Need advice on how to care for a 5 week old kitten!

Well to begin, I'm Alex. I actually have no cats right now, but in a few weeks I will be adopting a 5 week old kitten that either had to find a home, or be put into a shelter. I am very worried about taking the kitten away from the mother so young, but I don't want the poor sweetheart to go to a kill shelter where I know he wont be cared for properly.

If anyone can give me some information on the best way possible to care for a kitten so young I would be extremely grateful! The main thing I'm concerned about is his diet. At 5 weeks should I give him imitation milk or canned kitten food? Also what is the best way to maintain the kittens proper body temperature?

All in all, I really need advice about everything. I have been doing some research but I want to hear what experienced owners have to say on everything. I just want to raise a healthy cat that I can share my life with. Any help you can give is more than appreciated!

Hmm, any way you can bribe the owners to let your kittens stay with his mama longer?

Anyway, for orphans that age, I feed them canned kitten food (usually Fancy Feast Kitten turkey flavor) mixed with kitten formula. For orphans I keep gadding kitten formula until 10 weeks or so, because I figure they can use all the extra nutrition they can get. Maybe a baby who's been with mama for 5 weeks won't need it that long. . .just go with your gut. But at least until 7-8 weeks. He may want a bottle for a couple weeks---I like to provide the choice because I feel like it minimizes the chance of suckling behavior as an adult. But a bottle isn't strictly necessary, as he'll be old enough for soft food.

For a litterbox, I use a cat food can tray with a shallow layer of non-clumping litter. Also provide a deeper, larger box, so that you'll know when he's big enough to switch. Put him in the box after meals and naps, or whenever he looks like he's sniffing around for a potty place.

Kittens taken too early from their family may also have some behavioral issues. Playing too rough, being extra naughty, etc. Just gently teach him appropriate behavior, don't do anything that may make him fearful or mean, remember the big picture of raising a well-rounded cat--don't just get frustrated and try to solve one behavior at the expense of his future well-being. Never play with your hands; give him a big stuffed animal to wrestle with, use a fishing pole toy, a laser light, etc.

Five weeks is definitely on the lower end of able to go it alone.  You'll have to keep it in a small area, like a bathroom, with food and water and a low-sided litter box.  You may have to mix up KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer, available at pet stores, Wal-Mart in some places, etc.) with soft kitten food so that the kitten can get used to eating on its own.  I've had them that young, and they've turned out to be great cats, but I won't lie and say there were never problems. 

Kittens at that age can crash very suddenly; they're really pretty fragile.
 

Thank you very much!I think I'm going to provide the bottle for at least a week if he doesn't take to the canned food. And I'm definitely going to do what you said for the littler box.

I'm going to try to convince the cat owner to keep him with mama for longer but I'm sure it's not going to work. The lady that I'm getting him from was going to get rid of the kittens immediately buy I convinced her to keep them with mama for five weeks. She just had a baby and she claims she doesn't have time or money to care for them. I offered to take care for her cat while she had the kittens but she refused. She is however allowing me to pay for her cat to be neutered so that's a plus. Maybe you have some ideas on what I could tell her to maybe change her mind?

Explain (nicely) that it's like asking a young toddler to do without it's mother as that's exactly the developmental stage such a small kitten is at.  Toilet training is iffy at that age, they are very vulnerable to stress, often not really able to manage without suckling and as mentioned above, can have behavioural problems as they don't have mum & each other to teach them how to play nicely.

So glad you are getting the mother cat neutered.  I would also expect the kitten to need worming and have fleas.  Do check before you let it in your home - it's easier to treat for fleas before you let it in!