What to Feed Young Orphaned Kittens

Food Requirements and Emergency Kitten Milk Replacer Recipes

Sep 19, 2009

Orphaned Kittens Require Kitten Milk Replacer, Tim Vickers, Wikimedia Commons

Very young orphaned kittens require a kitten milk replacer formula that meets their nutritional needs.

Kittens that appear to be alone are not necessarily abandoned. If they’re plump, clean, and sleeping peacefully, their mother is probably nearby. Signs of abandonment include a soiled nest, dirty fur, and continuous crying due to hunger.

How to Warm Kittens Before Feeding

Orphaned kittens that are cold must be warmed before they can be fed kitten milk replacer formula, as feeding a chilled kitten can cause it to die. If you find a kitten or litter of kittens that has been abandoned, the quickest way to warm them is to put them under your clothing and hold them against your skin. Folding a thick towel over a hot water bottle and placing the kittens on top also works, though if using this approach you should make sure that they have enough space to crawl off it if they get too hot.

Although you shouldn’t attempt feeding with kitten milk replacer until the kittens are warm enough, you can give a few drops of warm sugar water solution (1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to 30 ml of water) or rub a small amount of Karo syrup over the kittens’ lips to sustain them (don't use honey, as it may contain harmful bacteria). If you have someone who can run to the drugstore while you take care of the kittens, warmed Pedialyte solution or 5-10% glucose-and-water solution are even better options while the kittens are warming.

Bring the kittens to a veterinarian as soon as possible for a full medical check-up. A veterinarian should be able to supply kitten milk replacer and a bottle or syringe for feeding young kittens. Pet supply stores also carry these items.

What to Feed Young Kittens

Orphaned kittens under 4 weeks old require regular syringe or bottle feedings with kitten milk replacer. There are several brands that can be used, including Havolac, KMR, and Veta-Lac.

Many people mistakenly assume that kittens can be fed cow’s milk as a substitute for their mother’s milk, but cow’s milk does not provide enough protein or fat to sustain a kitten and it may cause diarrhea as well. Commercially available kitten milk replacers are nutritionally complete and are the only good long-term substitutes for a mother cat’s milk.

Emergency Kitten Milk Replacer Recipes

If you find abandoned kittens late at night when stores and veterinarians’ offices are closed, you can mix up a batch of emergency kitten food, but be sure to pick up a kitten milk replacer product as soon as possible because emergency substitutes are not nutritionally complete. Also, most contain raw eggs, which pose a risk for salmonella infection, and cow’s milk, which can cause diarrhea.

Race Foster, DVM, provides the following emergency kitten milk replacer recipe:

3 oz condensed milk
3 oz water
4 oz plain yogurt (not low-fat)
3 large or 4 small egg yolks (no whites)

Mike Richards, DVM, notes that a mixture of egg yolk and cow’s milk can be used temporarily until kitten milk replacer can be obtained. One egg yolk (no white) per 1/2 cup of milk is the recommended ratio.

A number of kitten care guides also suggest baby food as a temporary substitute. This food must be 100% meat (turkey and chicken are good choices). There should be no added seasonings or vegetables, particularly onions, which can cause serious health problems.

Keep kitten formulas refrigerated and discard leftover portions from the bottle or syringe after feeding rather than attempting to feed them to the kittens later on. Before feeding, warm the food to about 100ºF (38ºC) by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. The formula should be warm but not hot.

How Often to Feed Kittens

Feed kittens a small amount of kitten milk replacer formula at regular intervals, day and night (check the dosage recommendation on the package, as guidelines vary somewhat from one product to the next). As a general rule, a kitten should be given around 8cc of formula per ounce of body weight each day.

Frequency of feedings depends on the age of the kitten:

Under 2 weeks old – every 2-3 hours
2-3 weeks old – every 4-6 hours
3 weeks and up – every 6-8 hours

Always wash your hands before feeding kittens to avoid transferring harmful bacteria and viruses. For the same reason, you'll need to sterilize bottles or syringes before feeding and clean them afterward as you would for a human baby. See How to Bottle Feed a Kitten for detailed feeding instructions.

Weigh the kittens each day. If kittens lose weight or fail to gain weight, consult a veterinarian.

Weaning Kittens

Weaning can begin at around 3-4 weeks of age, though it should be a gradual process that occurs over the course of several weeks. For information on how to wean kittens and what to feed them during the weaning process, see What to Feed a Kitten.

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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 What to Feed Young Orphaned Kittens in Cat Care is owned by Jennifer Copley. Permission to republish What to Feed Young Orphaned Kittens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.