baby kitten.

Hello,
Im new to this site.
Thank you for allowing me to join.
I have been asked to take in a five week old baby.
I really would like to see him stay longer with him mom, but I dont think that's possible.
I.have three cats that can help with the socialization.
A 14 yr old boy
Two girls, 2 & 1.5 yrs old
None have been parents.
I know i need kitten chow.
The baby is eating solid, but still nursing also.
Help!
Stefaniecatmom

S stefaniecatmom

Hi, and welcome to TCS! Thanks for joining!

You'll need to pick up powdered PetAg KMR, which is kitten milk replacer (formula). Also a kitten bottle and a small, needleless syringe. A 5-week-old kitten is much too young to leave its mom, and likely not weaned. You'll need to feed it around the clock for another week or so. What are the circumstances?

You will also want to pick up wet food, which growing kittens really need. Fancy Feast makes a kitten turkey one, or any of the adult pate flavors will work.

The kitten, being used to mom, may not take a bottle right away, so if it won't lap the kitten formula from a dish, you'll need to give it formula with a syringe. If it demonstrates that it's ready to wean, you'll want to mix some wet food with the KMR to make a mush for it to lap. The kitten will need to eat many times a day.

I say all this because people like to say a kitten they want or need to give away is weaned, when it really is not. My four kittens had their mom, but were not weaned at 5 weeks at all.

You'll also need a kitten-sized litter pan for training.

I'll wait for any further questions you may have. Thanks for caring about this kitten! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Use a non clumping litter in the litter pan.  The litter pan shall have low wall, so its easy for the kitten to climb into it.  You may even need several litter pans, one in every room the kitten is allowed to be.   Kittens cant hold on themselves very long, so its wise they have short distance to nearest litter pan.

Dont use cow milk for supplement feeding.  But goat milk is OK - even if it costs more.  Or kmr as said above.

Baking sheets with a low lip make good beginner pans for kittens.

Did you get the kitten?