What do I feed a newborn kitten without its mother?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Feed a commercial kitten milk replacer, warmed to about body temperature, from a kitten feeding bottle, never cow's or goat's milk, which kittens cannot digest well. Warm a cold kitten before you feed it, feed slowly, and gently stimulate it to pee and poo after each feed. Call a vet the same day for advice on amounts and how often to feed.
Before you take kittens in, check they are really orphaned: the ASPCA and Cats Protection say a mother cat often leaves for a few hours and comes back. Kittens that are cold, wet, dirty, thin, crying or in danger need help now.
What should you do in the first hour?
In this order. Warmth comes before food.
Check whether the mother is coming back
If the kittens are clean, plump, quiet and safe, the ASPCA advises leaving them and checking whether the mother returns within a few hours. Cats Protection says keep away for three to four hours. ASPCA
Step in if they are in trouble
Cold, wet or sick kittens, or kittens in an unsafe place, need help now, says Cats Protection. The ASPCA adds that dirty, skinny, crying kittens may be orphaned. Cats Protection
Warm them first
Kittens find it hard to control their body temperature without their mother. Use a well-covered hot water bottle or heat pad at around body temperature, with room for the kitten to move away. Cats Protection
Do not feed a cold kitten
VCA's veterinary nutritionists say kittens will not eat well if they are hypothermic, and warming them before feeding improves success. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
Call a vet
Cats Protection says ask your vet before hand-rearing, and for which milk to use. A vet can also check age, hydration and any injury. Cats Protection
Why not cow's milk?
It is the wrong food for a kitten, and it can cause diarrhoea that a tiny kitten cannot afford.
Cats Protection's advice is direct: never give cow or goat's milk, as kittens find it difficult to digest; use substitute kitten milk made for kittens. VCA's veterinary nutritionists explain why. A mother cat's milk has more than twice the protein of cow's milk, and cow's milk is lower in calories and fat and higher in lactose. They recommend a commercial kitten milk replacer over cow's milk or homemade mixtures.
In Indian homes, a bowl of doodh is often the first thing a rescued kitten is offered. For a newborn it can do harm: Cats Protection notes that diarrhoea in a hand-reared kitten can come from overfeeding, an over-concentrated milk or infection, and that a kitten's condition can deteriorate rapidly, so diarrhoea means a call to the vet. Kitten milk replacer is sold by vet clinics and pet shops; buy it the same day.
How do you bottle-feed a kitten safely?
The safety rules from Cats Protection and VCA. Amounts and frequency come from the replacer's label and your vet.
Do
- Use a kitten feeding bottle and teat from a vet or pet shop, with clean hands and sterilised bottles. Cats Protection
- Warm the milk replacer: Cats Protection says to about 35°C, VCA to about 38°C, so close to body temperature. Test it is not hot. Cats Protection
- Hold the kitten in a horizontal position with its head neutral, as VCA advises, rather than upright like a human baby. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Use a teat that lets milk out drop by drop, and let the kitten suck at its own pace. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions on dilution, frequency and quantity. Newborns need feeding round the clock, every few hours. Cats Protection
Don’t
- Give cow's, goat's or buffalo milk, or a homemade mix. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Squeeze milk into the mouth fast: VCA warns that a rapid flow can cause aspiration, pneumonia and death. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Feed cold milk, feed too quickly or overfeed; these cause regurgitation, bloating and diarrhoea. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Make the milk stronger than the label says. Cats Protection
What else does an orphaned kitten need every day?
Food is one of several jobs a mother cat does. VCA lists heat, humidity, nutrition, elimination, sanitation and social contact.
- Toileting help. Kittens cannot pee or poo on their own for the first few weeks. Gently wipe the area under the tail with damp cotton wool around each feed. Cats Protection
- Daily weighing for the first four weeks, then weekly, written down. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Steady weight gain. Cats Protection says kittens should gain around 10 to 15g a day and double their birth weight in about two weeks. Cats Protection
- A clean, warm, safe nest away from other pets. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
- Gentle handling. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines say a kitten's sensitive period for getting used to people starts as early as 2 to 3 weeks and may close by 9 to 10 weeks. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
When does an orphaned kitten need a vet now?
Kittens have no energy reserves and deteriorate very fast, Cats Protection warns. Do not wait overnight on these.
If The kitten refuses to feed
Speak to your vet urgently. Cats Protection lists this as an urgent sign. Cats Protection
If Twitching, very weak or floppy, or a fit
Go to a vet now. Low blood sugar from too little or too infrequent feeding can cause depression, twitching and convulsions. Cats Protection
If Diarrhoea
Call your vet. VCA advises reducing the formula volume, and Cats Protection says diarrhoea needs a vet because a kitten worsens fast. Cats Protection
If Choking, coughing or noisy breathing during or after a feed
See a vet the same day. VCA warns that milk going the wrong way, called aspiration, can cause pneumonia and death. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
If Cold to the touch, or not gaining weight
Warm the kitten gently and call your vet. Do not feed until it is warm. VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
If Hard poo and straining
Call your vet for advice rather than giving anything at home. Cats Protection
When can the kitten move on to solid food?
VCA says milk replacer should be the only food until about three to four weeks of age, when weaning can begin, and Cats Protection gives the same start. Ask your vet which kitten food to start with. Cats Protection says kittens should be fully weaned onto solid food by about six to eight weeks, after which they need kitten food and water, not milk. Your vet will also plan worming, vaccines and, later, spaying. Hand-rearing is round-the-clock work for weeks; if you cannot do it, ask your vet or a local animal welfare group about a foster carer.
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Questions owners ask
Can I give a newborn kitten cow's milk?
- No. Cats Protection says never give cow or goat's milk to kittens, which find it hard to digest. VCA's veterinary nutritionists say a mother cat's milk has more than twice the protein of cow's milk, and recommend a commercial kitten milk replacer instead. Buy one from a vet clinic or pet shop the same day.
How often should I feed an orphaned kitten?
- Newborns need feeding round the clock; Cats Protection says every two to two-and-a-half hours for newborn kittens, with the gap growing as they grow. Follow the milk replacer's label for amounts and dilution, weigh the kitten daily, and ask your vet to set the plan for your kitten's age.
Why does an orphaned kitten not pee or poo?
- Kittens cannot pass urine or faeces without help for the first few weeks; their mother licks them to make it happen. Cats Protection and VCA advise gently stroking the area under the tail with warm, damp cotton wool around each feed until they go.
How do I keep a newborn kitten warm?
- Cats Protection suggests a well-covered hot water bottle or heat pad at around body temperature, in a nest where the kitten can move away if it gets too warm. Never feed a cold kitten: VCA says hypothermic kittens do not feed well, so warm it first and call your vet.
I found kittens alone. Should I take them home?
- Not straight away if they are clean, plump, quiet and safe. The ASPCA says the mother may be nearby and advises checking whether she returns within a few hours; Cats Protection says three to four hours. Kittens that are cold, wet, sick or in danger need help at once.
Keep reading
- Caring for a kittenFood, litter, vaccines and safety in an Indian home.
- Cat vaccination schedule in India
- Signs your pet needs a vet now
- Pet first aid basics
- Indian cat breed guide
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Cats Protection: Hand-rearing kittens (undated) (opens in a new tab)
- VCA Animal Hospitals (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition): Feeding orphaned kittens (updated 4 February 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- ASPCA: I found kittens outside, what do I do? (undated) (opens in a new tab)
- Cats Protection: What to do if you find an abandoned kitten (blog, 24 March 2022) (opens in a new tab)
- AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021): 2021 AAHA/AAFP feline life stage guidelines (opens in a new tab)