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Hi this is Cataholic's neice, Ashley. I just got a 3 wk. old kitten today who's mother died a few days ago. I need knowledge on nursing my kitten. My main question is how much to feed the kitten every 3-4 hours. I do not know the weight, only that he is 3 wks. old. Your help is greatly needed. Thank you!
Cataholic, you should pm Aly and kimlovescats.......
Unfortunately I have no idea. Cat milk with water? In a bottle? To keep the baby warm!
I wish you and Ashley good luck!
You need to get a kitten bottle from the pet store and poke holes in the nipple with a needle to make sure the milk comes out. Heat the needle so it goes through the nipple easily. Get KMR, which is a milk replacement for kittens. Kittens that little need to be fed every 2-3 hours. Once the baby is full, he will need to be stimulated to go potty.
To do this, take a soft cloth and gently massage it's butt near the rectum. The kitten will pee (you'll feel something wet and warm on the cloth). It might poo too. Not to worry though cuz that's what is supposed to happen.
Put the kitten in a box or basket that the kitten can't climb out of, lined with lots of old towels. Underneath the towels, put either a hot water bottle with boiling water in it or a heating pad set on low. Make sure there is plenty of towels covering the pad or hot water bottle so the kitten doesn't get burned.
At about 5 weeks, you can start him on canned kitten food mixed with the liquid KMR. Just mix it up and put it in a saucer and put the kitten's nose near it so he can smell it. He'll get the idea. He also may walk in it and make a mess, but that's to be expected. Kittens are very easy to bathe. Just use a little warm water and either Johnson's baby shampoo, kitten no-tear shampoo or, as a last resort, blue Dawn dish soap (it's the closest to a kitten's PH).
He can also start learning how to use the litter box. Get a small box (either a lid from a box or a case that soda came in that has a short edge) that will be easy for him to climb in and out of. Everytime he's done eating, place him in the box. He will eventually start using it. Because he's so young, you'll want to use strictly clay litter till he gets older.
I hope this has helped. If you have any other questions, you can call me. I'll PM you with my phone number. Justs please keep one thing in mind. Sometimes kittens this young without their mamas don't survive. It's nothing you've done or not done, it's just nature. Give it all you've got, that's all you can do. If it's meant to be, he'll pull through.
Good luck.
ASHLEY- CALL ME AT WORK!!!
I will keep my fingers crossed for the kitty. Please keep us posted on how it is doing. Never a dull moment, eh?