Newborn Kitten Care

Dear Simba, Our outside cat just had 5 kittens and 3 were born dead. The other 2 are now 36 hours old. They are inside and are in a big box with towels. Their mother sometimes leaves them and I worry that they get too cold. Can I use a heating pad or a warm towel/blanket? Also, one of the kittens has bloody mucus around its mouth (he does not seem to be injured). I do not understand what it might be. Please help! — Carol

Dear Carol,
Yes, use a heating pad or a warm towel/blanket. Very young kittens (less than 1-week-old) should be kept between 88-92 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Please keep the little guys in a room with no draft
• Feed them with an eye-dropper or nursing bottle (see emergency feeding for a schedule).
• Place them on their tummies
• Open the mouths with your fingertips
• Place the eyedropper/ nipple at a 45 degree angle between the jaws (the angle keeps air out)
• Keep a light pull to promote sucking.

If one of the kittens gets air in its lungs, hold it upside down until any coughing or choking goes away.

The kittens are very fragile and need a lot of care. As for the bloody mucus, these can be anything from a viral to a bacterial infection. Please read through notes on sneezing / watery eyes for more information. Best thing to do to keep them alive is to take them to a vet to be checked out. Also, do not forget to have momma cat spayed. Many local animal organizations have free spay & neuter programs for stray cats. Your Pal, Simba

Simba, I am taking care of 2 orphaned kittens that my husband JUST found in an old car at his auto repair shop. They are just opening their eyes, so we think they are probably around 2-weeks-old. The feeding process is going fine. My main concern right now is grooming. I have been trying to clean them regularly with a warm, wet cloth to remove any urine or feces from their bottom and on their tummies, but it does not seem to be working very well. What is the best way to take care of this problem? — Mousey

Dear Mousey, – The best way to groom little kittens is to mimic the cleaning of mom cats. Use a barely damp washcloth and clean them all over their bodies with short strokes. In addition to keeping the little ones clean, it teaches the kittens how to groom themselves. Do this after each feeding, as this also stimulates bowel movements and is very important to their good health. Simba

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Dear Simba,
My 5-week-old kitty does not want to eat. He eats about 1/2 ounces every 4-6 hours. It is active at times and other times sleeps a lot. How can you tell if a kitten has a fever, seems like it shivers and chills at times. I do warm the formula? — Concerned

Dear Concerned,
Young kittens rely on their mother’s warmth until 5 weeks or so. Prior to that age, they need to be kept at 80 degrees. Be sure you are covering the kitten with a blanket and allowing him to get cozy. Heating pads, if used carefully can help out. Check out the feeding schedule and other information in the Feeding Kittens section. Also, make sure that the formula(#Ad) is not too hot when you feed him (try to serve at room temperature). If you see or have seen any signs like lethargy or odd colored stools take your kitty to see a vet. Simba

Simba,
I would like to share a tip for keeping kittens warm with your readers:

I use a warm/hot water bottle for my new kitten of 5 weeks. I fill it up with warm, not hot, tap water and place it under a blanket in her sleeping place. She cuddles right up to it and sleeps “like a baby.” Also to help her sleep, I have put in a small clock that ticks to give her comfort of possibly a mother’s heart beat. Both seem to do the trick, she sleeps all night long. The water bottles are safe and inexpensive. — Jennie

Dear Jennie,
Thanks for the tip. Readers, be sure to keep the seal tight on the bottle. Simba

Follow-up
Another reader writes: I use a 1-liter soda bottle filled with hot water wrapped in a towel. Moet loves it and snuggles right in. — TS

How do I tell if my kitten has fever? His tummy feels really warm, and do not know if this is normal. The kitten is 4-months-old and was neutered 3 weeks ago, when he was also de-clawed. The vet checked him out and said everything was normal. How do I take his temperature? — V

Dear V,
You can take your kitten’s temperature by using a digital infant thermometer and lubricating the end of it. You then gently insert the tip of it in the kitten’s anus and wait for the thermometer to beep indicating it has taken the temperature. Your kitten’s body temperature should range between 99-102 degrees Fahrenheit. Check out the General Health section of Simba’s Letters if you find that kitty has a fever. Keep me posted. Simba

PS Given that kitty has been de-clawed watch out for infections in the paws and make sure he remains an indoor kitty.

Hi,
My family and I recently purchased an 8-week-old kitten. He breathes very very very fast. His stomach moves up and down pretty rapidly when he sleeps. Is this normal for young kittens, and what is the usual speed of breathing? — A caring owner (Ozzie’s Mum! – I am 14)

Dear Ozzie’s Mum,
First, congratulations on getting a kitten! I hope you enjoy him. It sounds already like you will be a caring mum for Ozzie. As for his breathing, kittens breathe anywhere from 20 to 30 times per minute. Because they are small, you can usually see their chest rising up and down. If you find that Ozzie is breathing at a rate much faster than 30 times per minute, bring it up at your next vet visit. Otherwise, he is probably ok. Keep me posted, Simba

(See Kitten Eyes page for more detailed information).

Dear Simba,
I am fairly new to the world of cats. However I am madly in love with the three adult cats we have in our home. I also have 2 1-year-old cats that live in our garage. We now have five kittens from one of the outside cats we did not have spayed. My kittens are 17-days-old and 3 out of the 5 have not yet opened their eyes. What should I do? Thank you and the kittens say thank you too! — Barb

Dear Barb,
Congratulations on the kittens! As you know, kittens are born with their eyes closed. They usually open when the kittens are between 8 and 14-days-old. The eyes will stay blue for 2 more weeks. If you notice any swelling or bulging under the eyelids, you should open them gently with a cotton ball dampened with warm water (DO NOT use Q-tips). If you see pus dripping from the eyes, it is probably an infection and the kittens should see a vet. If the eyes remain shut after 14 days, your vet should look at them. Other things to look for:

• At 2 weeks of age, the kittens should be alert and be making attempts to stand up.
• At 3 weeks, they try to climb outside of their box or pen.
• At 4 weeks, all of the kittens should be walking, running and playing.

On a side note, with the number of kittens you are taking care of, I think you might have a full house! It might be worthwhile to have your cats spayed or neutered to prevent overpopulation since hundreds of thousands of cats end up euthanized every year. Best of luck and keep me posted. Simba

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Dear Simba, We have a 2 1/2 week-old kitten which still has its umbilical cord attached! I am starting to worry. Should this have fallen off already? — Hanging by a String

Dear Hanging by a String,
Mother cats usually remove their kitten’s umbilical cords shortly after birth, by licking off the cord along with the afterbirth. Small pieces of the cord may remain for a little while but usually fall off after a couple of hours.

In your case, you can do one of two things. Carefully detach the cord by rubbing on the kitten’s tummy with a warm, wet cloth as the mother cat would have done or go to your vet and have him/her do it for you. I do not recommend that you cut the cord with a sharp object, given kitten’s tendency to shift about, which could cause an accident harming you or the kitten. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
My cat is due to give birth in 3 to 4 weeks. How long after the birth should I to wait before I can handle the kittens? I have been told that it varies between 1 to 3 weeks! Can you help? — Sam

Dear Sam,
The age at which you should handle kittens varies with the condition of the kittens and the mother. Ideally, kittens are cared for by their mother. When momma cat is taking care of things you should not handle the kittens until they are at least 2-weeks-old and then only under the mother cat’s supervision. If the kittens are orphaned, you are now the mother and you need to care for them and feed them.

As to how to handle the kittens, hold them gently for only a 10-15 minutes at a time, and do so in the company of the mother since her presence reassures the kittens and the mother cat too (see Mother’s Behavior for more). Remember that human children or household pets should not be left alone with small kittens.

The first 4 to 8 weeks of a kitten’s life are very important. Handling and petting the kittens will make them more sociable creatures. At this age, be sure to leave them plenty of toys for them to play with (rolled tin foil and wads of paper work great). Avoid using your hands, fingers, feet or clothing when you play with them as this only