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I just got a call from a friend who found a very young kitten all alone in her backyard last night. She lives in a somewhat rural area but she searched around to see if she could find the mother, but no luck. She left the kitten in a box on her back deck hoping the mother would come back but she didn't.
My friend thinks the kitten is about 2 weeks old. She has it in a playpen inside the house now, and has been feeding it cow's milk from a spoon. Is this okay? I am supposed to go visit her tomorrow and was wondering if I should stop at a pet store and get one of the formulas. I have experience with cats & kittens, just not this young.
I just got a call from a friend who found a very young kitten all alone in her backyard last night. She lives in a somewhat rural area but she searched around to see if she could find the mother, but no luck. She left the kitten in a box on her back deck hoping the mother would come back but she didn't.
My friend thinks the kitten is about 2 weeks old. She has it in a playpen inside the house now, and has been feeding it cow's milk from a spoon. Is this okay? I am supposed to go visit her tomorrow and was wondering if I should stop at a pet store and get one of the formulas. I have experience with cats & kittens, just not this young.
that is very young,they usually won't put a kitten up for adoption until
3+ mos. I would call the local animal rescue,or try to get in touch with
a vet on some advice for that,maybe they can steer you in the right
direction.
I'm not completely sure, but I don't think the cow's milk is a good idea. I know that older cat's aren't supposed to have it, even though they like it. I would get some of the newborn/kitten formula and use that to be on the safe side, atleast until she can talk to a vet. Good luck!
Oh heavens, don't feed the kitten cows milk! She'll develop diarrhea and dehydrate quickly. Pet/feed stores usually have the proper kitten milk and little bottle for the little mite. I've raised them from this young a few times, but it wasn't always successful. It's quite a committment; you have to feed them ever couple of hours and it's not so easy at 2AM. I would try to wean them a little early at about 4 weeks with a combo of kitten milk and wet food. This was all done with the advise and assistance of my regular vet. It would be best if you got some advice from a vet if ya'll attempt to do this. It's so kind of ya'll to help this little one; best wishes!
NO COWS MILK!!!!! As Drouzin suggested, it can make them really sick. You really need to take her to a vet today. She is way to young to not be checked out and to receive proper formula.
Cows milk has lactose in it and alot of cats are lactose intolerant.
I have hand raised kittens before and you can purchase a Cats milk and feed it to them in a bottle, that they sell for this purpose. I got mine at a grocery store when I had to.
Young kittens need a lot of care and attention. Normally they'll get this from mama cat, but it's up to the adoptive humans to provide this care when mama isn't there to do it. As many other people mentioned, cow's milk can cause problems for the kitten and it will not get the proper nutrition. Go to the pet store and get kitten formula and a couple of pet nursers. Kittens will need to eat every so many hours depending on age and weight. There will be feeding guidelines on the formula. Allow the kitten to drink as much as it wants. The kitten will turn its head away when it is full. Those who have never had to take care of an orphaned kitten sometimes get concerned over the kitten's bulging belly. This is normal. A well fed kitten will have round bulging 'milk belly.' As long as the kitten is eliminating waste, you should not be concerned about it being constipated.
As long as we're on the issue: Kittens also are not able to eliminate waste on their own for a few weeks. Whomever is caring for the kitten should wipe it's bottom with a warm wet soft cloth several times per day until it eliminates. This will simulate the mother's licking. Bear in mind, that a kitten who has not eaten for a day or so, or who is on cows milk may have the runs, or may be constipated. Be patient and keep wiping until the kitten is done eliminating. After a few days on a proper kitten formula, waste should be more normal. When the kitten isn't so wobbly and starts to move around a bit more, it will have to be taught to use the litter box. I do this with my orphans by placing them in the box and wiping their bottom whilst in the box. When kitten starts to explore more, I place it in the box several times per day. Keep the box close to where the kitten is housed, since it will stick around it's 'nest' at first. Eventually the kitten will start to explore the box and paw at the litter. This is natural instinct. With enough exposure to the litter box, the kitten will eventually catch on to the fact that it's supposed to go there. Be patient. Kitten needs some time to be able to eliminate on it's own, and will make messes out of the box at first. Also make sure that kitten has a smaller litter box with sides that are short enough to crawl in and out of. The kitten may try to eat the litter as well. Again, this is pretty typical but it's a good idea to watch the kitten and not let it swallow any litter.
If the decision is made to keep the kitten and care for it rather than calling an animal rescue facility, it is advisable to take the kitten to the vet to ensure that it is healthy. The vet may want to give the kitten a dewormer and will not only be able to address questions as far as kitten care, but will also treat any issues the kitten may have.
I was in petsmart today and noticed a kit they had for new born kittens,
it came with bottles and formula,you might want to check that out.I think
the name of the kit was newborn kitten kit,but you can call them and ask
about it.
Make sure that the anal area is wiped with a soft cloth and warm water. This is to stimulate bowel movements etc.. I had luck with Gerber's baby food the lamb. Lamb meat is easy to digest. This little darling doesn't sound ready for that right now. I also use baby nursery water for my cats, but the type of milk they have for cats/kittens only comes in powder and liquid. I like the liquid the best. The newborn kitten kit sounds awsome.
Good Luck...
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