2 Week Old Kittens Bottle Feeding
Bottle feeding kittens warmth and bedding.
2 week old kittens bottle feeding. A syringe can be greatly beneficial for kittens 0 2 weeks of age. Thanks to regular feedings by their foster mom they are all steadily gaining weight. Hold the kitten s head stable with your non dominant hand. Bottle feeding is the standard method for feeding orphaned kittens but if you re having difficulty feeding a kitten under 2 weeks old you may want to consider switching from a bottle to a syringe.
For their safety bottle babies should be kept in a cat carrier when you are not feeding or caring. Not only that cow s milk cannot be properly digested by them. Weaning may begin at 3 to. Caring for 2 week old kitten.
How to feed in terms of nutrition the one thing you must always remember is to never give the kitten cow s milk as it isn t nutritious enough for them. Gently slide the nipple into the kitten s mouth and invert the bottle to start the flow of formula. If a kitten is nursing from its mother you ll have to depend on how much the kitten weighs to know whether or not it is consuming enough food. Before you get started learn about the benefits and risks of syringe feeding.
Lay the kitten in a natural belly down position never ever on her back. In order to bottle feed the kitten you will need to gather a few supplies. Cow s milk will also. Feeding for very young kittens you will need to acquire kitten milk replacer and some feeding devices.
At two weeks old they can be fed every 4 6 hours. Get a kitten formula and nursing kit in a pet store. Do not feed cow s milk to kittens as it does not have the proper nutrition for them. The kitten should roll her tongue into a u shape and begin to swallow.
Regular human baby bottles will likely be too big but most pet stores have newborn kitten bottles and nipples as well as a commercial formula specifically designed for kittens. Once they become 2 weeks old they will be better equipped to generate their own body heat and their surrounding air temperature becomes less critical. Kittens under one week old should be fed every 2 3 hours. As you can see and hear the kittens are very hungry.
Weeks two and three feeding schedules a 2 to 3 week old kitten will still need to be fed every 2 3 hours and it should consume at least 1 2 tablespoon of formula or milk during each meal. Weigh the kittens daily to calculate the amount of formula they need using a kitchen scale or small postal scale. Feed the kitten.