How to Bottle Feed a Kitten

Instructions for Feeding Orphaned Kittens

Sep 20, 2009

Feedings Are More Frequent for Younger Kittens, Sudias, Wikimedia Commons

In addition to love, affection, and a warm place to sleep, very young orphaned kittens require bottle feeding with kitten milk replacer.

Orphaned kittens should be kept warm, taken for a veterinary check-up as soon as possible, and fed regularly with a kitten milk replacer formula.

If you have just found an orphaned kitten, warm it up before providing kitten milk replacer, as feeding a chilled kitten formula can have fatal consequences. A kitten can be warmed by holding it against your bare skin, under your clothing. While waiting for it to warm up, you can rub a little Karo syrup on its lips or feed it a few drops of warm sugar water solution (1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to 30 ml of water). If you have someone who can make a trip to the drugstore while you care for the kitten, warmed Pedialyte solution or 5-10% glucose-and-water solution are even better for sustaining chilled kittens. Don’t use honey, as it may contain harmful bacteria.

Once a kitten is warm, it should be given approximately 8cc of formula per ounce of body weight each day. Kittens can be fed using a bottle, an eye dropper, or a plastic syringe, though a bottle is by far the best choice.

How to Bottle Feed Abandoned Kittens

Kittens under 2 weeks old require feeding every 2-3 hours (every 4-6 hours is sufficient after 2 weeks of age, and every 6-8 hours after 3 weeks, until weaning). General guidelines for bottle feeding young kittens are as follows:

Make up a fresh batch of formula every 48 hours and store it in the refrigerator.
Sterilize the bottle (5-15 minutes in boiling water) and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before feeding the kitten to avoid transferring harmful bacteria and viruses. Changing into clean clothing is also recommended, especially if you have interacted with other animals.
Let the bottle cool down and then add enough formula for one feeding.
Hold the bottle upside-down to check that the hole is the right size. The formula should drip slowly from the nipple hole. If the formula doesn’t drip, enlarge the nipple hole slightly.
Warm the formula to about 100ºF (38ºC) by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes (don’t use a microwave). The formula should be warm but not hot when given to the kitten.
Feed kittens on their stomachs (rather than on their backs like human babies), as this is the way they would feed from their mother. Place a clean towel on your lap or the floor and place the kitten face-down on it for feeding.
Use the tip of your finger to gently open the kitten’s mouth and slip the nipple in. Most kittens will quickly get the hang of it and start seeking out the nipple at feeding time. If the kitten doesn’t suckle, try stroking its back or forehead – this can stimulate nursing behaviour. Rubbing a little Karo syrup on its lips may also help.
Don’t squeeze the bottle, forcing milk replacer into the kitten’s mouth (this can cause aspiration pneumonia). Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle and let the kitten suck the formula from the nipple on its own. Pulling very slightly on the bottle can encourage the kitten to suck.
If feeding with a syringe or eye dropper, inject one drop of formula into the kitten’s mouth at a time, leaving enough time for the kitten to swallow before adding the next drop.
When the kitten has had enough food, bubbles will usually appear around its mouth. Older kittens that have become accustomed to bottle feeding will turn their heads away from the nipple to signal fullness.
At the end of the feeding, the kitten should be burped like a human baby, holding it upright against your shoulder and gently patting its back.
Clean any spilled formula from the kitten’s fur using a warm, damp washcloth or first-aid gauze pad.
After each feeding, discard any remaining milk replacer and wash the bottle and nipple.
Stimulate urination and defecation before and after each feeding by gently massaging the kitten’s genitals with a washcloth or cotton ball moistened with warm water. Some kittens eliminate more easily before a feeding and some do better afterward, so try both times. By 3-5 weeks of age, kittens should be able to eliminate without assistance.

Common Kitten Feeding Problems

Problems that often occur during feeding include:

Formula coming out of the kitten’s mouth or nose – This is caused by the kitten being fed too quickly, usually because the feeder squeezes the bottle or uses a bottle with an overly large nipple hole.
Underfeeding – An underfed kitten fails to gain weight, cries excessively, shivers, and is listless.
Overfeeding – Overfeeding is a common cause of gas, bloating, vomiting, and/or diarrhea in kittens, though runny stools may also indicate other medical problems. Dehydration can quickly become life-threatening in kittens with diarrhea, so a trip to the veterinarian is necessary.
Choking – This usually indicates that the kitten has inhaled some of the formula. Hold her upside down until the choking ceases.
Extreme weakness – If the kitten is too weak to feed, it may be ill or require tube feeding, though this should be a last resort. Try stroking its forehead and back, and rubbing a little Karo syrup on its lips. If you can’t get the kitten to nurse, take it to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment.

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Richards, Mike, DVM. (21 February 2004). “Kittens Orphaned Very Young.” VetInfo.com.
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The copyright of the article How to Bottle Feed a Kitten in Cat Care is owned by Jennifer Copley. Permission to republish How to Bottle Feed a Kitten in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.