I found a kitten outside. What are the first steps for its care?

Hello. Thank you for rescuing this kitten. I would be most concerned about this kitten having an infection & most certainly having a large number of parasites it its gut. Roundworms are especially common in kittens & can cause significant discomfort & diarrhea. It would be best to have the kitten seen as soon as possible as she may need some medical treatment to get her going on the right track. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Lola is adorable! If Lola is producing urine and acting normal I wouldn't be too concerned about her water intake. Some suggestions though are to feed her more of a canned food diet and gradually add water to the canned food to trick her in to taking more water in. Water fountains are a great option for cats who like fresh running water. Be sure that the Vet also dewormed her for round worms as the medications are different. ALL young animals usually have round worms. She should also have started her vaccinations and been tested for feline leukemia and FIV. I would increase her food volume as she does appear skinny. If she doesn't start to gain after being properly dewormed then I would consider a food change. I like he brands Hill's Science diet, Purina proplan, Royal Canine and Iams/Eukanuba. Be sure she is eating kitten formulas until 1 year of age. Good luck!

Hello. Without knowing what might be wrong with the kitten it is almost impossible to make any recommendations. I know your heart is in the right place, but if you can not care for the kitten, it really is the kindest thing to try & find someone who can care for & treat the kitten properly. It sounds like there may be some fairly significant things happening with the kitten, & things can get expensive quickly. I do hope you can call your area humane society or rescue group soon & you will know that you truly saved this kittens life. Thank you for rescuing the kitten & doing the right thing. And thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is wonderful you are trying to help Mila but as you have stated, owning a pet is a huge financial responsibility. While I am sure you love her and want to do the best for her, you may want to consider giving her to a rescue to care for. They have the funds to raise her until she can be adopted to a good home to continue her care. I would call around to the local shelter and ask for cat rescue phone numbers. They will have foster families available to continue her care. Good luck and kisses to Mila!

It sounds like you are on the right track! I would recommend bringing her into a vet soon if you haven't already, for her first checkup, deworming and round of shots (abandoned kittens that don't get mother's milk may need their first vaccination a bit earlier than usual since they don't have the antibodies they'd get from nursing). Introducing her to a litter box once she gets a little bit older is also a good next step, as well as starting her on a mash of solid food and milk replacer to start weaning her. If you're still having trouble with how to care for her, talking with your local humane society is a great idea- they often have orphaned kitten programs and may be able to offer a class or other help in helping Princess grow up healthy.