Like most animal species, cats obtain the information they need to live from their mothers, along with their first displays of affection and basic care while they are unable to fend for themselves. However, on many occasions, due to different circumstances, newborns end up separated from their mother’s nest, so a series of factors must be taken into account when caring for them.
Regarding their body temperature, we must help them warm up with blankets that are not too heavy, so they do not become trapped, since the little ones are used to maintaining their warmth thanks to their mother’s lap.
When it comes to sleeping, it is important to provide the kitten with a comfortable space that maintains the temperature it needs. There are special cribs for puppies, but the essential thing is for it to be placed somewhere you can monitor it in order to avoid any kind of danger.
How do you feed a newborn kitten?
Until their first month of life, cats can only consume liquids, so during this first stage we must provide them with milk for newborn kittens, which is sold in powder form and made from the species’ maternal milk. To feed them, we can get a kitten bottle or a syringe without a needle and give it to them between 2 and 4 times a day, depending on each animal’s needs. Newborns need to be fed every 2-3 hours during the first three weeks, and if the kittens are newborn or 3-5 days old, they may even need to feed every hour and a half. We must remember to boil the nipples before using them, trying to use bottled water to prepare the bottle or, alternatively, boiling the water before mixing it with the powdered milk. The milk should be lukewarm; if it is cold, they will reject it, and if it is too hot, they may get burned. Therefore, before giving them the bottle, we should check the milk’s temperature on the inside of the wrist by letting a couple of drops fall onto our skin.
It is very important to bear in mind that under no circumstances should we feed them cow’s milk, as it can cause digestive problems and put them at risk. After four weeks, the cat will be able to eat solid food.
How do you care for a newborn kitten’s hygiene?
Although on some occasions many kittens learn by themselves to walk to litter boxes or gardens to relieve themselves, in other cases we are the people responsible for their care and 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 above the litter box, to help it associate the action with the place.
Like humans, kittens that are only a few days old meow for many different reasons such as hunger, cold, or discomfort, but there is no need to worry, as every cat is different: many will meow loudly, while others will barely do so.
Regarding the care of our ARISTOCATS’ nails, it is very important to have scratching posts and show them to the cat whenever we catch it scratching things it should not, thereby teaching it the habit of using the scratching post to sharpen its claws.
As good ARISTOPARENTS, we must always be aware that the most important thing is the little one’s health and well-being. From birth, they need medical supervision and veterinary care, as a newborn kitten is extremely delicate.