Orphaned kitten care involves a combination of common sense and the correct information on such subjects as bottle feeding before weaning age and being aware of potential health problems orphaned kittens are susceptible to.

A kitten may need hand raising because the mother has died, become ill, rejected the kittens or abandoned them.

In the case of feral cats, the kittens may have been taken from the mother for taming. First try finding a foster feline mother.

Fostering Orphaned Kittens

Call your local vet, cat organizations, or breeders if they have any available cats to adopt the kittens.

Generally fostering needs to occur as soon as the foster cat has kittens, she will be more likely to adopt. Applying butter to the kittens and the foster queen will lick it off, she will assume the kittens as her own.

Warmth and First Aid

As soon as you find an orphaned kitten it must be protected from becoming chilled. Place it under your clothes next to your skin.

Most of the young kitten's energy is needed for growth and yelling for more food, so there's not a lot left over for heat generation.

Normally the mother cat and litter mates would provide a good deal of warmth. During their first week, kittens should be kept between 88 and 92 degrees F. For the next two weeks they still need temperatures of 80 degrees or so. When they reach five weeks or so they can tolerate a lower room temperature.

If possible, take the orphaned kitten to a veterinarian to be checked out for dehydration and general condition. Kittens can become dehydrated very quickly without a mum and may need fluids under the skin.

Kittens that are dehydrated from lack of fluids or diarrhea will have very little energy or appetite, so this is important to take care of immediately. Stools should be checked for worms and parasites. The vet can supply a lot of advice on hand raising kittens as well as needed supplies.

Bottle Feeding

If you must feed the kitten yourself before weaning age, you must devote considerable energy and weeks of constant orphaned kitten care if it is to have a good chance of survival.

Use a sterilized bottle and nipple.Use milk powder, adding double of what is required for human babies with water or evaporated canned milk adding double of what is required for human babies with water.

Warm the formula to body temperature. Put the bottle in the microwave for ~10 seconds and test on your skin. All utensils should be sterilized before each feeding.

To feed your kitten, place it stomach down on a towel or other textured surface to which it can cling. Open its mouth gently with the tip of your finger, then slip the nipple between its jaws. To prevent air from entering the kitten's stomach, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle.

Let the kitten suck the fluid at its own pace, otherwise you can fill its lungs with milk and cause pneumonia.

If a suckling kitten aspirates formula into its lungs, immediately hold it upside down until the choking subsides. If the kitten is not strong enough to suckle, seek veterinary assistance ASAP.

Feed small kittens every three to four hours. As they get older every six to eight hours will be enough. A kitten needs approximately eight cc's of formula per ounce of body weight per day.

After each meal, burp the kitten by holding it upright against your shoulder, patting it lightly on the back. Do not overfeed kittens, as this can bring on diarrhea as well as other problems.

If your kitten refuses to suckle, try rubbing his/her forehead vigorously or stroke its back (this is what the mother does when cleaning the kittens and often stimulates the kitten to nurse).

Kittens should gain ½ ounce every day for their first couple of weeks. A good way to monitor their health is to weigh them daily. Use a small kitchen scale.

Love and Attention

Besides food and warmth the orphaned kitten needs emotional closeness. Pet it frequently and let it snuggle against your warm skin.

Some experts believe that hand-raised kittens show higher intelligence, greater loyalty and deeper affection for their owners.

Cat trainers also recommend lots of handling for kittens and swear that this makes them easier to train. Some experts argue that no adequate parental substitute for the natural mother cat exists.

Health Problems

Orphaned kittens are especially vulnerable to diseases. At the first sign of any abnormal behavior or loss of appetite, take them to the veterinarian.

Colds, like upper respiratory infections, are caused by various viruses and claim many kittens each year. Some of these same viruses, or an organism known as Chlamydia, can also cause permanent damage to kittens' eyes.

If bacteria invade the infected eye the organisms can puncture the tough covering, resulting in blindness. Even a lesser infection can leave the eyeball badly scarred.

Diarrhea can result from disease, food changes, worms, or overfeeding. The resulting dehydration can be deadly.

Distemper is also a chronic danger to young cats, especially those who did not have the advantage of the mother cat's antibodies. It is airborne, very contagious, and often a killer.

Fleas

Abandoned orphaned kittens will need to be cleaned and rid of fleas soon after they are found. Flea anemia can hamper any attempt to save the kitten and fleas carry tape worm eggs.

The vet will carry flea sprays suitable for use on kittens. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for use on kittens.

After using the spray place the kitten on a towel that can be removed with the dead and dying fleas 20 to 30 minutes later.

After the spray has rid the kitten of fleas, bathe the kitten in gentle soap or surgical soap if flea sores are present, making sure to prevent chilling the kitten. Dry the kitten immediately.

One to three week old kittens can be dried carefully with a hair dryer. (Be careful to avoid blowing in their faces.)

Older kittens are frequently frightened by the blowing and noise, so towel dry them as best you can and place them in a container that is in a warm place (like next to a refrigerator).

You may also try putting the towel-dried kitten in a pet carrier and aiming the blow-dryer into the carrier where the warm air will gently circulate to dry the kitten.