Feeding kittens may need to be done as a supplement when a mother cat does not feed her kittens adequately. Bottle feeding kittens is usually needed when kittens have become orphaned or when the mother cat rejected a kitten. Kittens need to be bottle-fed for the first four weeks of life. Similar to human babies, newborn kittens need to be fed around the clock to ensure proper cat health care.
It's important to feed kittens formula that is specially formulated for kittens. Kitten milk replacement can be found at your local pet store. The most common kitten milk replacement is KMR. When feeding newborn kittens, it is best to use a bottle made for kittens. These can be found in the store near the kitten milk replacement. The milk replacement comes in a liquid or powder form. The powdered form is mixed with water to make a liquid for feeding. The powder formulation is usually cheaper than the liquid formula. If you have to feed more than one kitten the powder formulation is a better choice. The water that is going to be mixed with the powder should be boiled and cooled before mixing with the powder.
Kittens should be fed every 2 to 3 hours. For newborn kittens, start with feeding the kitten 2 ounces and increase the amount as they grow. Refer to the milk replacement packaging for a feeding guide. Once a kitten reaches 4 weeks, it can be introduced to wet kitten food mixed with the kitten milk replacement. Once the kittens are able to eat the kitten food, and pet health is stable, wean kittens from the milk replacement.