Hand raising a Kitten

Before I really get into my story and the do's and don'ts. Please if you see a kitten or find a litter do not take them. Most times Mom is not far off and is just getting some food. It is okay to sit and watch to see if Mom returns, if hours go by or even a day goes by and she has not returned then it okay to get involved. So please make sure there is no chance Mom is around. Also if you do not plan on taking on the responsibilities of raising them find someone who will or has the know how. Most times it's not always best to take them to a shelter. Shelters are over runned and more times than not the reality is they will be put down. It takes a lot of care for small kittens to survive. So remember Mom is best for these little ones!

Before you pick up the kitten or litter the first thing I suggest is to get everything you need for the kitten or litter. I started out with a can of kitten formula and kitten bottle. This was not ideal at all because I ran out in the first couple of days. Then I spent another whole day finding what I needed. I had to go look at a pet store, two Walmarts, and finally I found some at a third Walmart. I can tell you this made me very nervous because newborn kittens can dehydrate very quickly. Kittens at 0-4 weeks needs to be fed around the clock every two to four hours just like a human newborn baby. It will be really long nights and days, and a lack of sleep. In the end it is worth it to see them grow and thrive. A little tip set an alarm clock for every two to four hours. If you miss one feeding it not the end of the world, but do NOT make this habit for it can hurt your kitten or kittens in the long run.

Alway remember to never feed your kitten or kittens on their backs. This is very dangerous for them because the milk will go into the lungs. This can cause them to aspirate which will turn into pneumonia or worse drown them. Never squeeze there bottles to feed them if you feel they are not getting enough milk check the whole in the nipple if it is not big enough take scissors and cut the hole bigger.

If you feel your kitten has aspirated stop feeding them, grab the kitten by the belly and back legs, and flip their heads upside down to let the milk run out their nose and mouth. After you do this wipe their nose and face with a baby wipe make sure you wipe all the milk away. Wait couple hours watching there breathing closely if the kitten is doing fine restart their feeding. Something that always help me with my feedings with my Smokey was I used a very soft pillow. It really help with support of the tiny kitten and it gave them a place to knee at like they would do on their mother. A tip for fussy eaters or aggressive feeders. Gently place index finger and thumb on their front cheeks, then place your middle finger under their chin. Always remember to us your dominant hand this really does help. Just remember to be very gently with these little critter. They are very frigel at this age.

Also remember to stimulate them after every feeding. If you do not know what this is. You take a wipe or paper towel, rub their little butts and pee pees in a round circle motion. This acts like what the Mother would do to help them pee and poop. They can't do this on their own until they are about five to six weeks old. So meanwhile you can introduce your kitten or kittens to the litter box. I started with Smokey at four weeks and he was fully litter trained by 8 weeks. Kittens naturally know what to do with the litter box so start early and it will be a breeze from there.

My next tip is to use a toothbrush to brush your kitten or kittens. I did this with Smokey and it help him learn to groom himself. He still don't know how to groom himself in some areas so I still have to help him. They do get the gist of what they are supposed to do tho.

The next thing you need to make sure of is that you keep them warm as possible. Either use a towel, heating pad if you have one, a stuffy of any kind and lastly if you do not have a heating pad you can use warm water in a water bottle. Very important tip make sure if you are using a heating pad to make sure they have enough space to move away from the heating pad if they need too. They can get too hot just like us and need a place to cool down as well.

I didn't have a litter of kittens I just had a singleton kitten. So I used a cat crate, towels, a little stuffed animal, and a warm water bottle. I also made sure our bedroom was not below 72 degrees at all times whiched help with him not getting cold. Plus I held him every chance I could to help keep him warm.

My other suggestion is if you have a singleton get another kitten. This helps with development. For me tho I could barely handle caring for one kitten. Let alone two of these sweet little critters. We were very lucky in this area we had the most amazing dog who help in this area. We called her his sister. As he got older she played with him, slept together and they were two peas in a pod. All the way up until she got a back injury and we had to put her down. She was the best sister he could have ever asked for. Today I still see Smokey doing things that Ella taught him. It is so awesome to watch him everyday. He is a sweet reminder of our little Ella she is very missed.

Once your kitten is about six weeks old you can slowly add soft kitten food in their milk this will help with the weaning process. Start slow, only replace one meal with this for awhile. Remember as they get older their feeding time will get farther apart. At six weeks you can start feeding them every 5-6 hours around the clock. Once they hit that 7 to 8 week mark you can really start the weaning process. Fair warning this process is very messy I would use a plate or a puppy pad under the kittens bowel so that they don't get food and milk everywhere. The first few times I put Smokey food and milk in the same bowl I made it thin. He just looked at the bowl then at me like I was crazy. So I would put my finger in his bowl and wipe it on his lips. We did this for about two weeks and then he finally eat from his bowl. So please be patient with your critters some kittens will take longer then others, but you will all get where your wanting to be in the long run.

Another tip buy a tote or some kind of playpen for your kitten or kittens. Something that is big enough for them to play and explore safely until they are big enough. I put different little toys in their that Smokey enjoyed playing with. I used a tote and this worked wonderful until he started climbing out.

If your able to make it to the 8 week mark then you have done it. By now your little kitties are like having mini cats in your house. This is a very exciting point in their life. If you plan not to keep them then this will be the time to start finding their furever homes.

My Smokey is now fully a big boy and will be one years old in March. He is a sweet loving cat and we love him very much. So just remember with a little patience, gentle love, and lack of sleep you can save the life of something so little.