel-wrapped heating pad on one side of the box and set it to the lowest setting. Check the temperature of the box with an aquarium thermometer to ensure that it stays at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This set-up allows each kitten to crawl to the other side of the box if it becomes overheated.

    • 2

      Feed the kittens with mother's milk kitten replacement formula through a syringe (without a needle) or using a kitten nursing bottle. Use a hot needle to poke two small holes in the nipple of the bottle. Mix the formula as directed with an equal part of a rehydration solution for children (such as Pedialyte) for the first day of feedings. Heat the formula by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot but not boiling water. Test the formula's temperature on your wrist as you would for a human baby. Give each kitten about 2 to 3 ccs of formula per feeding, every one to two hours. Boil the bottle or syringe for 30 seconds between feedings to keep it sanitary.

    • 3

      Stimulate each of the kittens to eliminate after eating by rubbing a warm, damp tissue or cotton ball on the cat's genitals. The kittens should produce urine or feces in a pudding-like consistency after most, but not all feedings. Continue this until the kittens reach three weeks of age, have fully opened eyes and can walk. At this point, they can use a litter box themselves. For cats having trouble passing stools, give them three drops of mineral or olive oil in their next feeding.

    • 4

      Check each kitten for fleas or other parasites as a young kitten can easily become anemic from a flea infestation. Very young kittens under six weeks of age cannot metabolize any type of flea treatment, including spot treatments. Instead, bathe each kitten in a few inches of warm water in a sink. Take a few drops of castile soap and gently lather the kitten, avoiding its face. Let the soap sit for five minutes then thoroughly rinse the kitten with warm water and wrap it in a towel. Use a flea comb to remove any remaining fleas and place them in a cup filled with hot water to kill them.

    • 5

      Mix kitten formula with premium canned kitten food to form a porridge for kittens at about three weeks of age to begin weaning them off the formula and onto canned food. Use non-fish flavored cat food to prevent finickiness later in life.

    • 6

      Bring the kittens to a veterinarian to check them for illnesses and ensure that they are getting the proper nutrition. If any of the kittens is unable to eat, you may need to tube feed it. Ask the veterinarian or a veterinary technician to show you the procedure to do this. Have the kittens checked for worms and tested for feline leukemia and for feline immunodeficiency virus.