Caring for a kitten without a cat at home

It can be a little overwhelming to bring a young kitten into your home when there isn’t a mother cat present. You’ll need to step in to provide all of the care that kittens need because they rely on their mothers for food, warmth, and comfort.

You will be the one feeding, warming, and watching over a kitten in the absence of its mother, making sure it stays safe and healthy. Fortunately, you can support your kitten’s growth and development into a healthy adult cat by taking the appropriate steps.

The fundamentals of caring for a kitten, from bottle-feeding to creating a comfortable environment, will be covered in this guide. You can provide the best start in life for your kitten with a little perseverance and care.

Task	Description
Feeding	Use kitten formula for newborns. Feed every 2-3 hours with a small bottle or syringe.
Warmth	Keep the kitten in a warm spot with blankets or a heating pad on a low setting.
Toileting	Gently massage the kitten"s belly and bottom after meals to help with digestion and bathroom needs.
Hygiene	Use a soft cloth to clean the kitten if needed, especially after feeding.
Socialization	Handle the kitten regularly to help it adjust to human interaction.

Essentials

You should purchase a litter box with filler, food bowls, a scratching post, toys, grooming supplies, bedding, and a carrier before bringing a newborn or adult kitten home. The majority of these supplies are also required for caring for an adult cat, so you should handle their selection carefully.

Litter box

A small kitten requires a home toilet, even if it is anticipated that it will eventually walk outside. The tray will continue to be the permanent location where the adult pet relieves himself every day if he stays inside. As a result, the toilet container should be easy to use and maintain at first. There are two categories for all contemporary tray models: closed and open. The latter’s design makes assumptions about whether filler is present or not.

A grate-equipped open tray is not loaded with absorbent material. They let you cut down on filler costs. However, these toilets need to be cleaned frequently; otherwise, a particular odor will build up in the home. Since most materials have adsorption qualities, the issue mostly goes away if the container is filled with filler.

Trays that are closed up resemble houses. Special fillers are used for them, ones that don’t leave paw marks and absorb urine odor. Closing the toilet makes it aesthetically pleasing and eliminates the unpleasant stench of cat poop, making it a convenient addition to any home. A closed tray’s bulky size is one of its distinguishing features, so it can be challenging to locate in an apartment. The high cost of these products is another conditional drawback.

A newborn needs to be weaned on the toilet from the very beginning; delaying this education until "later" can lead to unintended issues.

Litter for the tray

The tray’s cat litters have different contents. Their appearance and mode of operation are determined by this. The toilet material is separated into two categories based on the latter criterion: clumping and absorbent. Clumps are formed when clumping filler particles adhere to one another when wet. A fresh portion is then added to the container after they are removed. Every five to seven days, this type of filler is completely replaced. Although the makeup of clumping varieties varies, clay minerals are typically present:

It is advised to use clumping clay filler only after the kitten has reached adulthood. This makes sense because babies tend to taste everything, and lumps of minerals that end up in the stomach can be harmful. Furthermore, moist particles adhere to the paws. A filler composed of ground corn cobs, paper, and wood is preferable for small cats. Such lumps emerge spontaneously from the intestines without endangering health.

Unlike ordinary sand, absorbent filler is made up of large or small granules with a high capacity for adsorption. The material quickly absorbs the liquid after it gets wet, leaving the tray’s bottom dry. The material’s composition can vary greatly:

• clay minerals;
• blotters (clay with paper);
• wood granules;
• wood shavings;
• silica gel;
• corn granules.

Whenever a kitten needs to use the restroom, this type of material is replaced. The kitten’s preferences also play a role in the filler selection process, in addition to the properties of the individual parts. If a young cat rejects the material for whatever reason, it might be worth experimenting with a different kind.

Choosing a place for the toilet

The tray is typically used in the restroom or on the toilet. In this instance, the accessory’s smell and unappealing appearance after the cat visited have been resolved. However, in this instance, it’s important to make sure that a small pet can always access the restroom. The container may occasionally be positioned in the hallway. A person may not always find this comfortable, but cats find it convenient. A closed tray is the situation’s compromise.

Claw

Cats with growing claws require regular honing. Damage to the home’s upholstered furniture is possible if the claw is not ready. A variety of tools are used to assist cats in satisfying their claw-sharpening reflex. It could be a vertical column with a sisaler thread wound around it or a board that is affixed to the wall and covered in a soft, thick cloth. The baby should be able to reach the claws’ working area at a reasonable height.

It is advised to introduce the kitten to this item first and to place its paws on a rough surface in order to help it get used to it. You can also use a cat’s mint as a home sharpener. The kitten will be drawn to the gadget by its pleasant scent, and it will eventually grow accustomed to using this location for sharpening its claws.

Dishes

Choosing three bowls for feeding is required by the guidelines for taking care of a kitten. Water is meant to be used in the first, dry food in the second, and liquid or wet food in the third. The owner has the final say over the quality of the material used to make the dishes. Glass, ceramics, metal, and plastic can all be used. What matters most is that the bowls are sturdy and free of cracks and chips.

The stability of the containers is another prerequisite. When a cat is eating, a sliding bowl on the floor will make them uncomfortable. Select plates with a stable platform and an anti-slip coating on the rim or surface to prevent discomfort.

Make sure the plastic dishes you purchase don’t release any harmful substances (phthalates), as these can cause acne in cats.

Toys

Since fluffy crumbs enjoy playing, it’s important to have a selection of toys and entertainment ready for them. Both manufactured and handcrafted items are appropriate for play. A vast array of jumping, rolling, and moving toys can be found in pet stores. It is crucial that they fulfill a number of conditions.

First of all, the toy shouldn’t be too tiny because an untrained infant could swallow it. Second, the only toys a weak kitten can play with are light objects. Thirdly, the item shouldn’t be overly tough to prevent the developing cat from biting through it and breaking its teeth.

Purchase sound toys for your kitten if it must play by itself; they will give it a sense of feedback.

Hygiene and grooming items

Kittens of all ages must practice good hygiene. Bathing, brushing the ears and eyes, and combing the fur are all part of kitten care. Don’t disregard the animal’s claws and teeth. It is essential to have a set of instruments and resources ready for every care task.

You will need combs in the shape of a brush, comb, or mitten to maintain the cat’s fur in top condition. The set also includes a mat cutter and a slicker brush for long-haired pets. Cats with short hair are combed once a week, while those with long hair may be combed three times. Every day during molting, this process is repeated.

Purchase a hypoallergenic shampoo (ideally with a conditioner effect) from detergents. These toiletries ought to be prepared for the baby when the time comes for bathing. Grooming sprays also help to maintain the fur in a neat and attractive state. They help to remove dirt from hair, simplify combing, and eliminate the need for water procedures.

You will need hydrogen peroxide, cotton pads, and sticks to take care of a kitten. Once a month, the baby’s ears are cleaned with the aid of these accessories.

Caring for newborn kittens

Sleep. A newborn kitten requires constant attention, particularly if its mother cat is absent. There should be a warm bed in its "nest." Use a warm heating pad for this. It is put in the baby’s sleeping basket or box. A cloth napkin wrapped around a plastic bottle of warm (about 36–38 degrees) water could serve as a substitute. The temperature drops to 28 degrees after two weeks, and to 24 degrees after a further week. Providing a heated bed for a kitten, whether it is a small sphinx or any other hairless member of the feline family, is vitally important.

Nourishment. If a mother cat nurse her kittens, they won’t start eating natural food until the fourth week of life. It’s a little harder to care for a newborn kitten who has been abandoned by its mother. Even at night, the infant should be fed every 2.5 hours. Use a pipette or a bottle with a swollen nipple on the end to feed it. Every feeding results in the sterilization of the container and the preparation of a fresh serving of milk food. The special cat milk substitute that pet stores sell is fed to the orphan. Rice broth can be used as a temporary feeding solution.

Hygiene. Around the eighth day of life, kittens open their eyes. If this event is delayed, you need to contact a veterinarian. With the help of a simple procedure, he will help the eyelids open. On the 14-15th day, kittens already hear fully, and by the 20th day they begin to move independently. At this time, caring for a kitten consists of simple hygiene procedures that are aimed at preventing inflammation. If a kitten grows without a mother, then to simulate licking, wrap it in a damp linen napkin and gently massage its tummy. Such a massage improves the digestion of a newborn kitten and helps it go to the toilet.

Caring for a month-old kitten

Nourishment. The kitten weighs 240–260 grams by the fifth week. Starting in the fourth week, the feeding interval should be 3–4 hours in order for the weight gain to be physiological. Only during the day is food served. A month-old kitten’s diet consists of milk, lean beef, turkey, kitten food in cans, and vegetable puree. Babies cannot yet chew food, so all solid ingredients must be ground to a homogenous consistency.

Restroom. You can place a tray next to the bed after a month. After every meal, the infant must be put back in the container. You can first fill the tray with disposable, absorbent diapers. Filler is poured in their place after a while. Making sure the kitten doesn’t consume lumps and granules from the tray is crucial.

Cleanliness. You cannot yet bathe a cat that is one month old. Regular eye and ear cleanings and examinations are part of grooming procedures. Use a cotton pad soaked in warm water for this. Kittens will occasionally rip in the morning. Regular washing with water will suffice if the discharge does not contain any suspicious purulent impurities.

Taking good care of a small kitten means paying attention to its gums. When teething, you should apply a pain reliever gel if they are swollen and red.

How to care for two-month-old kittens

Nourishment. The grown pet is moved to a more expansive menu as of the second month. Lean meats (beef, turkey, and chicken), seafood, fermented dairy products, vegetables, and cereal porridge are all included. Don’t feed the kitten bones, fatty whole milk, pasta, potatoes, or river fish. Dishes that are spicy, smoked, or salty are not included.

If you select prepared food, it ought to be labeled "for kittens." During this time, you should feed five to six times a day. A two-month-old kitten puts on a lot of weight, reaching a mark of 680–900 grams on the scale.

Toilet: The tray is fixed in place permanently. At this age, the cat still has poor orientation and lacks the habit of using a specific location for potty breaks. As a result, the owner’s job is to help the kitten get used to its new situation. This is accomplished by manually placing the pet in the tray. You can use specialty sprays sprayed directly onto the filler to draw attention.

Cleanliness. The same protocols apply to the care of a kitten at two months of age. This involves using cotton pads to clean the ears, rinsing the eyes with boiling water, and using special brushes to brush the fur. Kittens are ready for baths at two months old. The use of water procedures is limited to once every four to five weeks.

Immunization. The cat is first immunized when it is two months old. Immunizations aid in defending the still-fragile body against rabies, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and plague. A component against chlamydia is present in certain polyvalent vaccines. The pet needs to have worms and ectoparasites treated beforehand.

Scooping. A young cat can be chipped as early as two months of age, though vets think it’s possible to do so sooner because implanting a microchip beneath the skin has no negative effects on the pet’s wellbeing. All of the cat’s information, including its name, address, and date of birth, is stored on a tiny microcircuit.

It can be difficult to care for a kitten without its mother, but if you take the right approach, you can give it everything it needs to grow up strong and healthy. During this process, patience and attention to detail are crucial.

You can support the kitten’s growth by making sure it is fed appropriately, kept warm, and has a secure environment. Remember to seek advice from a veterinarian regarding nutrition plans, shots, and any health issues.

You can raise a happy, well-adjusted kitten that will make a wonderful companion for years to come with love, care, and a little knowledge.

It takes time, warmth, and care to raise a kitten without a mother at home. The kitten needs to be fed with a specific milk substitute, kept warm with cozy blankets, and given constant attention to keep it tidy and comfortable. A secure and peaceful environment, along with consistent feeding and handling, will support the kitten’s growth and well-being.

Video on the topic

Rescuing newborn kittens. Kittens are looking for a home / SANI vlog

How to care for kittens without a cat in the first 3 weeks

5 features in caring for a cat. Part 1

HOW TO RAISE A KITTEN