Do you have a newborn kitten to take care of? Felines are mammals and, like humans, they must feed on breast milk during (at least) their first weeks of life for their proper development. But what to do when there is no maternal figure who can feed him?
In that case, it must be its owner who gives it a diet similar to breast milk. In today’s post, we tell you how to feed your baby kitten with a syringe.
Keep reading!
What does a baby cat eat?
If you have just adopted a kitten, it is very normal for you to worry about how to feed it.
As we have mentioned previously, during the first three or four weeks of life, cats depend solely on their mother’s milk. This will be the food that is responsible for providing all the nutrients necessary for its correct growth and development.
We recommend that you ask your veterinarian which would be the most appropriate or that you buy a type of milk suitable for baby kittens so that their stomach can process it, and which bottle to use:
Formulated milk for cats
From the fifth week of life, this will be when the teeth begin to appear and you can begin to incorporate solid foods (but always combine them with breast milk) until ten weeks, when weaning will be completed and your kitten will be ready to Eat only solid foods.
Step by step to feed your baby cat
There are bottles for puppies, but when your cat is just a few weeks old, it is always advisable to feed them with a syringe of about 3 cubic cm without the needle, which will act as a bottle and is more suitable for their size.
- Sit somewhere comfortable and place your kitten on a soft surface.
- Fill the syringe with room temperature formula for cats, place it in his mouth, and press once slowly for the first sip.
- To make swallowing easier, gently lift his head and stroke his neck.
- When he has tolerated that first sip, continue pressing the syringe slowly so that he drinks little by little. You must be attentive if it stops at any time and adapts to its speed.
- Once he has been satisfied, you must stimulate him to defecate and urinate, since they cannot do it on their own. Soak some cotton wool in warm water and wipe it over his genital area to relax and stimulate him.
How often to feed my baby cat
Like all infants, baby cats need several feedings throughout the day to satisfy their appetite.
Experts recommend approximately eight feedings a day every three hours during the first four weeks of life.
If you have any questions, we always recommend that you contact your trusted veterinarian because he or she will know how to give you the appropriate instructions for the correct development of your kitten during its first months of life.
