How to feed an unweaned kitten? Which ideal diet?

 Even though feeding an unweaned kitten may seem fun or cute, it is a difficult and rigorous act that should not be taken lightly, and should only be practiced when its mother cannot or does not want to take care of him, which sometimes happens for various reasons.

First of all, it is important to define what an unweaned kitten is: it is a kitten, which is not yet independent, which will still need its mother to provide for its primary needs and therefore survive. Let's find out how to act with a kitten left to his own devices, unable to fend for himself.

 

 In what cases should an unweaned kitten be fed?

When a cat gives birth under normal conditions, she instinctively takes care of all her kittens, which will therefore not need the intervention of the man. Unfortunately, there are many cases in which a kitten of the litter, or even a few or even the entire litter, do not receive care from their mother; the reasons can be various:

• the death of the mother: naturally, it is extremely sad, but it can happen. Whether it is because the mother is too weak at the time of farrowing which requires too much effort to the point that she succumbs to it, or because there is an accident during farrowing, the mother can unfortunately die and the entire litter will be left to herself. Suffice to say that without the intervention of man, it will have no chance of survival.
• the abandonment of kittens by the mother: most often, this happens because the mother's state of health does not allow her to breastfeed them, otherwise her maternal instinct would take over. Here, it is her survival instinct that prevails, pushing her to abandon her little ones to their fate, to protect her own life. It will then be up to man to take over, to give these little ones a chance of survival.
• too many litters: a cat usually gives birth to a litter of between four and six kittens, this number can be up to nine without danger. Beyond that, the litter is often too numerous for the mother to take care of all, and especially all of them. It will therefore unfortunately have to 'make a choice' and abandon the weakest or the weakest, to preserve the lives of those most likely to survive. This may sound cruel, but in reality it is only a natural reflex. As a master, it will therefore be necessary to observe well when breastfeeding if one or more of the young are set aside by the mother, in the case of too many kittens.
• one or more individuals who are too weak: this is again a natural reflex of the mother, which may seem very cruel to us, but in nature, for most mammals, if a mother feels that one or more of her young is too weak to survive, she will prefer to leave it or them aside, as if the latter were already doomed. Thus, she will devote herself more to the survival of the little ones who seem stronger to her. Again as a master, it will be necessary to observe if some kittens are set aside when breastfeeding. If this is the case, then they will have to be taken care of.

 

 Feeding an unweaned kitten: how to proceed? With what power supply?

If you have to take care of an unweaned kitten, you will have to make an appointment with a veterinarian as soon as possible, especially if he is the only one who has been put aside, because he may well have a genetic abnormality or other, which pushed the mother to part with him. The veterinarian will, if necessary, carry out examinations to try to find what is wrong with the little one, and he will advise you on how to proceed with the kitten, especially in terms of food.

Once back home (or even before going to the vet if you have time), you will have to install a 'nest' for the abandoned cub(s). So prefer a plastic box with edges high enough so that they can not escape, from which you will cover the bottom with towels, which will have to be changed very regularly (the little ones at this age are obviously not yet clean).

It will also be necessary to pay attention to the heat, since newborns do not yet have the ability to move, or even tremble to increase their body temperature. It will therefore be necessary to store the box that serves as a nest near a radiator, so that it reaches about 30 ° C. If the little one is alone, adding bottles filled with hot water wrapped in towels can also help maintain an adequate temperature, since he will not be able to snuggle up to his siblings as he would under normal conditions. However, it will be necessary to regularly change the water of the bottles so that they keep the right temperature.

Colostrum: an essential substance for the survival of the kitten

During the first feedings of the young and up to 48 hours after farrowing, the mother transmits colostrum to her young. This substance is vital for their survival, since if their immune system is functional, it remains immature and therefore ineffective. As a result, by drinking colostrum, the kitten absorbs antibodies from its mother, which thus protect it from germs potentially present in its environment.

When the kitten does not have access to this maternal colostrum, it therefore becomes extremely vulnerable to all diseases. It will be necessary to contact a veterinarian very quickly (within 15 hours after birth at most), so that he can inject him with an artificial colostrum, thus allowing him to be protected from his environment.

 

 Kitten feeding: the choice of milk

The first reflex that a human might have to feed a kitten is to give him cow's milk. However, this is a mistake, since this milk, originally intended for animals much larger than the kitten (in this case the calf), will absolutely not be suitable. This milk contains far too much casein and lactose, which will cause digestive difficulties for the kitten, in addition to not providing him with enough energy.

It will therefore be necessary to discuss it with your veterinarian, who will most often prescribe a powdered kitten breast milk, which will have to be diluted with water. This milk can be found in some veterinarians, pharmacies or pet stores. It will be necessary to read the leaflet in order to scrupulously follow the doses indicated to be diluted in water.

Finally, there is a 'homemade recipe' for making milk for a kitten: it consists of adding egg yolk and fresh cream 12% fat to cow's milk, but this solution must remain temporary, only while waiting to see the veterinarian or get you the appropriate breast milk.

The right way to feed a kitten

Of course, before the age of three weeks, the kitten can not yet wash the milk, so it will be necessary to give it to the bottle. Most of the time, it is present in the can of powdered milk. Otherwise, you can find suitable models for kitten in pharmacies or at a veterinarian.

The milk will also need to be heated to a temperature of about 38.5°C.  Above, the milk would burn the kitten's digestive system, and below, it would cause hypothermia in the kitten.

Finally, the kitten will have to be fed a very large number of times a day, a number that will decrease as it grows, while adapting the amount according to the indications on the milk box:

• 8 meals a day in the first week,
• 6 meals a day in the second week,
• 5 meals a day in the third week,
• 4 meals a day in the fourth week,
• 3 or 4 meals a day until weaning.

From the fourth week, you can start adding kitten kibble to milk to gradually get used to solid food. From two months of age, the milk can be stopped to switch exclusively to kitten kibble.