My kitten won't nurse from foster or bottle. How can I feed it?

I recommend using a bottle with a small nipple - you can find kits for newborns at most pet supply stores. A commercial milk replacer like KMR is best, and you should feed the kitten every 2-3 hours. The kitten should be taking about 25 ml of milk per day and you should offer the bottle with the kitten laying on its stomach, not held on its back like a baby. You will also need to stimulate the kitten to urinate and defecate after eating by rubbing a warm washcloth on the genital and anal openings - neonatal kittens cannot urinate or defecate on their own. If the kitten is not interested in the bottle you may need to tube feed and should see your veterinarian for a demonstration.

Hi John! I would be afraid ti could die overnight as newborn kittens are extremely fragile and cannot last long without feeding. You can try to get him to feed. Rub a nipple near his mouth or at the side of his face. This should stimulate him to open his mouth, which will allow you to gently put the nipple inside. Once he feels the nipple on his tongue, that should stimulate his natural sucking reaction. If this doesn't work, then yes you will have to bottle feed him. He will need a kitten formula and a bottle, which you can get from a grocery store. If the grocery isn't open all night, there is an emergency formula recipe you can give him to hopefully get him through the night. I will include a link to a website below that details how to bottle feed a kitten and that has the recipe. The emergency formula recipe is found under the section "bottle feeding." Best of luck! https://www.2ndchance.info/orphankitten.htm

Some kittens don't make it no matter what we do to help them out, and some cats are just not cut out to be moms. There is also the possibility that there is a congenital internal defect. If the kitten is very weak and won't suckle from the nipple or a bottle, you can try to slowly syringe the kitten milk replacer, but there is an increased risk of it going into his lungs and causing aspiration pneumonia. If this doesn't work, you should take the kitten to get checked out by a vet. The vet can show you how to safely tube feed the kitten to get its proper nutrition. Make sure that the kitten is staying warm and clean, and that you are stimulating urination and bowel movements. Here is a good article on raising orphan kittens: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576

Keep him warm and dry. If he is nursing, allow him to nurse but supplement with a kitten milk replacer, such as KMR. You can find in it the local Petco. An exam with your veterinarian would be recommended to diagnose and treat any underlying conditions or to confirm good health.

Your kitten may be sick if she is refusing to nurse. You will need to supplement her feeding with kitten milk replacer which you can purchase at your local pet store. If, after attempting to bottle feed, she still refuses to eat, you will need to take her in to be examined by a veterinarian. I hope this helps. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If all of the kittens are passing away and this one is no longer nursing/seems ill, it would be best to seek veterinary care immediately. It is possible there is some illness going on, a functional issue, etc and since very young kittens can easily become dehydrated/require frequent meals, a vet exam is important to treating the condition ASAP.

Oh no, how terrible! You need to have this kitten seen by a vet right away. She may have been rejected by Lulu because she's sick, and unfortunately, some kittens do not survive. She can't live long without eating, so it's extremely important that she is seen by a vet now in order for her to have the best chance of survival.