Can You Feed Abandoned Kittens Baby Formula

The cornell book of cats says that human baby formula can be used if made up to double the normal strength although human baby formula is normally not nutritious enough for kittens.

Can you feed abandoned kittens baby formula. Make sure you keep a fresh supply and not too much at one time. Emergency feeding kittens need a kitten milk replacement specifically formulated to contain the proper balance of proteins and nutrients they need to support healthy growth. Cold formula overly rapid feeding rates and overfeeding can lead to regurgitation aspiration bloating and diarrhea. We do not recommend using the other formulas for long term bottle feeding but they can be useful should you need to feed your kittens and can t find the ingredients for the homemade goat s milk formula.

Be aware that even if you find a cat able to nurse the young kitten she may not accept the kitten. Mother s milk is best for any baby mammal and prior to attempting to bottle feed a kitten with supplemental formulas it is recommended to seek out nursing cat that could take the place of the absent or unable mother. If it has a sharp smell like bad cooking oil cheese or chemicals it is rancid and dangerous to give to the kittens. If the orphaned kitten develops diarrhea reduce the formula volume.

Once the formula passes the skin temperature test you are ready to feed the kitten. However sometimes things go wrong and the kittens may be orphaned or rejected by their mother. Once opened kitten milk replacement formula canned or powdered must be refrigerated promptly and stored in the refrigerator. Mix the wet food with water until it achieves a soupy consistency and consider warming the mixture before serving.

An orphaned kitten should only drink a kitten milk replacer. At that point you can mix the kitten formula with baby food into a gruel and try to get the kittens to lap it up from a dish or a spoon. If you re taking care of an orphaned feline human formula isn t the best food for her. Do not use any type of formula past the expiration date.

These homemade recipes can help you feed the kittens. It is recommended that you warm kitten milk replacer to approximately 100 f 38 c before feeding but be careful not to overheat it. Keep the kitten in a natural feeding position on its belly and offer warm formula every three to four hours until the kitten begins to wean to solid food. If you find young kittens that have been abandoned or whose mom isn t able to nurse them you ll need to bottle feed them formula yourself.

You should stick with a kitten milk replacement to ensure her long term health but in a pinch human baby formula may tide you over until you can make it to the pet store. Kittens should eat about eight milliliters of formula per ounce of body weight a day.