For those who are wondering what to feed an abandoned kitten, here are some tips to know what food to give and how to feed a kitten according to its age and weight. Indeed, a diet adapted to the needs of the abandoned kitten is essential to preserve its health and ensure good growth.
What are the needs of an abandoned kitten?
You've just found a kitten that looks abandoned, so first of all you need to:
- Warm it up especially if it is very young (less than 1 month) or if the aspen kitten. Indeed a kitten needs a lot of heat. Dry it if it is wet, wrap it in a woolen cloth and put it in a warm room.
- Check its temperature (see how to know if a kitten has a fever?). If the kitten's temperature is not normal, take her to a vet quickly.
- Feed it with a suitable diet (see below). In fact, the foods you give him must correspond to his needs. However, nutritional needs change with the age of the kitten.
How do you know how old an abandoned kitten is?
For an abandoned kitten you've just found, it's hard to know how old they are. However, his diet will depend on his age.
So I recommend that you weigh it and check its age according to its weight. See the matches kittens weight according to their age.
Feeding an abandoned kitten of a few weeks
If the kitten you just found appears to be a few weeks old, the kitten will not be weaned and he may not yet be able to drink by himself from a bowl.
It will need to be bottle-fed with a substitute milk called kitten formula milk (see recommendation below). For more details see How to feed a 2 week old baby cat?
How to bottle-feed an abandoned kitten?
For this you will need to buy a special kitten bottle so that the nipple hole is not too wide. This will prevent the milk from flowing too quickly and the kitten swallowing askew. If the pacifier is not pierced, you can do it with a needle, adjusting the holes as needed.
The kitten must be bottle-fed every 3 hours in order to respect its natural rhythm. Then gradually space them every 4 or 5 hours.
How much milk for an abandoned kitten?
The amount is different depending on the replacement milk you are going to give it. It will be indicated on the packaging. Usually, however, a kitten is content to drink just the amount of milk it needs.
What milk for a kitten abandoned a few weeks old?
Never give him cow's milk because kittens cannot digest it.
For an abandoned kitten a few weeks old, here is a special kitten formula that you can give him:
If the kitten you found appears to be 4 weeks or older, here is How to feed a 1 month old kitten ?
What to feed an abandoned kitten of about 2 months?
The kitten you have taken in may not yet be fully weaned (see How do you know if a kitten is weaned?). You will then have to end her weaning by continuing to give her a little formula (see product recommended above) and by introducing solid food. It will be necessary to buy him special kibble for kittens.
If the kitten has trouble eating the croquettes, it will be necessary to wet them with hot water to soften them a little.
For more information on feeding a 2 month old kitten, read my more comprehensive article: What does a 2 month old kitten eat? et At what age does a kitten drink water?
What to feed an abandoned kitten over 3 months old?
If the kitten you have found appears to be over 3 months old (please check according to its weight), he will already be weaned and will only eat solid food or dry food. See also: At what age does a kitten start to drink water?
What foods can we give to abandoned kittens?
If you haven't had time to buy kibble for the kitten you just found, you can give it food from your fridge. In troubleshooting, you can give it fish or chicken breast cooked in water, tuna or sardines in cans, green beans, well-cooked rice, pasta ...
To avoid giving the kitten dangerous foods, check my list of Foods prohibited for cats !
But what is most complicated is to compose meals with the right proportion of protein, starches and vegetables. Suddenly, you will have to weigh each food to compose the most balanced menus possible. Here are a few pointers that may help you:
What kibble to give to abandoned kittens?
Feeding an abandoned kitten kibble is more practical because they are adapted to the needs of the kitten and the daily quantities are indicated on the bag of kibble.
Here is one of the best brands of kitten kibble:
Here is an article you might be interested in: How do you know if a kitten is abandoned?