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Be
sure that the kittens nurse within the first 2-6 hours following birth.
This provides the antibodies which fight disease in the kitten
for the first 6-8 weeks of life. These
antibodies are ONLY absorbed during the first few hours of birth.
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Maintain
a warm environment. Room
temperature should be maintained at a minimum of 72 degrees F.
Remember that it’s about 10 degrees colder on the floor (since
heat rises) than at eye level. Avoid
drafts and keep warm. Dampness
and chilling can be FATAL to young kittens. Recommend
placing a heating pad set on LOW temperature underneath 1/3 to ½ of the
nesting box. Do NOT place
heating pad in direct contact with the kittens.
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A
properly nourished kitten sleeps most of the time, stays quiet, and has
a full stomach. Kittens
should sleep, wake up, cry, feed, and go back to sleep.
Extended crying is not normal and may be a sign of problems:
such as no milk available in the breasts, infected milk
(mastitis), the mother cat not letting the kittens nurse, or a problem
with the kitten being able to nurse properly.
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Eyes
usually open at 10-14 days of age.
Swollen eyes or discharges should be reported to us when
observed.
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Kittens
should be brought to the hospital at 3 weeks of age for routine
deworming of intestinal parasites.
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Begin
weaning the kittens at 3-4 weeks of age.
Recommend mixing kitten food with warm water and milk replacer to
achieve a watery gruel. As
the kittens begin eating this better, you can slowly make the
consistency of the gruel thicker and thicker.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that the kittens be able to nurse the mother
cat until they are eating solid food readily.
They can be allowed to nurse the female until 6-8 weeks of age.
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The
size and weight of the kittens should be monitored daily, with all of
them gaining approximately the same amount of weight daily.
If one or two kittens are much smaller than the others, or are
not growing as rapidly, the mother may be pushing them away and refusing
to nurse them. Recommend that you supplement the feedings of these kittens
with kitten milk replacer. DO
NOT use human or baby milk.
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Vaccinations
are recommended at 6-8 weeks of age.
The kittens do have some protective antibodies from the mother,
but this may not be a strong enough protection against diseases like
Feline Leukemia and some upper respiratory diseases.
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Observe
the mother cat and kittens for the presence of fleas.
On very small kittens, even 5-6 fleas can cause serious blood
loss. Contact our office for instructions on flea treatment for the
mother and her offspring.
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Be
sure that the bedding and nesting area are cleaned daily to help prevent
infection.
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It
is recommended that kittens are kept with the mother and each other
until 8 weeks of age.
