Rebecca Smith
How Much Does A Newborn Kitten Eat – Home / New Kitten / New Kitten / New Kitten / New Kitten Parents’ Guide to Feeding Kittens from Birth to Adulthood
We all know that good nutrition is very important to the health and well-being of our cats throughout their lives, but it is especially important to determine what cats are eating.
How Much Does A Newborn Kitten Eat
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Growing a 4-ounce newborn kitten to adulthood requires energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and more—all in just the right amount and ratio to avoid potentially dangerous nutrient deficiencies and excesses.
How To Determine A Kitten’s Age — Kitten Lady
Read on to learn how and what to feed kittens so they get the nutrients they need to grow into happy, healthy adults.
From birth to 3-4 weeks of age, the baby’s food is breast milk. You just can’t be in nature! This is especially true in the first day of life.
The milk that mothers initially produce is called colostrum. It is highly nutritious and even contains antibodies (disease-fighting proteins) that help protect babies from infectious diseases. When kittens are 1 or at most 2 days old, they are no longer able to absorb antibodies through their intestines.
Fortunately, most cats (the official and perfect name for cats) are great mothers and give their newborn kittens all the care they need. The best way to check that cats are getting enough food at this time is to weigh them every day. In general, kittens should gain about ½ to ¾ ounces (15 to 20 grams) per day. Mothers should have 24/7 access to fresh water and cat food specially formulated for growth and development or for all life stages so that they can produce enough milk for their litter.
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Sometimes the child’s diet needs to be supplemented or replaced with a milk replacer specially designed for cats. In the case of especially large litters, you can leave the smaller or less demanding cats alone with the kitty so that they have easier access to the available food – the mother’s milk. Bottle feed the cats that are growing the most at this time so they don’t starve. Feral kittens under four weeks of age who no longer have access to a nursing mother should also be bottle-fed.
Do not feed newborn kittens cow’s or goat’s milk or human or dog food; Adequate nutrition is ensured only by milk replacers specially designed for babies. If you are concerned that your cat is not nursing, growing or developing as expected, consult your vet.
Bottle feeding kittens when they are very young may not be the easiest option. Many people find that an eye drop or a small syringe works initially. As babies get a little older, you may need to try a few more different styles of lullabies to find what is most comfortable for your baby.
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When you are ready to eat, make sure the kitten is warm first. If their ears, feet, or mouth feel cold, they can become hypothermic and unable to digest food. Babies normally curl up with their mothers and partners, but hand-reared babies don’t have this natural source of warmth. They should be housed in a warm, stress-free environment with money and access to a safe hot water bottle or heating pad.
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Then place the kitten in a normal position, face down, on a towel over your shoulder. Never feed your baby on his back, as he may choke if he swallows the milk! Support the back of the head with one hand while guiding the brush into the mouth with the other hand. Keep the bottle tilted so that the air inside is furthest away from the pacifier. Observe or gently touch the baby’s throat for sucking and swallowing. If you’re having trouble, your doctor can give you tips on hats.
Newborn kittens are fed from a bottle every two to three hours. This baby feeding schedule can usually be extended to every three or four hours. Follow the directions on the baby food bottle. Milk powder should be mixed with warm water immediately before feeding. Preschool formulas can be warmed to body temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water. Allow babies to breastfeed until weaning slows and check their weight daily.
Young kittens also need help with urination and defecation. After each feeding, wipe the area around their anus and penis or vulva with a warm, wet cloth to stimulate them, then clean them well. Place a small plastic bag inside the baby (a small plastic bag works well). Once they start using it regularly, you won’t have to encourage them to pee and poop anymore.
Weaning is the gradual transition from a diet of only breast milk or suitable milk substitutes to solid food. For kittens, this usually happens between 3 and 4 weeks of age.
Syringe Feeding — Kitten Lady
Start by offering high-quality baby food mixed with warm water several times a day. Also take a small bowl of water. For large groups, set up multiple feeding stations so everyone has access to what they need.
Bottle-fed kittens will let you know they are ready to try solid food when they start nibbling while nursing. At first, continue with a bottle every 6-8 hours if food is over the counter, but if baby is eating well from a bottle and drinking water from a bowl, you can stop bottle feeding.
At 5-6 weeks of age, babies should be able to eat canned food without additional water as their baby teeth are fully erupted. (Read more about kitten teeth here.)
Mother cats usually begin severely restricting access to their kittens at 6 weeks of age. By 8-10 weeks of age, most kittens are fully weaned and eating only solid food and water. Formula-fed puppies can be weaned a little earlier – 6-8 weeks of complete weaning is reasonable.
Kitten Development Timeline: Weekly Milestones
So, what should you feed your baby at the end of breastfeeding? Canned baby food is still the first option, but if you want to replace or supplement solid baby food, start by dissolving it in hot water. Food and water should always be available to young females to encourage their rapid growth and development.
Whenever possible, babies should stay with their mother and babies until they are at least 8 weeks old. These first two months are important both nutritionally and environmentally.
Most babies should continue to eat foods specially formulated for growth until they are 10 months old. Feed your baby only commercial foods that meet American Association of Food Inspection Officials (AAFCO) standards. Look for a silly product claim that says something like:
If you are interested in a home-made diet, do so only on the advice of a veterinary nutritionist. Nutritional imbalances can be particularly catastrophic if they occur when a child is still growing and developing. Most of the recipes available online or in books have been found to be lacking in nutrients.
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Kittens and cats are true carnivores. They have unique nutritional needs, such as dietary sources of taurine (an amino acid), vitamin A, vitamin D, and arachidonic acid, and a high need for many B vitamins.
Because of their rapid growth and development, kittens need even more protein than older cats. The AAFCO minimum protein content for infant formula is 30 percent, while it is 26 percent for adult care.
Meat/fish and meat/fish foods top the list of quality baby food ingredients. Plant sources of protein, such as peas or soybeans, and carbohydrates, such as corn, rice, or potatoes, should be included in baby food only in small amounts, if at all. Liquid food is low in protein and carbohydrates compared to solid food.
Good baby food provides all the nutrients a healthy baby needs. Nutrient supplementation is unnecessary and may even be harmful if it causes nutrient excesses or imbalances.
Facts About Kittens That Might Surprise Even Long Time Cat Lovers
Domestic cats are descended from wild ancestors that got most of their water from the food they ate. Kittens and cats are not well designed to drink from a water bowl and can be constantly mildly dehydrated if they don’t have a lot of water to eat. Most vets now recommend that liquid food make up most, if not all, of a cat’s diet.
If you decide to feed your baby solid food, it is especially important to provide plenty of fresh, clean water. Some cats prefer to drink from water sources, such as pet drinking fountains. Pills are also available for cats.
The most common eating disorder in cats is obesity. In most cases, the baby’s growth rate and need for extra calories slows down around 6 months of age