How to Raise Just Born Kittens

Raising newborn kittens can be a challenge especially if the mother cat is unwilling or unable to care for her litter. Whether you're monitoring a new mom and her kittens or you are taking on the role of mom completely, following a few basic steps will help keep either situation running smoothly and ensure healthy kittens.

Things You'll Need

• Bedding
• Large box
• Newspaper
• Heat lamp
• Kitten formula
• Feeding bottle or dropper
• A quiet area
• Towels

Instructions

1. Understand that a mother-to-be cat will begin searching for an appropriate place to have her babies as she nears her term. If she is an indoor cat, this will usually be someplace quiet, dark and not easily accessible like the corner of a closet. If it's possible to place your cat in a particular room where she can have her babies, go ahead and place a medium to large box in the room where she can easily find it. Put clean bedding inside the box in a layered fashion. You can also drape a towel partially over the top of the box so she'll feel more secure. Place your cat in the box frequently so she'll be comfortable so that when the time comes for her to have her babies, she won't be afraid to go inside the box. If your cat rejects the box and gravitates to another quiet area in the room or closet, place the box in that area so she'll use it. Once the kittens are born, you want them to be in a quiet and warm environment and in an area that you can reach and if she didn't have the kittens in the box, you will need to very gently pick them up ad put them inside the box for their own safety.

2. After the kittens are born, it's extremely important that they be in a safe and warm place. The mother cat will keep them close to her so they can nurse and so that she can clean the kittens and they will have her body warmth to help keep them warm. Using cotton or terry cloth towels as a liner in their box will give them extra warmth. It's important that the box be large enough for the mother to move around in and tall enough so that the kittens don't fall out of the box. As a towel becomes soiled, it can easily be removed and the next layer of clean towel will be ready for the kittens. Wash the towels and reuse them as a liner until the kittens are old enough to be litter box trained. If the mother cat is not available to raise the kittens, you can use a heat lamp to help them stay warm. Be sure the temperature is set at a moderate level and that the lamp is placed in a secure area where it will not pose any danger to the kittens or their living area.

3. Just born kittens have two jobs in the first few weeks; one is to nurse and the other is to sleep. Monitor the kittens and the mother cat to be sure she is feeding them and has not rejected one or all of the litter. If there is continual crying by the kittens, this can be a sign that something is wrong like possibly they are not being fed. If you see that they are trying to nurse and the mother cat is not allowing them to feed, try comforting her and encourage her to lie down and let the kittens nurse. If she continues to refuse, you will need to contact your vet in regard to any medical problems she might be experiencing and you will need to manually feed the kittens every two to three hours using a feeding bottle or dropper filled with new born kitten formula. If you see that the mother cat is allowing the kittens to nurse frequently, is cleaning them often to encourage urination and bowel movements and the kittens aren't crying but sleeping regularly, then everything is fine.

4. Another step you will need to take if the mother cat is unavailable to raise the kitten's is to help them eliminate waste and urine. This is a task done by the mother cat by licking the kittens abdomen and anal area. Should you need to do this step, take a washcloth, wet it with warm water, not hot, and rub these areas on each kitten to help stimulate the natural process of eliminating waste. Repeat this step frequently so the kittens don't become constipated.

5. Over the next several day's you can expect the umbilical cord to drop off each kitten and their eyes will begin to open. They will not fully open until anywhere from seven to ten day's. When sleeping, you will see them twitch but this is a normal occurrence related to their nervous system. In a week or two, they will become more active and crawl around the box and at around three weeks, they will be standing and walking and will attempt to get out of the box so it's vital that you keep their area safe from other cats, especially males, or dogs.

6. At about four weeks old the kittens can begin eating a little wet or canned kitten food. If the mother is still part of the raising process, the kittens will still be nursing but they can have a little extra wet, soft food. Keep in mind they will have very tiny teeth so only wet food should be given as a supplement at this time. As they get bigger, they can graduate to dry kitten food, but for now give them only wet food that they can chew and swallow easily. If you are providing bottle feeding of kitten formula, continue to do so and give them some wet food in addition to the formula.

7. At the same time you introduce wet food, begin training them to use the litter pan. This is a very important step. Place each kitten inside the pan frequently throughout the day and evening. They will be curious and they will want to play in the litter so keep fresh newspaper under and around the litter pan. This is normal for young kittens. If the mother cat has been using the litter pan, the kittens will pick up her scent and this will encourage them to use the pan themselves. If you're litter training the kittens yourself, place the kittens in the pan first thing in the morning and after they eat and drink. Take their paw and scratch the litter. You might have to repeat this step several times as it all depends on the individual kitten and how quickly they grasp the litter pan concept. Once they do, they will use it regularly.

8. As the kittens get older, they will become more active and will explore every corner of every room and find numerous things to play with. They like to chew so be sure they do not have access to any type of electrical cord. They also like to climb and jump, so be aware of breakable items, anything they can climb on like curtains, items they can claw like sofas and cushions and be especially careful if they are allowed in the bathroom and be sure to keep the lid down on the toilet.

9. Now that the kittens have learned how to use the litter pan, are able to eat on their own and have become experts at negotiating their environment, the next step is to take them to the vet for a check-up and yearly vaccinations. At this time, you can have them checked for worms and ear mites and get any medications necessary along with a good flea preventative.

Tips & Warnings

• Feed the mother cat a premium cat food while she is nursing and be sure to provide her with plenty of clean water and a clean litter pan near to the area where she has her kittens.

• Have good cat carriers to transport your kittens, a leash and collars. The most secure collar is the harness type that fits around their neck and upper body. This type of collar provides excellent security versus a standard around the neck type collar as the cat is unable to pull the collar over its head and escape.

• It is vital that you provide bedding that will help the kittens stay warm. This is especially critical if the mother cat is unavailable to raise the kittens.