Like most animal species, cats learn the necessary information to survive from their mothers, as well as their first displays of affection and basic care while they are unable to fend for themselves. However, often due to different circumstances, newborns end up separated from their mothers, so a series of factors must be considered when caring for them.
Regarding their body temperature, we should help them warm up with blankets that are not too heavy so they don't get trapped, as kittens are accustomed to maintaining warmth thanks to their mother's lap.
For sleeping, it is important to offer the kitten a comfortable space where it can maintain the necessary temperature. There are special cribs for puppies, but the essential thing is that it is located where you can watch over it to avoid any danger.
How to feed a newborn kitten?
For the first month of life, cats can only consume liquids. Therefore, in their first phase, we must provide them with formula for newborn kittens, which is sold in powder form and is made from the species' mother's milk. To administer it, we can get a cat feeding bottle or a syringe without a needle and give it to them between 2 and 4 times a day depending on the needs of each animal. Neonates need to be fed every 2-3 hours during the first three weeks, and if the kittens are newborns or 3-5 days old, they may even need to be fed every hour and a half. We must remember to boil the teats before using them, trying to use bottled water for preparing the bottle, or alternatively, boiling the water before mixing it with the powdered milk. The milk should be warm; if it's cold, they will reject it, and if it's too hot, they can get burned. Therefore, before giving them the bottle, we will check the milk's temperature on the inside of our wrist by letting a couple of drops fall on our skin.
It is very important to note that under no circumstances should they be fed cow's milk, as it can cause digestive problems and endanger them. After four weeks, the cat will be able to eat solids.
How to care for the hygiene of a newborn kitten?
Although sometimes many kittens learn to walk to litter boxes or gardens to relieve themselves, other times, we, the caregivers, must help and stimulate them. The correct way to do this is to gently pass a damp cotton ball over the newborn's genital and anal area over the litter box to help them associate the action with the place.
Just like humans, kittens that are only a few days old meow for many different reasons such as hunger, cold, or discomfort, but there's no need to worry as each cat is different, and many will meow loudly while others will barely do so.
As for the nail care of our ARISTOCATS, it is very important to have scratching posts and show them to the cat every time we catch them scratching things they shouldn't, to teach them the habit of using the scratching post to sharpen their claws.
We must always be aware, as good ARISTOPARENTS, that the most important thing is the little one's health and well-being. Therefore, from birth, they need medical supervision and veterinary visits, as a newborn cat is extremely delicate.