My 19-day-old kittens are hungry; should I feed them if mom leaves?

Unfortunately the babies are still young so if mom will not feed them then they will depend on you. The best food is KMR (kitten milk replacer). You should be able to find it online. You can also purchase a nurser bottle. If mom is also not keeping them clean or stimulating urination/defecation this is important as well. I have attached an extensive link that gives a lot of helpful information about raising orphan kittens. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petcoach! www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your cat :( For the kittens, mom would have been weaning them by this point. Offer a bowl of warmed kitten formula, a bowl of warmed wet kitten food and a bowl of warmed formula soaked kitten kibble. Smear the contents of the bowls along the mouths/lips of the kittens so that they get the taste in their mouths. This will generally stimulate them to start eating. Royal Canin makes a great kitten food called Baby Cat for kittens under 6weeks old. This is what I fed my little rescues. Best of luck!

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.

Yes you are correct about your thoughts. It does hurt when they nurse now with their little teeth, and after three weeks they are old enough to start eating solid food. I’m glad you are starting to feed them. You can give wet kitten food now four times daily and add warm water to it to make it very wet. Usually having them lick it off your finger by the dish will teach them to eat. Just let the Mom go in and out as she wants and she’ll gradually wean them herself. Once her milk is dried up it’s a good time to spay her as she can get pregnant again soon afterwards. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kittens.

Hello, and thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Kitten food is actually more nutritious than KMR - KMR is really for those tiny kittens who are so little they're not yet ready to try solids on their own. So, if your kitten is willing to eat canned kitten food well, I would work on weaning her off the KMR. However, if she's refusing to eat anything for more than 1 meal in a row, then I would take her right in to your vet. Little kittens like Baby can get dehydrated and sick very quickly, so prompt medical care is important if she's not feeling well. Hope this helps!

I would start supplementing the kitten with kitten formula fed out of a syringe or kitten bottle every 3-4 hours. Some times the mom will abandon her kitten but sometimes she will come back. I would try to supplement for now just so the kitten won't have any issues. I hope this helps.

get some kitten milk powder and a feeding bottle from a pet shop or your veterinarian. mix the milk according to instructions on the tin and feed the kittens in addition to mummy feeding them. They should gain approx. 100g per week, ie they should weigh 300 grammes now at 3 weeks of age. If the kitten keeps meowing even after the additional feedings, it should be examined by a veterinarian. make sure you feed Sookie good quality cat food, preferably tinned food, pate style. you can also give her kitten food as she needs a lot of energy and protein to make an adequate amount of milk.