How to Care for Newborn Kittens

Newborn kittens need extensive care until they are five weeks old. Until this time they will need to be fed and bathed. They will also need you to help them go to the bathroom, which is a task a mother cat would normally perform. Newborn kittens are a lot like newborn babies. They will need to feed throughout the night and kept warm to stay healthy. Without the proper attention, kittens can get weak very quickly. Determine the age of the kittens to know how much they should eat and weigh. Every kitten will be different, and you will soon learn its preference. As a quick guide: If a kitten has its umbilical cord it's between one and three days old. If its eyes are still closed it is between one and ten days old. Teeth will start to appear at about two weeks, while standing will occur between two and three weeks. Playing with other kittens will begin by four weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • Lamp/Heating pad
  • Thermometer
  • Towels and blankets
  • Carrier
  • Kitten nursing bottle
  • Textured wash clothe
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a nest for the kittens. A carrier can be used to give them a sense of protection with soft blankets inside. The nest needs to be warm. This can be done by placing a lamp over the carrier or by placing a heating pad set on its lowest setting underneath a towel soft blankets. Keep a designated area cooler so the kittens can crawl to it if they get too warm.

    • 2

      Feed the newborn kittens formula. You can find formula at most pet stores. Goat's milk can also be used if formula is not available. Also buy a nursing bottle and give the kitten milk that is body temperature.

    • 3

      Hold the kitten and decide if it is warm or not. If it is warm, you can feed it formula. If the kitten is cold you will need to hold it against your skin and warm it. Also feed it 1 cc. of Pedialyte to 2 ounces of the kitten's body weight once every hour until the kitten starts to wiggle around.

    • 4

      Place the kitten with its four feet in your lap and open its mouth. Place the tip of the bottle in the kitten's mouth and if it doesn't start to suck on its own, gently squeeze the bottle to get the milk flowing.

    • 5

      Gently hold the kitten underneath warm running water and use the textured wash clothe, that acts as a mother's sand paper-like tongue, and wipe the kitten's bottom until it use the bathroom. You want to see clear urine and formed stool.

    • 6

      Bathe the newborn kittens regularly. Kittens that are younger than two weeks old can use antibacterial soap, while older kittens can use baby shampoo. Avoid the kitten's eyes when using the soap, and dry them well with a clean, warm towel. You can use a hair dryer on its lowest setting to help speed the drying time down so the kitten's temperature doesn't get too cool. Keep one of your hands between the dryer and the kitten so it's not hit directly with the heat and create hot spots.

    • 7

      Introduce bowls of food and litter boxes at about four weeks old. Place them in a low to the ground litter box with clay litter since in the beginning they will play and eat it in. After feeding the kitten put it in the litter box and let them go to the bathroom. Once they start using a little box you will not need to rub its bottom.

    • 8

      Prepare food for a bowl by using canned food mixed with formula. Dab a little of the food on your finger and hold it to the kitten's mouth. If it won't taste it, open its mouth and rub some of the food into its mouth. Gradually the kitten should start eating from your finger. Move your finger to the bowl and have them follow you.