Welcome to the page which will help you to care for orphan kittens. The information contained here has come from my volunteer experience at
It is best that any infant animal be left with its mother as long as possible. When some mother cats come in to an animal shelter, they may be too ill, too distracted (as in the case of feral (wild) cats, or unable for other reasons to be with their kittens. The kittens I have raised all come under these categories. A mother's milk and care is the best thing for a kitten. It is expensive and time consuming to hand raise orphan kittens, so the decision to do so is not made lightly. When it does happen, you can make the experience very enjoyable for both yourselves and the little animals in your care.
A growth plan for kittens
Newborn: Kittens are born with eyes closed and unable to hear. They thrive on smell and touch, the only contact they have with the world. They purr from the minute they are born if they are happy. A little "click, click" sound is what you will hear. They are unable to maintain their own body heat, so rely on their mother to keep them warm. They will nurse several times a day, every 2-3 hours. They spend most of their time sleeping. Their mother "potties" them by licking their genital area.
1 1/2 weeks to 2 weeks: Kittens' eyes beging to open. They still nurse frequently, sleep most of the time and are pottied by their mother.
2-3 weeks: Leg strength increases and they begin to move around. Hearing develops, sight continues to improve. They sleep less and are still pottied by mother. They may begin to groom themselves by licking their front paws.
3-4 weeks: Kittens being to play and further motor skills are developed. They begin to crawl from their bed area and potty on their own in a chosen sight. Mother still potties and feeds them, and plays with them. Teeth begin to break through the gums.
4-6 weeks: Kittens continue to develop play and potty skills. They also begin to plate train at this age and will eat soft food from a plate. They begin their wonderful toddling with nose to the ground and tail straight up in the air. At 6 weeks kittens are ready for their first shots.
6-8 weeks: Kittens complete potty skills and are completely litter box trained. They eat from a dish and are quite independent from their mother. They may still nurse, but at this stage the mother is weaning them. At this age they may recieve the remainder of their shots and leave their mother for a home with humans.
When you become "Mamma"
When you take on the chore of raising orphan kittens you need to remember three things: Keep them warm. Keep them clean. Keep them fed.
Newborn: They are unable to maintain their own body heat, so you can place a heating pad (the kind that does not shut down by itself) in a small pet carrier and place a towel, polar fleece, or fake fur over it. I use old toilet lid covers turned inside out so that the babies can burrow into the rim. Sometimes I add a real fur collar that I purchased at a thrift store. Often, I place a thin towel or rag over them to keep the heat in. It does need to be lose so that they can crawl out if they need to. A kitten will not eat if it is not warm enough.
They will nurse several times a day, every 2-3 hours. They only take about 30 seconds to a minute to eat when they are that small. I use bottles with long nipples from Four Paws, but other bottles from Pet-Ag work also. I prefer the longer nipples, myself. Sweedish nippples, which can be placed on the end of a syringe, are very long and thin and can be used to get hard to feed babies to eat. If kittens are strong and eating so that their bellies are round and firm, then you may let them go 4 hours before the next feeding. As a rule, I get up with my babies once during the night the first few nights. After that, I have a good idea of their over all health and condition.
They spend most of their time sleeping. You "potty" them by rubbing their genital area *gently* with a moist cloth. After they get used to me, I use toilet pater and just throw it away.
Babies respond very quickly, and within a few feedings recognize you, or rather, your hands, as their mother. Also, if any kittens are what we call FTT, failure to thrive , you will lose them by the first or second 24 hours you have them. When a kitten refuses to eat, is to ill or cold, it will not eat, then you can bet on losing it.
**This page is under construction**
Links to other sites on the Web
Hooterville Pets
Orphan Kitten Mailing List
House Rabbit Society
CPR-Cat Purebred Rescue
If you are considering getting a pet, please consult your local animal shelters for animals that are available. Remember: a pet is a friend for a lifetime.
© 1997 pennyk@bigger.net
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