Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

    rewards header
    Become a member today!
    Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
    Already a member? Sign in
    Petco Pay LogoBecome a credit card member today!

    Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
    when you use Petco Pay!

    APPLY NOW
    Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Abandoned newborn kittens: How to feed, warm, and manage diarrhea?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Hi. I found today 3 abandoned kittens. They look less than a week old. I could not find their mother. Can u guide me how to feed them ,, what kind of milk and how much and how frequently? I am keeping them warm by keeping them inside a soft polyester blanket. I have made them pee with a cooton ball. I gave them 2 ml of skim milk in a syringe. It was very awkward and difficult. One of them have loose yellow stool already. Can u guide me plz with my questions and more details. Thank you.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Linda G, MS, DVM

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 27th, 2020

Hello. Use a cardboard box as a nest box. Put in a towel, & then a disposable diaper to absorb liquids. Change as needed. Put a heating pad under 1/2 of the box, so the kittens can move as they need more or less warmth.
Feed a Kitten Milk Replacer, either a premade liquid or a powder you mix as needed. If you cannot find a kitten milk, this is a formula you can try:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 drop multivitamins ( pet or children's )
3 crushed Tums ( or calcium based antacid )
Feed every 2-3 hours during the day, but do not wake them to feed them. They should do OK all night.
If diarrhea persists, you can temporarily add more water to the diet to meet fluid needs. Consider taking a stool sample to your veterinarian for parasite analysis. At 3-4 weeks, start to introduce a solid, soft diet.
Good luck & thanks for rescuing the kittens. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 5th, 2018

    Hi, thanks for using PetCoach!

    I agree they do look premature. If they are not nursing off the mother then you will have to bottle feed them or be taught how to tube feed them from your Vet. Go to a pet store, vet or tractor supply and purchase bottles and nipples and kitten milk replacer. The kittens need to be fed ever 2-3 hours and be stimulated to urinate and defecate after each feed. You do this by gently rubbing their genitals and anus with a soft warm cloth. Hopefully if you get them stronger they can then start nursing. If they will not nurse off a bottle you have to take them to a Vet today to be taught to tube feed otherwise they will likely die by Monday.

    https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1969
    https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=39387

    I wish you the best~

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC

    Veterinarian, Board-Certified Emergency/Critical Care Specialist

    Published on April 27th, 2017

    Ideally, the kittens would be evaluated by a veterinarian to ensure they are healthy and do not have any obvious disease or congenital defect.
    1) The kittens need to be placed in a safe, secure spot such as a box with a blanket in a confined area of your home. Due to the fact they have naive immune systems, they should avoid contact with other animals or pets in the home. It is critical that they avoid extreme temperature-(i.e. Very hot or cold).
    2) They should be fed a kitten formula every 2-4 hours. I recommend Esbilac. The formula should be mixed with warm but not hot water. Each kitten should be fed until satisfied.
    3) After feeding, you should use a warm, moist, cloth to gently wipe the abdomen and genital area to stimulate urination and defecation.

    If the kittens fail to nurse, urinate or defecate, you will need to seek veterinary assistance as soon as possible.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Food & Nutrition
My week-old bottle-fed kitten has diarrhea. How can I fix it?
Make sure they are on a good quality milk replacer such as kmr. Changing it at all between different brands or switching from powder to liguid can cause diarrhea. Increase frequency of feedings to compensate for the diarrhea. And a probiotic such as bene back may help. If constant a vet visit for fluids may be recommended. If they didn't receive colostrum or milk from mom at all they are at higher risk from infections and may not survive despite best care. Sometimes the vet can help with injecting serum from a healthy cat to boost their immune system. Benebachttp://m.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3563 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My 2-week-old kitten is weak, has diarrhea, and won't nurse. Urgent!
Diarrhea in a kitten this young is definitely very concerning, as is the stoppage of nursing. The fact that the mother is separating her young is a bad sign, as this is usually what the mother will do when she senses one of the kittens is sick, or possibly contagious to the others. You may need to start bottle feeding and/or transitioning to hard food sooner than later to preserve the kitten's health. I would not let this go on for more than a few more hours, as dehydration and hypoglycemia are real concerns in an animal this young and fragile. You may also want to look into obtaining some antidiarrheal medication from your veterinarian. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
My 2-week-old abandoned kitten isn't eating enough or pooping. Help!
Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A 2 week old kitten will need to eat around 7mLs of milk replacer every couple of hours. Tonto will likely defecate more frequently when he starts eats more and more frequently. Keep with the warm wash cloth method to help stimulate him to urinate and defecate until he can manage to do this on his own. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My 2-week-old kitten is vomiting, not eating, not pooping. Help!
Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Make sure what you are feeding the kitten is an appropriate kitten milk replacer. Kittens this young are not able to regulate their temperatures well, so make sure you have her on a heating pad set on low with a towel on top. There should be an area for the kitten to move off if it gets too warm. Make sure you are not overfeeding the kitten. A kitten needs 2 tablespoons ( 30 mls ) per 4 ounces ( 115 grams ) of body weight daily. Divide the daily amount into equal portions for each feeding & fed every 3-4 hours until bedtime. Stimulate the genital area after each meal, but do not be concerned if she does not have a BM each time. You can try feeding her a congee, which is often tolerated by the sickest kittens. Take 1-2 cups chicken broth ( low or no salt added ), add 1/4 cup white rice & a tiny sliver of fresh ginger. Boil for 2 hours. While cooling, add 1 Tbsp good quality protein powder - egg or casein, not soy. Stir together very well. The mix should be a bit thick. Drip into kittens mouth 1/2 - 1 ml at a time. Hopefully she will start to turn around. Just keep at it. Good luck.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
New Pet
My abandoned kittens aren't growing, eating, or pooping. What to do?
Hi there, well done for being so good as to look after these little kittens! It is no easy task. Unfortunately with abandoned kittens there can be issues that have begun long before the adopter ever come into their lives, it can take these issues a while to manifest as disease in the kittens. Such issues could be due to infection, malnutrition or underlying congenital problems. Even kittens which have been with their mother from the start and have adequate colostrum can begin to fade. I say that more as a general point because successfully hand rearing kittens can be very difficult even when you are as dedicated as yourself. Having said that your kittens may be fine and just struggling to put on weight due to a poor start, you may find they are slow but suddenly start to grow. However I think it would be wise to take them back to the vet again for a follow up exam as their could be underlying problems. They should certainly be going to the toilet much more often. This suggests some sort of issue with the gut. Gently massaging the tummy and wiping the bum with a piece of wet cotton can help stimulate toileting. But I would stress that I think it is important you take them back to the vet asap. Good luck and no matter what happens please remember you have tried your absolute best with them. Fingers crossed they do well.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My orphaned 4-week-old kittens won't eat or poop. What can I do?
I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with the kittens! At 4-weeks they should be starting to get a little interested in wet food, so continuing to try the slurry should help. You can put a little on a spoon or on their noses to see if they will lick it off to encourage them to try it. Keeping the formula warmed and feeding them on their stomachs (in the same position they'd be in when nursing from mom) may also help them recognize you are trying to feed them. If they're not on solid foods yet, they may not have a whole lot in the way of stool production, and any stool they produce may be very liquidy still. It's a good idea to bring them to the vet anyway, especially if orphaned, as they may need to start getting vaccinations sooner to account for the loss of mom's natural antibodies, and your vet can examine them, deworm them, and treat any issues as needed. This article about orphaned kittens may also help as well as it has feeding schedules, etc. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
How to care for week-old premature kittens if mom isn't interested?
If you choose to care for them, your primary goal will be to keep them warm, stimulate their bowels / urinary tract, and feed them up to every 2-3 hours at first. The use of a blanket and heating pads may be required for warmth. If you do not have a heating pad, I would recommend going out to obtain one in the morning. As for stimulation, you need to rub their bellies and behinds to get them to go to the bathroom after each time they eat. As for feedings, you will need to obtain kitten milk replacer and a bottle. The kittens should be fed in an upright position as to avoid aspiration of the liquid. It is a tiring job and they still may not make it, so do not take it personally if things do not work out. You can certainly try to keep the kitten with mom if you think she isn't going to hurt them, but I would monitor them extremely carefully. If there is any indication of aggression remove them entirely. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Related Searches

Cat FoodCat SuppliesKitten Formula & Milk ReplacerWet Cat FoodKitten FoodCanned Cat FoodCat Health & WellnessCat First AidElectrolytes for CatsCat Litter, Litter Boxes & AccessoriesKitten TreatsDewormer Treatments for CatsVeterinary Diet Cat FoodCat LaxativesUTI Cat FoodCat Urinary CareCat Urinary Tract & Kidney MedicationDry Cat FoodCat Bowls & FeedersCat Potty Training
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Share

Styled arrow button