Kitten Bottles And Nipples:
While you are shopping for your kitten formula be sure to pick up some kitten bottles and nipples.
You can choose to use a traditional kitten nipple that will require some preparation on your part. These nipples do not come precut which means you will have to cut a hole yourself in the nipple for your newborn kitten.
This can cause a ton of human error without even realizing.
To make sure you are doing it right, test how fast or slow the kitten formula comes out by turning the bottle upside down and over your wrist.
If you do not feel comfortable using the traditional kitten nipples you can use something called a miracle nipple.
The miracle nipple is a specialty product you can buy online.
The miracle nipple has a hole already cut into it , it is a hard rubber nipple and can be used with a syringe or you can pop it right onto a regular kitten bottle lid!
These awesome miracle nipples come in many sizes based on the age of your kitten. This specialty nipple creates the perfect flow if given the right size to your newborn kitten.
You May Want To Think Twice Next Time You Pour Your Cat Cow’s Milk
If youve ever read childrens books where theres a cat, youre probably wondering, Can cats drink milk? The age-old myth that milk and cats go hand-in-hand has officially been debunked by veterinarians and cat experts. Regardless of how tasty milk may be to your cat, this is bad news for their stomach and digestive system. As it turns out, most cats are lactose intolerant.
The Type Of Milk To Give A Kitten
Many cat experts believe that powdered milk is best for kittens instead of the liquid formula. Some, however, prefer the canned liquid formula. Whichever you opt for, you want to make sure that it is of high quality and purchased from trusted sources such as pet products, physical stores, online pet stores, or at the vet. You also want to make sure that the milk is fresh, be it powdered or liquid. Do not give the milk to your feline if it smells rancid, spoilt, or like chemicals or cheese. If expired, avoid using.
Also, keep all opened cat milk formulas inside the refrigerator, whether canned or powdered, as they spoil quickly once opened.
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Feeding Kittens 6 To 8 Weeks Old
When a kitten is 6 to 8 weeks old, it should be thoroughly weaned from the bottle and transitioned to solid foods. At this time, offer only food thats been specially formulated for kittens. Its a good idea to mix dry and canned food together so your pet experiences both at a young age. As your kitten ages, you can switch to an all-dry or all-canned diet. You should be feeding a kitten this age three to four times per day, depending on their appetite. Its also important to keep a clean, shallow bowl of fresh water available at all times to keep your kitten hydrated.
How Long Do I Need To Feed My Kitten A Milk Replacement
Week 1
Your tiny kitten will still have closed eyes and ears and will require the milk replacement fed in a bottle for about 45 minutes every 2-3 hours. Since the kittens are so small, its best to have only one or two people doing the feeding to help the cat feel more secure without its mom. We recommend choosing someone with a lot of free time.
Week 2 and 3
You will be doing more of the same during week 2 and week 3. Your cat will start to eat slightly more and, by the end of the third week, should weigh more than 10 ounces and be spending its first few days exploring and playing.
Week 4 and 5
Week 6, 7, and 8
During these three weeks, your cat will continue to eat less and less meal replacement, and you should reduce meals to three times a day while adding less and less water to the solid food.
After 8 Weeks
Once your cat is 8 weeks old, it should be on a normal solid food diet. We recommend crunchy kibble as it helps keep the cleaner by scraping away tartar, but a few more weeks of wet cat food wont hurt them if you find your kitty is having trouble transitioning. Your kitten might also come looking for its milk replacement, and you can let it have some on occasion but try to wean them off as many cats lose what little ability to digest lactose, and you might notice your cat having frequent gas or diarrhea.
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What Are Some Other Treats You Can Give Your Cat Instead Of Milk
Its tempting to give your cat treats for being adorable. According to WebMD, treats should make up no more than 10 percent of a cats daily calorie intake.
Occasionally, a cat that cant tolerate milk may have no problem with other forms of dairy, like yogurt, cheese, butter, or ice cream. Foods like yogurt and ice cream are often diluted with other things, such as water or added fats, or cultured, meaning microorganisms have digested part of the lactose.
If you insist on giving your cat milk, buy a small container of lactose-free milk, full-fat cream or goat milk from a local dairy farm.
But honestly, milk-based treats just arent necessary. There are plenty of other healthy treats for your cat that wont hurt their tummies.
As always, make sure you consult your veterinarian and always feed your cat a healthy diet.
Finally, the best thing for cats to drink is water. If you want to make the water a little more fun, consider buying a water fountain for your cat.
How Much Milk Can Cats Have
While veterinarians agree that milk is not a full meal and should be given as a treat only, there’s no consensus on how much milk is safe for cats. There are about 9 calories in a tablespoon of whole milk, which is about 5% of your cat’s daily calorie requirement.
Treats shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your cat’s daily intake, so up to 2 tablespoons of milk may be a safe, calorically moderate treat. With new treats, always start small to see if your cat tolerates it before increasing the amount gradually.
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What Kind Of Milk Is Safe For Cats
Cats can safely drink small amounts of any milk, whether its from a cow, goat, sheep, or other animal. Any more than a couple of tablespoons, however, could cause stomach upset. If given in small amounts, milk substitutes like soy, almond, and cashew wont make your cat sick, but theyre not something to give your cat on a regular basis.
How Often Can I Give Milk To My Cat
Milk should only be given to cats in moderation it should be considered a treat for cats who enjoy the flavor. When serving milk to your cat, dont overestimate the portion size.
Water is the most crucial fluid for cats, so make sure there is always fresh water available. Here is some advice to get your cat to drink more water.
Milk doesnt have many nutritional benefits for cats, especially cows milk. Give your cat something more nutritionally balanced, such as a pouch of luxury cat food because its a rich source of protein.
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Neu Zea: Milk Replacer For Puppy & Kitten
Neu Zea is a milk replacer for orphaned puppies and kittens and those who do not receive enough milk from their mother.
It manages to find the perfect balance between low lactose and nutrient composition to meet the nutritional needs of young and active animals.
It provides all of the protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that puppies and kittens require for proper growth.
Cats Dont Get Much Nutritional Value Out Of Milk
Kittens require the unique balance of nutrients present in their mothers milk. Anything besides this milk or a specially-formulated cat milk replacer will lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Nursing kittens rely on their mothers milk to survive, but any other type of milk fails to deliver the well-rounded nutrition your kitten or cat needs. Its not a nutritionally complete food or even close. If you choose to give your cat milk, make it a very occasional treat.
Its not a substitute for a nutritionally complete and balanced diet. And if youre caring for a young kitten, never substitute cows milk for mothers milk or kitten formula.
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Should Cats Drink Milk
If an adult cat tries to drink the same amount of milk they had as a kitten, theyd get an upset stomach. They just dont have the lactase enzymes needed to make the milk digestible.
Small amounts of milk wont make your cat sick, but more than a tablespoon or so could cause digestive distress.
There are a few exceptions to this rule.
Cats can more easily digest lactose-free milk and other products made for lactose-intolerant people. They can also eat other low-lactose dairy products, including most hard cheeses, yogurt, and sour cream.
As with all foods not intended or balanced for cats, these should be considered occasional treats that make up less than 10% of a cats total calories for the day.
Feeding Kitten Milk Formulas
In addition to PetAg KMR powder, products like PetAg KMR liquid, Hartz KMR powdered formula and GNC Pets ultra mega premium kitten milk replacer powder are good options to feed kittens who are too young to eat solid food and still need to drink milk.
Most kittens need to be nursed by their mother or fed kitten formula from a bottle until 4-5 weeks of age however, this isnt a hard and fast rule. Weaning can take place later if a kitten is underweight or ill, and it is important to use your best judgement when weaning.
If a kitten starts to lose weight, stops eating or is acting more lethargic than normal during the weaning process, go back to feeding kitten formula for another 3-5 days before trying weaning again.
In most cases, you can tell when a kitten is old enough to be weaned when you see baby teeth emerging from the gums. The best way to start is to offer a slurry of canned or dry commercial kitten food that is soaked in kitten formula.
Your initial goal is to get the kitten used to the taste of food, and this will probably take some trial and error. Some kittens may do well if you blend some canned food with formula in a blender to make a thinner liquid. Other kittens may be better with a mush that has the consistency of oatmealso dont be afraid to experiment.
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Can I Feed My Cat Milk If Its Tolerated
You need to be confident that your cat isnt lactose intolerant. As mentioned, you should give your cat a small amount of cows milk and monitor its reaction for the next 24 hours.
If you see any signs of bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, vomiting, or lethargy, regular cows milk should never be given to your cat again.
If there are no adverse side effects and the cats stools remain normal, the occasional treat is unlikely to do any harm. However, you might choose a more digestible milk product, such as yogurt or goats milk.
Kitten Milk Replacer Recipe
You can use this kitten milk replacer recipe if you find a kitten whose mother has rejected it. Ideally, you will use a real kitten milk replacer from the vets office. But, if its after hours and you need something to use until you can get to the vet, this recipe will work for you.
You can use this homemade kitten formula with evaporated milk but only until you can visit the vet.
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How To Make Homemade Milk
cats can drink a variety of different types of milk, and there are a few ways to make it. First, you can give them milk from a can or carton. This is fine if youre giving it to them as a treat. However, you should be wary of any milk that comes from a carton. This is because you may not be able to know what the milk has been treated with, and it may contain unhealthy additives. If you want to give it as a treat, its best to buy powdered milk or milk from a carton. Another option is to make homemade milk from scratch. You can make either cows milk or goats milk. You can make it from cows milk by soaking the milk overnight. This allows it to ferment. Once it is done, you can strain it, then refrigerate it. Goats milk can be made in the same way, except that you have to add salt to the milk. This allows it to curdle and form a solid mass. Once youve made your milk, you can give it to your cat as a treat. You can also make treats for your cat using prepared meats like ground beef, chicken, or pork. Just be careful that the meat isnt too fatty.
Changing From Commercial To Homemade Cat Food
If your cat has been on commercial cat food for most of its life, his digestive enzymes and digestive system has most likely acclimated to this unnatural diet. Slowly transition over to raw food, 1 teaspoon at a time, over the course of a month.
You will want to follow the advice of your veterinary professional, but for many this will look like:
Day 1-5: Mix 1 teaspoon of raw food into whatever your cat normally eats.
Day 5-10: Increase the raw food by double.
Day 10-15: Feed your cat half raw, half what they were eating before.
Day 15 on: You may be able to switch to all raw food as your cat has had time for their digestive system to catch up. If your cat is fussy, continue the slow transition.
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Why Do Cats Like Milk
Cats love the taste of milk because it is high in fat. They will often choose to drink it even if it results in an upset stomach. If your cat is fed a high quality, balanced diet they do not need the extra fat from drinking milk, no matter how much they like it.
If your cat has drunk some milk, watch them for any signs of vomiting or diarrhoea and contact your vet if you are concerned.
What To Do If You Find A Newborn Kitten
OOTC EditorThis article is now outdated. An updated version of this information can be found at
During kitten season, its not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by his/her mother.
by Valerie Sicignano, NYC Feral Cat Initiative
During high kitten season in the spring and summer, its not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. You want to help, right? Before jumping to the rescue, consider these recommendations.
First: Wait & Watch
You might have come across the kittens while their mother is off searching for food, or is in the process of moving them to a different location. Try to determine if the mother is coming back for them, or if they are truly orphaned.
To do this, stand far away from the kittens 35 feet or more. If you stand too close, the mom will not approach her kittens. You might need to go away completely before the mother cat will return to attend to the kittens. It might be several hours before the mother cat returns until she no longer senses the presence of humans hovering near her litter.
The mother cat offers her kittens best chance for survival, so wait and watch as long as you can. The best food for the kittens is their mothers milk. Remove the kittens only if they are in immediate, grave danger.
If the mother cat returns
If the mother cat does not return
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How To Increase Water Content For Your Cat Or Kitten
If you are giving your cat milk because you are concerned that your cat is not drinking sufficient water, discuss this with your vet. You can also try to increase their water intake by:
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Using large, shallow water bowls: cats like to be able to see around them when they are eating and drinking, and often do not like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl. A saucer is perfect as it allows them to access it from any angle. It is also good for water but easier for us to spill water when filling the dish
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Do not use food bowls with two attached compartments because cats prefer separate bowls. We recommend placing multiple bowls around the house
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Use glass or ceramic bowls: plastic bowls can have an unpleasant smell and taste to cats. Cats that wear a tag on their collar often dislike metal bowls due to the noise
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Try a water fountain or a dripping tap as cats often prefer running water
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Cats have sensitive taste buds and might not like the chemicals in our tap water. They often prefer rain water or bottled spring water instead
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You can try flavouring their water: drain a tin of tuna in spring water, poach a chicken breast, or make the water into ice cubes and add that to their water
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Ensure that you wash their food and water bowls and change their water each day