Kitten Care
Videos
Umbilical Cord Care
How to rescue kittens with a feral mom
How to socialize feral kittens
Electrolytes for Pets
Subcutaneous Fluids for Dehydrated Kitten
Bottle Feeding Tips
Common Cold Symptoms in Kittens
Shocking Truth About Treating Fleas on Kittens You Didn't Know
Stop Kitten Biting
Litter Lessons for Kittens: Where & Where Not To Play
Trim nails
Care of the Newborn
The mother will generally do everything needed to care for the newborn, and it’s best not to interfere unless there’s a problem. Right after birth she will clean them and as long as necessary, she will will also like up all the urine and feces voided by her growing young. But if the infants develop diarrhea, you may miss the evidence.
Diarrhea is one of the most common problems at this stage of life, and it’s usually caused by consuming too much milk (sometimes a problem with hand-raised kittens), infection in the the mother’s uterus or mammary glands (check if her temperature is above 102F) or giving antibiotics to the mother (they can get into the milk).
A kitten with diarrhea will get cold and dehydrated (the skin will be wrinkled and look to big for the body). It may crawl away from the nest and usually cries, even when returned to the mother.
If the problem is with the mother’s milk, you’ll need to feed the babies by hand with a pet nurser bottle sold at pet stores. Use the nursing formula found here or a commercial kitten formula. Dilute the formula half and half with pure water until the diarrhea is under control. The problem should correct itself after a few feedings. If not, try one of these two methods:
- Use a mixture consisting of half formula (regular strength) and half warm chamomile tea (one teaspoon herb to a cup of boiling water). Feed on a regular schedule until the problem is controlled, usually by two or three feedings.
- Use the half formula/half water mixture, but add to it a crushed tablet of the homeopathic preparation Podophyluum 6X. Mix well. One such therapeutic feeding should be enough, but repeat this formula every four hours if necessary.
Examine the mother’s breasts to see if there are hard lumps, hot areas or painful places (on pressure). If so, there may be an infection that will need treatment before the milk is safe for the kittens. See Reproductive Organ Problems.
After the diarrhea is under control and there is no problem with the mother, you can return the kitten to the nest, but be watchful in case it returns.
Sometimes the mother doesn’t care for the young -- letting them cray and avoiding contact and not nursing -- this is potentially a serious problem since the young ones cannot go long without eating. It’s possible there’s something physically wrong with the mother like an infection or retained kitten, so you will need to have your veterinarian check out this possibility. If the problem is emotional, however, then here is a treatment that is quite helpful”
Homeopathic - Sepia 30C: Use Homeopathic Schedule 2. If the mother does not accept the young within a few hours then they will have to be raised with a bottle. See Feeding Orphaned/Rejected Kittens & Puppies