How to Care for a Week's Old Kitten

Kittens, especially orphaned ones, require attention, love and patience. Food, warmth and social skills are the primary concerns during the first few weeks of life. Ideally a kitten would learn to fend for itself by observing its mother, but when it has been prematurely separated, kitten care is left to the owner.

Instructions

1

Determine the age of the kitten to decide which method of feeding is most appropriate. A one-week-old kitten has closed eyes and its ears remain folded over. At this age, bottle feeding is necessary.

2

Sit a feeding bottle or eyedropper of kitten milk replacement formula in a cup of hot water to warm it. Test the formula temperature on your wrist. If it feels too cold or too warm on your wrist, it will feel the same to the kitten. Adjust the temperature accordingly, either by further heating or allowing the formula to cool.

Kitten milk replacement formula is available in either powder or liquid form. This product can be purchased from various pet supply stores or from a veterinary office.

3

Place the kitten on its stomach at a 45-degree angle and allow it to nurse without restraining the head. Pulling back slightly on the bottle or dropper can help trigger the kitten's suckling reflex. Avoid squeezing the bottle or holding it straight in front of the kitten. Maintaining an upward angle prevents air from getting into the kitten's stomach. It may take a day's worth of trying for the kitten to successfully feed from the bottle or dropper. If it doesn't feed by the second day, consider consulting a veterinary professional.

4

Stimulate the kitten to excrete after feeding, as kittens typically do not void on their own until about the third week. Using a damp, lukewarm washcloth, gently massage the anal and urinary areas in small circles. Do this five to six times per day, after each feeding, until the kitten reaches three weeks of age.

5

Warm a chilled kitten by holding it against bare flesh and allowing it to absorb human body heat. Refrain from submerging a cold kitten in warm or hot water and do not feed a cold kitten until it's body heat returns to normal, between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

6

Groom the kitten without bathing it by mimicking a motherly grooming. Use a warm, barely damp washcloth to clean the kitten's entire body with soft, short strokes.

7

Provide a warm, safe environment for the kitten with a kitten box. Use a big enough box to accommodate a heating pad and an unheated area. Keep a heating pad on the low setting and covered with a towel inside the box. The kitten will move toward the heating pad when it is cold and to the unheated area when it is warm.