Creating a Warm Nest for Orphaned Kittens

How to Care for an Abandoned Kitten – Warming Options

Sep 22, 2009

A young kitten cannot regulate her own body temperature, so providing a warm nest is as critical to an orphaned kitten's survival as feeding her.

Young kittens can quickly become hypothermic without a source of heat. There are several commonly recommended ways to keep orphaned kittens warm, some of which are better than others.

Body Heat

If an abandoned kitten is hypothermic, the most expedient way to warm her up is to hold her against bare skin, under clothing, for 2-3 hours. As a cold kitten must be warmed before she can be fed anything other than a little bit of warm sugar water, Karo syrup, or Pedialyte solution (feeding a chilled kitten can kill her), this is a good temporary warming solution.

Hot Water Bottle

A hot water bottle is a relatively safe heat source that can be used as a temporary solution until the temperature of the room can be raised or an overhead heat fixture purchased. If there is no hot water bottle available, empty shampoo bottles filled with hot water can be used.

Wrap the hot water bottle in a thick towel, making sure that the fabric is at least doubled over the heat source, and place it in a box or plastic tub. Make sure that there is enough space beside the bottle for the kitten to crawl away if it overheats.

Home Heating System

Kittens require a very warm temperature for their first few weeks of life. The Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook recommends 85-90ºF for the first week, 80-85ºF during the second week, and 75ºF by the end of week 4, with the temperature being decreased gradually, a couple of degrees at a time. By the time kittens are 6 weeks old, they should be fine at 70ºF. Humidity should be maintained at 55-65% to prevent dehydration.

If raising premature orphaned kittens, they will require warmer environmental temperatures than full-term kittens. Premature kittens tend to be exceptionally small and wrinkled, with sparse fur. For premature kittens, the Kitten Rescue site recommends keeping the nesting area at around 95ºF for the first couple of weeks, 85ºF throughout weeks 3-4, and 80ºF from 4 weeks onward.

If the proper temperature can be achieved with a regular home heating system, then no additional heating sources are required in the long term. Once the necessary temperature is reached, all that is needed for warmth is a cozy nest.

To make a nest, fill a box or plastic tub (such as a laundry hamper) with clean, soft, absorbent bedding that is free of loose threads. Towels or fleece are ideal. There should be more than one set of bedding so that it can be changed regularly, and the fabric should provide good traction so that kittens can develop their motor skills.

Overhead Heating Fixtures

As it’s not always possible to maintain a room temperature warm enough for kittens, an overhead heat fixture (heat lamp) may be required. Overhead heat fixtures are safe as long as the kittens have the strength and the space to escape the heat source if they get too warm, and the temperature in the kittens’ vicinity is monitored closely. Placing the heat fixture in one corner of the nest area leaves room for the kittens to move to a cooler corner if need be.

If using an overhead heat fixture, in addition to using a thermometer to keep track of the temperature, be alert to signs of dehydration in the kittens. Dehydration symptoms include:

A good way to test for dehydration is to gently pinch a fold of skin on the back of the kitten’s neck. If the kitten is dehydrated, the skin will stay up instead of quickly springing back to its original shape. A kitten that has become dehydrated will require veterinary care unless the caretaker has the equipment and know-how to administer subcutaneous (sub-Q) fluids at home.

Another thing to consider with the use of heat lamps is the effect of continuous bright light, as many overhead heating fixtures also emit intense light. The Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook recommends using devices that emit heat only.

Heating Pads

With the use of a heating pad, there is a greater risk of kittens overheating or being burned, so this is not the safest option. If using a heating pad, check the temperature regularly and don’t leave the kittens unattended at any time. Also, make sure that there are thick layers of bedding between the kittens and the heat source, and that they have enough room to crawl off the heating pad area if they get too hot. As a general rule, the heating pad should take up only half of the nesting box at most.

Observe the kittens to gauge whether the heating pad is maintaining the right level of warmth. If they keep crawling away from the heated area or sleep far apart from one another, it is too hot. If they sleep all piled on top of one another, the pad isn’t supplying sufficient heat. If kittens are sleeping side by side, the right temperature balance has been achieved.