How to Get a Kitten to Nurse From a Bottle

Young kittens require the simulation of mothers' milk.

Sometimes a kitten is taken away from its mother before it is weened. This is as a problem for the kitten's health and development. If this occurs, it is necessary to nurse the kitten with a bottle. Knowing how to get a kitten to nurse from a bottle takes a little patience as well as the desire to nurture the kitten while it is vulnerable and dependent on your care.

Things You'll Need

• Bottle of prepared formula
• Soft, warm towel

Instructions

1. Wrap the kitten gently against you with the warm towel. Rest the kitten against your chest so that it feels your heartbeat. This helps give the kitten a sense of being with its mother, which comforts it.

2. Aim the bottle downward at a slight angle at the kitten's mouth. Make sure that the formula is lukewarm, mimicking mother's milk.

3. Let some milk drop out of the nipple and then rub the moistened tip against the kitten's lips. After one or two tries of this, the kitten should latch on eagerly and nurse.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a special kitten formula to nurse your baby kitten, obtained from a trusted veterinarian. Your vet will also provide you with the small nursing bottles, which are two to three times smaller than human infant bottles.

• Use small nipples measuring 2 mm in diameter. Anything larger may be too big for the kitten's mouth. These nipples are referred to as "pet-nips."

• Try to feed the baby kitten at least once every hour if it is a newborn and gradually decrease frequency of feedings as the cat grows older. Keep taking the kitten to your vet so the doctor can gauge the kitten's progress and your care of it.

• Do not nurse a kitten with cow's milk or human baby formula. These liquids do not contain the nutrition necessary for your kitten to develop healthily. Only use the formula recommended by your veterinarian.

References

• HDW Enterprises: Hand-Nursing Orphaned or Rescued Kittens
• "The Cat Care Book"; Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld; 1989