Every spring and summer, batches of kittens come into the world. We often find abandoned kittens on community lawns, parks or on the side of the road. These poor little guys couldn't be raised by their mother cats for various reasons, so many kind-hearted friends found them and took them home. However, when facing these soft little guys, everyone is often confused and at a loss. Today, I will share with you the feeding methods and precautions for kittens under 40 days old at home.

1. The little kitten comes in for the first time.

If the kitten found outside is dirty, do not bathe it directly! Bathing is very harmful and may cause the cat to die from colds and diarrhea. If you really need to clean, you can first use a cotton swab dipped in warm water to wipe the dirty areas. The body temperature of a newly picked-up kitten is also very important. The normal body surface temperature is 38 degrees, not exceeding 39 degrees. If your body temperature is low or cool, you can keep your hands warm first, or use blankets, hot water bottles, etc. to keep warm. At the same time, observe the cat's eyes, ears, nose, mouth and body for abnormalities or wounds. If there is any abnormality, do not handle it yourself, but send it to the pet hospital in time.

Some milk cats often have secretions in their eyes. Do not clean them directly. You can wipe them carefully with a sanitary napkin dipped in saline, which is available in pharmacies. It should be noted that because the resistance of milk cats is weak, their supplies must be kept clean, and hands should be washed with soap before touching the supplies to prevent bacterial infection of the cats.

Observe the kittens' eyes, ears, nose, mouth and body for abnormalities or wounds. If you find any abnormality, do not handle it yourself, but send it to a pet hospital for treatment in time. Some kittens often have secretions around their eyes. Do not clean them directly. You can use sanitary napkins dipped in saline to wipe them carefully. Saline and cotton balls are available in pharmacies.

It should be noted that since the resistance of milk cats is very weak, the supplies for milk cats must be kept clean and sanitary. Wash your hands with soap before touching the supplies for milk cats to prevent bacterial infection of the cats.

2. The temperature of the cat’s nest.

After the milk cat arrives home, first prepare a warm and clean nest for it. Nursing cats that are less than a week old cannot regulate their own body temperature and should sleep in their mother's arms. Therefore, to provide a warm and comfortable nest for the nursing cat, the ideal temperature is 30-35 degrees and the room temperature is 24-25 degrees. You can use a hot water bag or baby warmer to keep the kitten warm. Be careful not to put it directly into the nest. The outside needs to be wrapped in a smooth towel or clothing to prevent the kitten from being scalded, and it is best not to scald the outside. The cat nest should be at a certain height to prevent kittens from climbing out. You can use a cardboard box with a blanket inside to keep the kitten warm. If you put in a warm appliance, it needs to be more spacious. Do not place the cat's nest in direct sunlight.

3. The diet of milk cats.

Before the cat is four weeks old, it is necessary to feed cat-specific milk powder or goat milk powder. Milk is not allowed because the cat cannot digest the lactose in milk, which may cause diarrhea, which may be serious or fatal. If you have just arrived home and have not purchased special milk powder, you can temporarily feed infant formula milk powder or Shuhua milk for emergency use. Breastfeeding should follow the principle of small meals and frequent meals.

Feeding tools include cat-specific bottles, syringes, and droppers. It is recommended to use a special feeding bottle to make the kitten feel like he is drinking milk in his mother's arms. If you use a syringe, you need to be careful not to push too much milk or too fast, which may cause choking.

Feeding Method for Milk Cats

Hold the milk cat with your hands, tilt its body slightly upwards, with its belly facing down, imitating its sucking posture in the mother cat’s arms, or Let the kitten lie prone on your lap to nurse. The milk outlet of the bottle should not be too small and should be able to drip milk automatically so that the cat can easily suck milk. First put two drops of milk on its tongue to let it feel that it is food, and then feed it. If the kitten does not cooperate with feeding, you can use a small syringe to gently push the milk into its mouth, pay attention, push a little at a time, pause, and wait until it swallows before feeding.

When feeding, the kitten will want to put its paws on the bottle. As long as it can put something on it, it will feel safe.

Nary cats generally do not drink enough at one time, so they can be fed in two portions. If you need to feed 8ml, drink 4ml first, and then feed 4ml after a few minutes. After feeding, pat the baby's back with your fingers to help burp the baby and expel gas.

Note: Do not feed the milk cat while lying on its back, as it may choke the milk into the lungs.

Feeding reference for milk cats at different stages

After birth:

1-7 days: Feed once every 2-3 hours, 2-4ml each time.

8-14 days: Feed once every 3-4 hours, 5-7ml each time.

15-21 days: Feed once every 3-4 hours, 7-10ml each time.

Day 22-28: Feed once every 4-5 hours, 13-16ml each time.

Milk cats over 28 days old can be weaned gradually. You can feed milk powder with a small amount of kitten food. The cat food needs to be soaked until soft. Feed 4-5 times a day. Gradually reduce the amount of milk and increase the amount of cat food. After 40 days, you can completely wean.

For nursing cats within a week, it is best to feed them every 3 hours at night. For more than a week, the number of night feedings should be appropriately reduced based on actual milk consumption and health conditions.

The weight of the kitten

Newborn kittens weigh 70-135 grams Around 100 grams per week, a healthy cat will gain 5-10 grams of weight per day. It is recommended that owners observe changes in the weight of milk cats every day. If the weight does not increase, they may be sick and should seek medical treatment in time.

4. The defecation of milk cats.

Kittens are usually unable to defecate on their own. If there is no mother cat to take care of them, they need to be artificially stimulated to defecate. Use a clean napkin or medical gauze moistened and gently massage the cat's bottom. After a few times, the cat will defecate. When you find your cat urinating, you should continue to touch its butt lightly until the urine is exhausted. The metabolic function of dairy cats is relatively weak and they need to urinate a lot to maintain their health.

Normal cat urine should be light yellow and odorless. If the smell is pungent, it may mean that the cat is dehydrated. You need to check whether the brewing of milk powder is too thick, whether the amount of milk sucked is insufficient, and whether the temperature is too high. Low. The temperature of the milk should be dripped on the back of the hand without burning it. If conditions permit, the temperature of the milk can be controlled at 38 degrees, the kitten's body temperature.

Milk cats usually defecate once every 1-2 days. The retrieved milk cat may have been hungry before, and it is normal to have no bowel movement within three days after being retrieved. Under normal circumstances, if a milk cat does not defecate for three days, it may be constipated. At this time, you can consider whether the milk powder is too thick and can be diluted appropriately. If you still have not defecated after another day, it is recommended to consult your pet doctor.

Cats are more likely to have the intention to defecate before and after each feeding or when they wake up in the middle of the night, so defecation can be stimulated at this time. The feces of kittens aged 1-7 days is in liquid form, while the feces of kittens over 14 days old is slightly formed and in the shape of strips. It should be noted that the feces of healthy dairy cats should be dark yellow, yellow-brown or brown. If it is goose yellow, there may be signs of soft stool or diarrhea. You can appropriately reduce the amount of milk the cat feeds, keep the frequency the same, and observe whether the defecation returns to normal. If a nursing cat over 14 days old defecates two to three times a day and the color is yellow-green or goose-yellow, you can mix Smecta into the milk according to the instructions, and feed the nursing cat half an hour later. If there is still diarrhea, you should Seek medical attention promptly.

5. Determine the age of the milk cat.

A milk cat that has not opened its eyes is probably under 2 weeks old. If umbilical cord is present, it is approximately 1-3 days old. By observing the teeth of the milk cat, if the tips of the deciduous teeth are exposed, it is roughly 2 weeks old. If the kitten is able to stand, it is approximately 3 weeks old. If your kitten can easily walk around on the ground or start playing, it is most likely 4 weeks old.

6. The Growth of Milk Cats

Little milk cats spend about 20 hours a day sleeping. In addition to eating, drinking and defecating, they should try to allow them to have sufficient sleep time.

1. The first week after birth

At first, the milk cat has no hearing and vision. Except for drinking milk and excreting, it spends the rest of the time sleeping.

2. The second week after birth

One week later, the kitten begins to slowly open its eyes, but it will not be until about 12-14 days before the vision develops normally and it can see Clear the world before your eyes. At this time, the milk cat can move slowly on its own.

3. The third week of life

Milk cats that are about two weeks old can hear sounds in their ears, and their deciduous teeth are gradually growing. Its face and body have taken shape and it's starting to move around.

4. From the fourth to the fifth week of birth

During this period, the milk cat can eat complementary food and gradually wean it. The milk cat that is around four weeks old can defecate on its own. At this time, it can be trained to use cat litter and go to the toilet in a designated place.

7. Health and deworming of milk cats

If you find that your cat is in poor mental condition, does not drink milk, or has other abnormalities, you should consult a pet doctor for diagnosis and treatment in time. Before deworming the cat, it is best to have it checked by a doctor to confirm that there are worms before proceeding with deworming. Deworming can be done when your cat is 2 months old.

Little kittens picked up from the outside are prone to fleas. Kittens under two months old are not susceptible to fleas. It is recommended to use flea medicine. Although some medicines indicate that they can be used on dairy cats, in view of the physical differences and weak resistance of each dairy cat, it is more appropriate to wait for more than two months before using the medicine. You can help milk cats catch fleas manually, and then use flea medicine after they are two months old.

Conclusion: The above is the knowledge about feeding milk cats, I hope it will be helpful to everyone.

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