My kitten's mom hurts her. Can I keep and care for a 1-month-old?

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.

Kittens can be offered semi solid food (kitten mousse or softened kitten kibble) from 14days of age and will wean gradually then once food is available, most kittens will control their own food intake depending on how much milk is available from mother, feeding guidelines are appropriate once fully weaned and should be on the bag (they vary by brand, age and weight of kitten). Be sure to deworm her also as worms are passed through the mothers milk to kittens.

Momma cats often move kittens to keep them safe, and sometimes the places they choose don't make much sense to us. It's ok, but if you don't like where she moves them, you can put them back in their place, just know that she will probably move them back. Kittens will start eating solid food around 4-6 weeks. You should use kitten food, wet or dry, and you can mix it with a small amount of kitten milk replacer to let them learn to lick it and eat it.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In this case, it would be best to have him removed. You can continue nursing him with kitten formula until he is about 6-7 weeks old at which point you may switch him to a kibble or canned food diet. I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian who can check him and see if he needs any therapy and they can then recommend a preventative plan including vaccines. Best of luck!

Poor Tim! If you can't find the mother, you will need to take care of Tim. Young kittens can require a lot of care initially. At his age, Tim can begin weaning. If he is healthy, he will eat out of low lipped bowls or plates. I recommend to get kitten formula, canned kitten food and dry (kibble kitten food). Set out a bowl of the plain dry kibble, a bowl of the canned kitten food and bowl of kibbled soaked in formula. You may need to smear the canned food and the soaked kibble around his mouth or even place a few small pieces in his mouth. Most kittens will begin eating this way. Gradually reduce the amount of soaked kibbled over the next 3 weeks. The food I recommend most is called Royal Canin Baby Cat. It is made for young kittens under 8 weeks of age: https://www.royalcanin.com/us/cats/products/retail-products/mother-babycat-dry-cat-food Here is a link about raising very young kittens including a formula you can make at home if nothing else is available: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/ Lastly, here is a link about litterbox training: https://www.petcoach.co/article/litter-box-training-for-your-kitten/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Yes, that is probably a good plan. She is too young to go very long without eating. They can get easily hypoglycemic. She really should have stayed with her mom until 8 weeks of age. I know it is just 10-11 days more but that makes a big difference in a neonate. I would suggest trying this food: ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/royal-canin-feline-health-nutrition-baby-cat-loaf-wet-cat-food ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.