What special care do orphaned kittens require?
Written by
John Williams
Reviewed by
Prof. David Walsh, Ph.D.Orphaned kittens require special attention to thrive. Without their mother's natural support, they demand constant care. I have raised over 15 litters of orphaned kittens who arrived in need of round-the-clock assistance starting in 2013. Without your intervention, their road may end in dehydration, hypothermia, or failure to thrive. Your love and comfort serve in place of Mother Cat, like nothing else can, through the delicate Early Weeks.
Feeding Protocol
- Bottle-feeding kitten formula every 3-4 hours
- Maintaining precise 100°F (38°C) temperature
- Proper burping technique after each feeding
- Gradual weaning starting at 3 weeks
Socialization Needs
- Handling sessions 6 times daily minimum
- Gentle play with feather toys teaching boundaries
- Exposure to household sounds and people
- Companion pairing with similar-aged kittens
Teach 'assisted litter training', starting in week three. Use shallow pans filled with non-clumping litter. Place the kittens in the box after meals and after waking up from a nap, gently moving their paws to make digging motions. I chose an unscented litter so as not to overpower the kittens' developing senses, covering all of them in efficacy by going slowly. Repeated practice will do the trick. The mother cat instills the habit that her kittens should ideally learn.
Maintain heated nesting area at all times. I use heating pads under half the nesting box to create a "hot spot" : different temperature zones in the box. I check daily with thermometers and keep the cooler areas at 85 to 90° (29 to 32°C) for neonates. Because hypothermia will kill a neonate more quickly than starvation, I check mine each hour. An orphan is incapable of producing any body heat of its own until it is about four weeks of age.
Schedule frequent veterinary checkups every two weeks. Orphans do not have the benefit of maternal antibodies and require early vaccinations. Keep a close eye on your baby to ensure that they do not exhibit signs of fading kitten syndrome, such as a weak sucking reflex. My vet taught me how to administer subcutaneous fluids to puppies in emergencies, and I can thank him for saving three orphans in 2021.
Successful orphan care breeds strong cats. Remember my orphans from 2015? They're all grown up and healthy at 8 years old. They learned to trust people by being picked up daily. The time and attention you put into these 8 weeks will set the tone for the rest of their lives.
Read the full article: Kitten Weaning Age: 3 to 8 Weeks Guide
