Feeding your kittens

For healthy kittens

Stimulate to go to the bathroom before feeding. This will help rouse the kittens and get them more ravenous, as well as “make space” when they defecate so they can eat a full meal without feeling full too early.

Feed until they act full (see below)

• <80g preemie: Feed formula ~8x a day (every 2-3hrs) until they weigh 100g. If unable to bottle feed, contact the med team. The kitten will need to be tube fed.

• <3-4wk old bottle kittens: feed formula ~6x daily (once overnight)

• 3-4wk old transition kittens: transition to gruel slowly, feed 5x daily (once overnight)

If failure to gain weight x 48hrs, or weight loss x 24hrs, check for signs of illness and start Force Feeding Plan (see below). 

How to know a kitten is full

• Bottle kittens: pushing the bottle away, turning head away, no longer swallowing. Breaking the latch could mean they are full, or it could mean “pressure” is in the bottle (loosen the nipple ¼ turn to let air in). 

  • Circle feed - Give 1 kitten the bottle until they act “full.” Put them back in the nest, move on to the next kitten. At the end, go back to kitten 1 and offer it again. Go through each kitten and do that. 

• Transition Kittens: Once canines start coming in, offer gruel on a plate, stick their nose in it, rub it on their tongue, help them explore it. After a few minutes of trying gruel, bottle feed formula until they act full. Can circle feed (letting them roam around the gruel in between bottle feedings). 

Weigh all kittens twice daily around the same time of day each time 

Compare weights over ~24hr time periods to determine if losing or failing to gain weight. Weight loss or failure to gain from one meal to the next can be normal, but watch for trends over a 24hr period to see if intervention is necessary.

Managing overnight timing

Feed right before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up in the morning to keep the time period between meals as short as possible overnight, especially in kittens <6wks or not eating dry/wet food on their own between meals. 

For kittens that need fed once in the night, keep kittens near you so they can wake you up with their meows and you can just feed them naturally when they ask. If that’s not possible, set an alarm to wake up once at the mid-point in the night. Sleep is critical to kitten health, so allowing them to wake you up is preferable to you waking them up. 

Kittens that need a force feeding plan

Force Feeding Plan for weight loss/failure to gain weight

1. Always check kittens for signs of illness (diarrhea, wet tail, etc) if they are failing to gain weight for 48hrs, or losing weight for 24hrs, and fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form if seen. 

2. In addition, start the force-feeding plan as follows (don’t wait to hear back from the med team, just go ahead and start):

   1. Implement “weigh-feed-weigh-force feed”

   2. If they don’t make their percentage minimum on their own, syringe feed them whatever food they are on. 

• 0-3wk olds (strictly formula kittens) get force fed to 3% body weight 6x daily

• 3-4wk olds (transition kittens) get force fed to 4% body weight 5x daily (formula or syringe gruel)

For healthy kittens

Stimulate to go to the bathroom before feeding. This will help rouse the kittens and get them more ravenous, as well as “make space” when they defecate so they can eat a full meal without feeling full too early.

Feed until they act full:

• 3-4wk old transition kittens: transition to gruel slowly, feed 5x daily (once overnight)

If failure to gain weight x 48hrs, or weight loss x 24hrs, check for signs of illness and start Force Feeding Plan (see below). 

How to know a kitten is full

• Transition Kittens: Once canines start coming in, offer gruel on a plate, stick their nose in it, rub it on their tongue, help them explore it. After a few minutes of trying gruel, bottle feed formula until they act full. Can circle feed (letting them roam around the gruel in between bottle feedings). 

Weigh all kittens twice daily around the same time of day each time 

Compare weights over ~24hr time periods to determine if losing or failing to gain weight. Weight loss or failure to gain from one meal to the next can be normal, but watch for trends over a 24hr period to see if intervention is necessary.

Managing overnight timing

Feed right before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up in the morning to keep the time period between meals as short as possible overnight, especially in kittens <6wks or not eating dry/wet food on their own between meals. 

Kittens that need a force feeding plan

Force Feeding Plan for weight loss/failure to gain weight

1. Always check kittens for signs of illness (diarrhea, wet tail, etc) if they are failing to gain weight for 48hrs, or losing weight for 24hrs, and fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form if seen. 

2. In addition, start the force-feeding plan as follows (don’t wait to hear back from the med team, just go ahead and start):

   1. Implement “weigh-feed-weigh-force feed”

   2. If they don’t make their percentage minimum on their own, syringe feed them whatever food they are on. 

• 3-4wk olds (transition kittens) get force fed to 4% body weight 5x daily (formula or syringe gruel)

For healthy kittens

• 4-6wk old gruel: feed gruel 4x daily, offer dry food, plain wet food, and a bowl of water (can go through the night w/o feeding)

• 6wk+: should be eating dry food +/- plain wet food 

If failure to gain weight x 48hrs, or weight loss x 24hrs, check for signs of illness and start Force Feeding Plan (see below). 

Gruel Recipe for kittens eating off a plate = one 3oz can kitten food + 10mL water 

How to know a kitten is full

Gruel Kittens: Continue offering gruel on a plate, helping them find it. Make sure they are actively eating it. Put blobs on their tongue. Ensure all kittens have equal access to gruel, including smaller siblings. Separate plates, or even physically separating voracious eaters, may be necessary, especially if any kittens are failing to gain weight from day to day. 

Weigh all kittens twice daily around the same time of day each time 

Compare weights over ~24hr time periods to determine if losing or failing to gain weight. Weight loss or failure to gain from one meal to the next can be normal, but watch for trends over a 24hr period to see if intervention is necessary.

Managing overnight timing

Feed right before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up in the morning to keep the time period between meals as short as possible overnight, especially in kittens <6wks or not eating dry/wet food on their own between meals.

Kittens that need a force feeding plan

Force Feeding Plan for weight loss/failure to gain weight

1. Always check kittens for signs of illness (diarrhea, wet tail, etc) if they are failing to gain weight for 48hrs, or losing weight for 24hrs, and fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form. 

2. In addition, start the force-feeding plan as follows (don’t wait to hear back from the med team, just go ahead and start):

   1. Implement “weigh-feed-weigh-force feed”

   2. If they don’t make their percentage minimum on their own, syringe feed them whatever food they are on. 

4-8wk olds (gruel kittens) get fed to 4% body weight 4x daily (use special FF gruel recipe)

Gruel recipe for force feeding = one 3oz can kitten food + 1 scoop of dry formula + 15mL water, blended. Adding formula ensures enough calories for the kittens. You cannot leave this type of gruel in a cage with a kitten for hours (it goes bad because of the formula in it). You should leave regular gruel/plain wet food with them between feedings though in case they decide to try and eat.

Do this x 3 days. If still not gaining after 48hrs, or if still losing weight another 24hrs, fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form.

If they start eating on their own and gaining weight from one day to the next again, okay to discontinue the force feeding plan.

If you're not sure whether your kittens are ready to make the transition to more independence, please reach out to your mentor at bbfostermentor@austinpestalive.org and send them your weight charts. They can help! 

Kittens that need a force feeding plan

Force Feeding Plan for weight loss/failure to gain weight

1. Always check kittens for signs of illness (diarrhea, wet tail, etc) if they are failing to gain weight for 48hrs, or losing weight for 24hrs, and fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form if seen. 

2. In addition, start the force-feeding plan as follows (don’t wait to hear back from the med team, just go ahead and start):

   1. Implement “weigh-feed-weigh-force feed”

   2. If they don’t make their percentage minimum on their own, syringe feed them whatever food they are on. 

4-8wk olds (gruel kittens) get fed to 4% body weight 4x daily (use special FF gruel recipe)

Gruel recipe for force feeding = one 3oz can kitten food + 1 scoop of dry formula + 15mL water, blended. Adding formula ensures enough calories for the kittens. You cannot leave this type of gruel in a cage with a kitten for hours (it goes bad because of the formula in it). You should leave regular gruel/plain wet food with them between feedings though in case they decide to try and eat.

Do this x 3 days. If still not gaining after 48hrs, or if still losing weight another 24hrs, fill out the Neonatal Medical Request Form.

If they start eating on their own and gaining weight from one day to the next again, okay to discontinue the force feeding plan.

If you're not sure whether your kittens are ready to make the transition to more independence, please reach out to your mentor at bbfostermentor@austinpestalive.org and send them your weight charts. They can help! 

• 5 to 6 weeks old: every 6 to 8 hours, with one 8 hour break overnight

Feeding instructions: 

• ­ IMPORTANT; Always first give your kitten the opportunity to eat independently! Offer kitten warmed up gruel and kibble in separate plates or shallow bowls. If the kitten shows no interest after a while, proceed with syringe feeding.

• With a syringe in your dominant hand, use your non-dominant index finger and thumb to grip the kitten’s head at their temples. Tilt kitten’s head back at about a 45-degree angle, using your palm to gently guide the kitten into a seated position.

• Draw warmed syringe gruel (microwave to a bit above lukewarm temp – no more than a few seconds at a time) into 10mL syringe.

• Insert syringe into side of kitten’s mouth. Do not put syringe directly in front of kitten’s mouth (even if they try to position themselves this way!) as kitten could very easily choke.

• ­ Slowly plunge syringe gruel into kitten’s mouth, removing the syringe every few seconds to allow them to swallow.

• ­ Always thoroughly clean off any gruel on the kitten’s fur. Dry kitten off well.

Usually the easiest group of them all! Mom does most of the work, most of the time, but fosters with kitty families still need to be prepared to supplement kittens if they are not gaining weight by nursing/eating on their own. We expect fosters with nursing families to be willing and able to supplement the kittens up to twice a day, whether with a bottle or with gruel. Kittens should gain weight every 24 hour period. If they are not gaining, please email your mentor at bbfostermentor@austinpetsalive.org so that they can advise whether your kittens need to be supplemented with hand feedings.