Cat formula: what it is and how to give it to a newborn cat

If you’ve recently adopted or rescued a kitten, you definitely have (at least) a few questions about how to feed your kitten in the first few days of its life. The newborn kitten has rather delicate health and requires special care. In addition to providing a warm place to feel protected, the new owner will also need to pay attention to the chick’s nutrition. The ideal choice would be breast milk, but in cases of abandonment that bond often no longer exists. The alternative is “artificial” milk which helps the kitten develop in the first few days.

When do you need kitten formula?

In all cases where the puppy cannot have contact with its mother, artificial milk will be recommended by the vet. At these times many owners look for other solutions, such as homemade milk for newborn cats. However, even homemade recipes must be prescribed by a veterinarian who will monitor the fur’s nutritional needs. In fact, the ideal is to look for an NGO or a shelter where you can find a “sucking mother” for the kittens and never give them the “standard” milk we are used to from supermarkets. The milk we are used to consuming can have unpleasant effects for the kitten.

Formulated milk for cats is a variant created to meet the nutritional needs of the pet. It is a substitute for breast milk and will provide the nutrients and vitamins needed for healthy development. Easy to prepare, it is usually sufficient to dilute the powder in cold or warm water. Veterinary monitoring is necessary to ensure that you are making the best choices when it comes to feeding your chicken at all stages of its development.

How to feed a kitten. Challenge the absence of the feline mother

When the topic concerns how to feed abandoned kittens, the daily amount of formula should be validated with a veterinarian. In general, kittens consume up to 30 ml of milk every three hours. This means that kittens need to be fed 4 times a day. To make up for the absence of the feline mother, the owner will have to provide her with the appropriate bottle. If you don’t have a special bottle on hand, the syringe can help you in the short term. However, the bottle is recommended because the bottle is usually smaller and the dosage is carried out perfectly with the help of the external scaler.

The correct way to feed a kitten with milk is quite simple, but you need to be careful. Prepare the formula milk according to the manufacturer’s instructions and “serve” it to the kitten at a temperature between 37 and 39 degrees centigrade. Don’t crush the bottle because the kitten will suck the liquid like from its mother. When he shows signs that he might be fed up, you can stop for a while and see if you need to continue.

How to feed a newborn kitten?

In the case of newborn and abandoned kittens, care must be twice as careful. You need much more affection and delicacy in taking care of him. Prepare a warm place for him with blankets and prepare the milk with all care. The transition to other foods usually occurs from the second month of life and is preferably supervised by a veterinarian who will show you the best food sources, whether in sachets, puppy food or cat food.

When you really need alternative solutions

Many factors can prevent kittens from nursing naturally. A cat can have six nipples and give birth to eight kittens. In such situations some kittens will not be able to feed themselves normally. In other cases the mother is unable to breastfeed due to developing health problems after giving birth leading to rejection of the kittens. It can usually be metritis or mastitis in cats. Both are inflammatory conditions that make breastfeeding impossible and can cause pain for the mother cat. These can be prevented by careful hygiene at birth. In severe cases of mastitis, where the cause may be bacterial, it is necessary to contact the vet to avoid worsening. Feline eclampsia can also affect the mother and occurs when the cat is breastfeeding and therefore is unable to compensate for the loss of calcium. This disease appears in the first weeks after birth and is perceived in the behavior of the mother cat who will present constant discomfort and weakness. Under these conditions, the cat will not be able to nurse the kittens successfully.

From mother to kitten: the importance of feline breast milk for kittens

As happens to us humans, the breastfed cat also creates and strengthens the emotional bond with the baby. This emotional bond is extremely important and will influence the behavior of the newborn kitten throughout its life. However, it may happen that the cat is unable to create this bond, due to rejection, health, postpartum death or separation from its litter. But under normal conditions, it is essential that breastfeeding occurs for at least the first four weeks of the kitten’s life.

Feline “mothers” also produce colostrum, known as the first milk a mother produces for her fetus. Rich in numerous nutrients, it is important in the first feedings because it is from the colostrum that the chicken receives antibodies (immunoglobulins) which will strengthen its immune system and prepare its body for breastfeeding against infections. In addition to the kittens, if possible, the guardian should also worry about the health of the mother. At this time it is a good idea to invest in plenty of water and quality food so that he can recover and breastfeed healthily. Subsequently, neutering is recommended to avoid “aggregations” of the litter.