Handling Newborn Kittens

Many people are not sure how old a newborn kitten should be before it is handled. This as much depends on the mother as it does their age. As with dogs, your relationship with her is very important. If she is comfortable for you to be in the vicinity of the nest you can safely try to stroke the kittens. Under normal circumstances you should avoid too much handling but just enough to make them used to human contact from as young an age as possible. Never move them out of sight of the mother and if she behaves abnormally or over-anxious try again in another few days. To begin with, you may like to hold one for her to lick (as if you are assisting her with her duties) and it may also be useful to help them arrange themselves at milking or, when they are slightly older, to stop them from being so aggressive with their mother!

How to wean your kitten

Kittens can usually be started on the weaning process at three weeks of age and should be fully weaned by 6-8 weeks of age. Canned food can be mashed up and mixed with water to form gruel. Smear the gruel around your kitten's lips to encourage your kitten to lick the food off his/her lips. Some kittens will take the food as a mash but make sure there are no big chunks in the food and water mixture. Dry food can also be soaked and used to make gruel. Feed small amounts to your kitten and as often as your kitten requires and as your kitten gets older start adding less water to the mixture. Many kittens will eat dry food without it being soaked by 10-12 weeks of age while most will manage a canned kitten food at 6-8 weeks. So the key is just to be patient with your kitten and make sure that they get enough food, frequently.

Kitten Care

Caring for your kitten is essential as to ensure a strong and healthy adult life. Firstly, be sure to de-worm your kitten at approximately 4 weeks of age. Secondly, make sure that your kitten is inoculated as soon as your kitten is between 8 and 12 weeks old. Make sure to consult your vet as to what it is your kitten is being inoculated for. If it is your intention to have your kitten neutered or spayed, do consult your vet as to what the suitable age is. Kittens require a high-calorie diet packed with protein. Orphaned kittens may be fed a cat milk replacement formula every two to four hours, if they are too young to eat solid foods. Kittens shouldn’t be fed cow's milk because it doesn’t provide all of the necessary nutrients required by kittens. If your kitten is suffering from diarrhoea, it may be as a result of sugar or lactose intolerance. If your kitten does develop diarrhoea, it is best to seek advice from your vet.