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What to feed and care for a 1-week-old found kitten without a mom?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 27 days old

I just found a kitten. I'm gonna say she's about a week old. What do I need for her to eat or drink? And make her comfortable? Since she's not around a momma cat.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on April 28th, 2017

Good for you for taking in Binkie! Very young kittens need to drink kitten milk replacer (Esbilac is one brand) from a kitten bottle every 2-3 hours. Shortly after feeding her, you will need to take a slightly damp warm cloth and gently rub her abdomen and hind end to stimulate her to urinate and defecate. Keep her confined to a confined crate, open box, or other small area with blankets or towels since she is not yet old enough to move around your home on her own. Remember that she is not able to regulate her body temperature as well as an adult, so try to keep the air temperature from becoming extremely hot or cold. Around 4 weeks of age you can begin to introduce softened kitten food in addition to the kitten milk replacer. Binkie should go to her vet around 6 weeks of age to start her vaccinations, deworming and flea preventatives. Enjoy your little one!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jeffrey Milner
Veterinarian
At one week old, BInkie still needs to be bottle fed multiple times a day. You need to go to your local vet or to tractor supply and pick up a bottle, nipple, and some kitten milk replacer. Depending on her needs, she may require feedings up to every 2-4 hours for the next week. At around two weeks you can start weaning off the bottle and begin trying to feed liquid - gruel diet of mashed up kitten food with water / milk replacer. By 4 weeks, the kitten should be able to essentially function on its own and eat wet kitten food (many will even eat dry food). The kitten should also be kept warm over the next couple of weeks since there aren't any other kittens or a other to help with this. You should obtain a heating pad and blankets and place Binkie in a small area. Lastly, I would take a look at her carefully and make sure there is no excessive discharge coming from the nose or eyes. If there is, she may have a viral or bacterial infection that requires treatment from a veteriarian. If possible the best thing for Binkie would be to find a momma cat that she can be fostered onto. Many times they will accept kittens that are not their own. Good luck with your new baby!
0Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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