Caring for Abandoned Newborn Kittens Without a Mother Cat can be a challenging yet deeply rewarding endeavor for anyone who finds themselves in this situation. Whether you’ve stumbled upon a litter of kittens without a mother or have taken on the responsibility of fostering orphaned kittens, your care and dedication play a crucial role in their survival and well-being. In this guide, we will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips on how to nurture these tiny felines, ensuring they grow into healthy and happy cats despite the absence of their mother’s care.
Are you in a situation where you have an orphaned kitten that can’t feed itself, and knowing how to care for newborn kittens is absolutely essential to give them a chance at life?
First and foremost, let’s clarify two important points:
1. If you find kittens that are a few days old, appear to be in good condition, are clean, don’t seem weak or dehydrated, it’s highly likely that these kittens are not orphans. The mother cat is likely nearby, especially if you don’t have information about the mother’s whereabouts. It’s advisable to observe for a while to see if the mother cat returns. It’s not recommended to leave the kittens without shelter even if they seem to be in good condition.
2. La plupart des chatons âgés d'un ou de quelques jours seulement finissent abandonnés à cause de l'interférence humaine. On les retrouve souvent jetés dans les poubelles, scellés dans des sacs en plastique ou, dans les cas les plus chanceux (si on peut l'appeler ainsi), laissés dans une boîte dans un lieu public.
Now, let’s explore some useful tips on what to do if you’ve found a newborn kitten and want to care for it.
Comment prendre soin des chatons nouveau-nés orphelins
Le premier conseil, surtout lorsqu’on s’occupe de chatons nouveau-nés abandonnés, est de les emmener à la clinique vétérinaire la plus proche. Les professionnels vétérinaires peuvent vous fournir les meilleurs conseils sur la façon de prendre soin de ces chatons et effectuer un examen médical pour identifier tout problème de santé potentiel.
If you’re not near a veterinary clinic, or for various reasons can’t seek professional assistance, you should consider the following aspects.
Maintenir la température corporelle normale du chaton.
Newborn kittens need to be dry and have a normal body temperature. If the kittens are wet or it’s cold outside, the first thing you should do is warm them up.
La température corporelle normale d’un chat doit être légèrement supérieure à celle d’un humain, autour d’un minimum de 38°C à 39,3°C. Les chatons de moins de 3 semaines ne peuvent pas réguler seuls leur température corporelle. Ceux qui ont eu ou ont actuellement des mères chattes avec de jeunes chatons savent que pendant les 3 premières semaines, la mère chatte reste presque constamment près des chatons. Lorsqu'elle part se nourrir ou vaquer à ses besoins, elle revient très vite auprès des chatons. C’est précisément pour cela qu’en plus de fournir de la nourriture, elle assure une température optimale avec son propre corps.
If the kitten is wet or it’s cold outside, you should warm it up before feeding. You can gently dry it with a soft towel. For warming, use a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel. Place the kitten on a soft blanket or towel with the warm water bottle nearby.
Faites très attention à ne pas étouffer le chaton ni à l’exposer à trop de chaleur. Laissez-lui de l'espace pour respirer et changez de position s'il fait trop chaud.
If the kittens have been warmed up but still don’t appear to be in good condition, it’s likely due to low blood sugar. Kittens can experience a rapid drop in blood sugar if they are not fed on time. As an emergency measure, you can use a few drops of glucose or a bit of plain water with 5% sugar or honey. Honey can also be used to regulate the digestive tract. A small tip of a teaspoon of honey in milk can help.
Nourrir les chatons nouveau-nés
Just like young children, newborn kittens need to eat frequently but in small amounts. This means that, first and foremost, you’ll need to dedicate nearly constant time and attention to them in the first 2-3 weeks. However, don’t worry too much because newborn kittens sleep a lot.
As for their food, the only suitable option is milk, but not just any milk. Avoid giving them cow’s milk. Instead, opt for goat’s milk or powdered milk. You can find powdered milk kits with special bottles for feeding newborn kittens at pet shops and veterinary pharmacies.
Be cautious when administering the milk. It should be slightly warm. You can test the temperature on your wrist, much like how it’s done for young children. Newborn kittens should be held with their chests raised and not like human babies on their backs, as milk can reach their trachea.
The feeding portion should be determined based on the kitten’s age. In the first week, it’s sufficient to give them between 2 and 4 ml of milk at each meal. Ideally, feeding should occur at 2-hour intervals, even at night. Of course, there won’t be any issue if the kitten goes without food while you rest. After the first week, it’s recommended to feed them every 3-4 hours, gradually increasing the quantity to 5-10 ml. By the third week, 5 meals a day with 10-15 ml of milk at each meal should be enough. After 4 weeks, kittens should be fed according to their individual appetite. Avoid overfeeding as it can lead to digestion problems and diarrhea. Starting from 5 weeks of age, kittens begin to learn to eat on their own, and you can start phasing out the bottle. Still, stick to milk. It will take some time until their teeth develop enough to eat wet food, and their digestive system isn’t quite ready for it yet.
Lorsqu’ils commencent à manger seuls, vous pouvez trouver une variété de nourriture spéciale pour chatons dans les animaleries.
Recettes pour nourrir les chatons nouveau-nés
En cas d'urgence, les chatons nouveau-nés peuvent être nourris avec une seringue au coin de la bouche. Attention à ne pas leur faire de mal !
If you don’t have a veterinary pharmacy nearby or the ability to purchase specialized powdered milk for newborn kittens, you can use goat’s milk or a homemade recipe as a milk substitute. The recipe consists of:
- 90 ml de lait concentré
- 90 ml d'eau
- 120 ml de yaourt nature (pas allégé)
- 3-4 jaunes d'œufs, selon la taille. PAS de blancs d'œufs !
Une autre recette qui peut remplacer le lait pour chaton est :
- 250 ml (1 tasse) de lait de chèvre (ou de vache) (3,5 % de matière grasse)
- 1 jaune d'oeuf
- Une pincée de miel
- Quelques gouttes de jus de citron
- 2 cuillères à soupe de thé contre les coliques pour bébé
Besoins physiologiques des chatons – défécation et miction
Après 20 jours de vie, les chatons ont besoin de déféquer et d’uriner ; sinon, les toxines s’accumuleront dans leur corps, entraînant potentiellement la mort. La mère chatte lèche fréquemment la région génitale des chatons pour stimuler ces fonctions vitales.
You can use a damp corner of a cloth, a makeup pad, or any other soft, wet material to gently pat the genital areas of the kittens. Do this twice a day. They will begin to relieve themselves, and as they start moving around, you’ll need to provide a small litter box and cat litter.
In theory, you don’t need to teach kittens to use the litter box. Just show them once where the litter is, and they will instinctively go there when needed. It’s a primal feline instinct to cover up any physiological traces that could be detected by prey or predators.
En rapport: Comment élever un chaton heureux. 10 conseils très utiles
Chatons vermifugés
Caring for abandoned newborn kittens without a mother cat also involves addressing their deworming needs. If these kittens were found outdoors or in less-than-ideal conditions, they may have picked up fleas or other parasites. However, it’s important to note that deworming should be approached cautiously and typically only initiated by a veterinarian after the kittens reach a certain age, usually around 8 weeks. Veterinary clinics offer specialized solutions such as sprays and powders designed for the deworming of kittens. Proper deworming is a crucial aspect of ensuring the health and well-being of these tiny feline companions, and it should be integrated into the overall care routine when needed.
