How can I help a newborn kitten nurse if it is having trouble?

storm: How can I help a newborn kitten nurse if it is having trouble?
My cat just had a kitten this morning(her first litter), and the kitten has trouble finding and latching on to the teat. I’ve tried holding it up to to the teat until it latched on, and it worked, but I’m afraid that it might bother the mother if I have to keep doing this. Is there a better way to help the kitten nurse?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Jessica G
lay it on its back and get a baby bottle and feed it kitten formula that should help but don’t tip it back all the way it will choke

Answer by Sunny Clouds
I’m not an expert on cats, but I’ve taken care of a sick kitten once. Buy some alternative milk that is specifically sold for kittens. Mix it up in water, make sure it’s warm, and feed the kitten with a dropper by holding the kitten in your arms with it’s stomach facing you. Then slowly squeeze the dropper to feed it the milk. Don’t let the kittens head hang off your arm, otherwise it could choke.

Answer by snopals
Helping it find the teat is the best thing. After a couple days it should be strong enough to find it on it’s own. Kittens always go back to the same teat. You can supplemental feed with a eye dropper or pet nurser with KMR (kitten replacement milk) BUT if you do that the kitten won’t learn to nurse as quickly. The kitten will grow much better on moma cat milk.
A newborn kitten would need about 3 cc of kitten milk every 4 hours or so, if you do any bottle feeding. Weigh it. Typically 1 cc per ounce of body weight, every 4 hrs., will keep it going for a couple days until it’s nursing. Do not take the kitten away from it’s Mother. The queen will keep it clean & stimulate potty details. Kittens should stay with their Mothers until they are 10 to 12 weeks old.

Answer by Whendee
You really should just observe and allow the kitten to learn to nurse on it’s own. They all struggle latching on at first and then eventually get it. Unless it is never latching on, it should be fine. The best indicator of a kittens health is weight.

Get a scale that measures grams and weigh the kitten every day around the same time. It should always gain a few grams per day, or at least stay the same. If the kitten is losing weight, it is either sick or not getting enough milk and needs supplemented with kitten replacement milk. (this can be found in stores like Walmart or pet supply stores) Whatever you do, do not try to use cows milk or any other type of milk. It will not only not help, but it will make the kitten sick.

If you do end up needing to supplement with kitten replacement milk, do NOT lay the kitten on it’s back to feed it. It needs to be on it’s tummy, just like it would feed off of mother cat. Laying it on it’s back while feeding leaves the kitten vulnerable to choking and it may aspirate the milk.

Good luck with the kitten!!!

Answer by stella
this should not bother the mother and you should keep doing this until the kitten can do it on her own. it might take a couple of days for her to get the hang of it. if she doesn’t by then you may have to get supplies from your vet to bottle feed her.

Answer by CAT LADY
Newborn kittenshttps://www.flickr.com Newborn kittens are very fragile little creatures. They are born with eyes shut, unable to see, unable to walk or stand and totally dependent on the mother for food and care. Sometimes a mother cat is unable to care for her babies. If she is a stray, she may have been killed or unable to return to the kittens. Some mothers want to care for their kittens but are unable to care for all of them if they have a large litter. Other cats, for reasons known only to them, want nothing to do with one or more of their newborns. While most mother cats do a good job of mothering, for the ones that can’t or won’t, you will need to step in and be a surrogate mother to the newborn kittens. There are a few things that must be done each day to ensure their survival.
.Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions.Things You’ll Need:
Clean wet rags Warm water Pet feeding bottle Eye dropper Dry rags or old rugs Kitten replacement milk Soft toothbrush or flea comb Box to hold warm rags and rugs Heating pad
1
Clean the kitten after birth, if necessary. Some cats will abandon a smaller kitten or one that has a slight deformity. If this happens, make sure all the birth sac is cleaned from the kitten starting with the area around the face so it can breathe. Use a cloth that has been dipped in warm water and wrung out completely to clean the kitten or kittens. If the kittens have already been cleaned by the mother before needing care, then they will need to be warmed.

2

Keep kittens warmMake a nest of clean rags, old rugs or old towels. It is very important that newborn kittens keep warm. If a kitten is too cold it will die. Put the rags and towels in a closed-in box and make sure there are enough that the kittens can burrow under the folds for warmth. You can also put a heating pad under the towels or box, but make sure it is set on low. Another way that will help warm a chilled kitten is to place it next to your skin under your clothing. Do not feed a kitten that is not warm. Doing so will kill it. The temperature for a kitten should be between 95 and 96 degrees F.

3

Bottle-feeding a newborn kittenFeed your newborns often. Like human babies, they eat often. There are many homemade versions of kitten replacement milk, but they are not always safe due to misused ingredients. Remember to never feed a newborn kitten the kind of milk found in a grocery store. Their stomachs do not tolerate it well. Instead you can buy goat milk in some grocery stores and a special kitten milk replacement found in pet stores and pet aisles. Both of these will be safe for your kittens. To feed them, fill an eyedropper with the milk and squeeze drops into the mouth slowly. Make sure the head is not all the way back or they could choke. You could also use a small pet syringe or pet baby bottle sold alongside the milk replacement. Kittens will generally need to be fed in this way until they’re between 3 and 6 weeks old.

4
Move your kitten’s bowels and bladder by wiping the areas with a wet rag while applying very slight pressure. Also do this to the abdomen. Kittens have no control over the muscles to make a bowel or bladder movement yet. That is why you will see the mother licking the back of them after feeding. Since you are the surrogate mom, you will need to do it. Neglecting this part of their care can cause them to be very sick and die. In time they will be able to do it on their own.

5

Nurturing a newbornHold your newborns often. Don’t allow overhandling by everyone in the house, but as their surrogate they will need held by you. This bonding and nurturing is essential to a kitten’s growth. Each kitten needs about three hours a day of holding and nurturing. The mother cat massages and cleans with her tongue. You can use a rag to accomplish this also by stroking the kitten all over its body gently. By doing this cleaning, massaging, holding and nurturing you can increase your newborn kitten’s chance of survival greatly.
.

Read more: How to Look After Newborn Kittens | eHow.com
3 days ago – Edit – Delete