kittens 1 month or younger

Question
I was given a kitten that can't be no more than 1 month old and I know she should still be with the mother but the person wanted to give them away as quickly as possible and I didn't want the one I wanted to go to a shelter so I went and got it but I'm a little confused on what exactly should I be feeding it. I give it infant formula instead of whole milk, what people keep telling me I should be giving her but I don't think that her stomach will hold it. I do know that she's older than 2 1/2 weeks but the lady is not really sure how far past 2 1/2 weeks she is. I also wanted to know if she needs shots right now and if there is anything speacial I should be doing at this age. Thank you so much for your time, I just want to make sure that she's being takin care of.

Answer
Ebony,

Your new kitten should not be eating human infant formula, it is not the right product for the job and could have serious health reprecussions. It is too low in protein, and the other nutrients are not balanced for a cat. I would strongly suggest that you take the kitten to the vet to be aged so that you will know what to expect of her development. I could hazard a guess at age if I had a picture of your kitten. You need to feed this kitten a milk replacer meant for kittens. This can be marketed under the brand KMR (kitten milk replacer) or a product called mammalac for cats is also appropriate. I personally use the KMR as it is the milk replacer I am most familiar with and it is available in most pet stores. You can try the bottle that you can buy in the pet store for nursing kittens, you should know that some will reject the bottle, in that case I prefer to use a brand new infant oral syringe (the ones you can buy separate from medications in the pharmacy to give human babies liquid medicines). You will have to make sure that a minimum of people handle this kitten (only immediate family at this point), and make sure that everyone's hands are freshly washed before they pick this kitten up. This kitten's immune system is still very immature and it needs to be handled with the same care that you would handle a human baby (try to keep as clean and germ free as possible). You can choose to buy multiple oral syringes for your kitten, but I tend to just buy a couple and wash them with dish soap and hot water after each use and rinse really well to make sure that the syringe is clean. If you find that it is becoming hard to fill the syringe or it feels stiff when you are feeding then it needs to be replaced. You should also know that when you are feeding your kitten he/she needs to eat with four on the floor which means that all four of the kitten's paws must be facing the floor, if you feed a kitten on his/her back like a human baby there is a good chance that they will inhale their food and drown. Another thing that you will need to monitor closely over the time your kitten is formula fed is his/her weight. You can buy a scale that measures in grams up to two pounds and that will be a good way to keep track of her approximate weight and growth rate, weight is also a useful tool to guage if your kitten is getting enough formula or you need to adjust it. Just some quick tips that you can use to try to determine the age of this kitten in case the vet can't see you for a few days and you need to know how much to feed (some products base food intake on age and weight). Is the kitten crawling or walking on their own? If the kitten is still crawling you may be looking at a kitten younger than 3 weeks old. If your kitten's eyes are closed you are dealing with a kitten under 7-10 days old. If you see that the kitten has her umbilical cord still attached you are probably looking at a kitten under a week old. You also need to know that kittens are born with a very immature neurological system and have trouble keeping themselves warm enough especially when they are alone, so you will need to look at a bath towel folded in about four and a heating pad set on medium under that towel to keep the kitten warm while they sleep and grow. You may also want to place a stuffed animal that feels soft and furry in with the kitten to minimise the anxiety caused by being removed from her mother too soon...In your position right now there are a few things I think that you should know. The younger your kitten is the lower her odds of surviving without the mother. To be honest kittens weaned before 4-6 weeks can end up dying from the lack of warmth and security the momma and siblings provided. Their risk of catching viruses and infectious diseases is higher than that of an 8 week old kitten... You should also know that this kitten has the potential to have many difficulties in life and end up with some behavioral issues that will be cute at first and when the cat is a few years old they can become annoying, things like sucking on ears, sweaters, lips, blankets, stuffed toys, themselves, other pets in the home...Taking a kitten from mom so young means that this kitten could end up with lifelong insecurities...Please spay or neuter your kitten when he/she is old enough, that way this cycle will not be repeated...Your veterinarian will talk to you about an appropriate vaccine schedule, some vets will want to begin vaccines as soon as 4 weeks of age, others will wait until 6 weeks, it is up to the vet and you to decide what is right for your new kitten. You will probably have many questions or concerns over the coming weeks, keep in touch. If you have any doubts or issues, please contact me again and I will do my best to make sure that you get the right information.