Feeding Newborn Kittens

Like all mammals, cats produce milk with which to feed their kittens in the months before they are ready for solid foods. Situations do sometimes arise in which a mother cat can't or won't feed one or more of her kittens. Depending on the age of the kittens, they may only have hours to get the food that they need or they will die. Feeding a newborn kitten is actually quite easy. For the most part, you simply have to provide the food for the kitten and instinct will take over.

Things You'll Need

Kitten formula
Kitten bottle or other bottle with a small nipple
Eye dropper

Instructions

- 1
  Do not give the kitten milk from your refrigerator. Baby cats have different nutritional needs than baby cows, and giving a kitten cow milk can make it sick. Buy specially designed kitten formula from your veterinarian, a local pet store, or the pet department of numerous department stores. The formula is designed to provide the exact nutrients that baby cats need in order to develop properly.
- 2
  Mix the formula according to the package directions, and place it in the kitten bottle. Squeeze the nipple gently in order to make sure that it isn't clogged or that the flow of formula isn't otherwise blocked. Once you've confirmed that the formula can flow through the nipple, you can give it to the kitten.
- 3
  Present the bottle of formula to the kitten, nudging its mouth with the nipple so that it will suck on it. The kitten will eat until it is full, then will spit the nipple out. Check the formula package before attempting to store any leftover formula, as not all formula mixes will keep well once they've been mixed with water.
- 4
  Use an eyedropper to deposit a few drops of formula at a time toward the back of the kitten's throat if it refuses to eat or isn't able to drink from the bottle. Though this may take a lot more effort than simply giving the kitten a bottle, the kitten should recover its strength quickly and begin drinking directly from the bottle within a few days.