Bottle Feeding
Welcoming your Bottle Babies or Weaning Kittens
You just received a precious delivery! These tips and resources will help you get started.
Need to get in touch with us? Call 805-203-3181, or email [email protected].
Supplies we will provide
- A Bottle & Nipple
We send a Miracle Nipple with most litters. - Oral Syringes
Please only use this if your kittens don’t latch to the bottle or they don’t eat full meals of solid food from a plate. THIS VIDEO shows you how to safely syringe-feed kittens. - Kitten Milk Replacer Powder
You’ll need to mix this with water, using two parts water and one part powder. Watch THIS VIDEO for mixing instructions. - Heat Disc or Pad
Follow the heating instructions on the packaging. Always wrap the heat source with a towel or blanket and do not place the kitten directly on the heat source. - Nesting Box or Plastic Carrier
Kittens under three weeks old need a small living area that replicates a nest and they cannot crawl out of it. - Purina Wet and Dry Food
You can start introducing this food at about 3 weeks of age if your kittens have teeth. No teeth means no solid food. - Tongue Depressors
Use these to spoon-feed kittens as suggested in THIS VIDEO. - Non-clumping Litter and Shallow Litter Boxes
Kittens start exploring the litter box at about three weeks of age. You’ll need to stimulate your kittens to urinate or defecate up until about four weeks of age. Watch THIS “KITTEN LADY” VIDEO to learn more.
Getting settled in
Once you get your kittens home:
Get them settled into their “nest” with plush bedding and a heat source.
Stimulate the kittens to urinate or defecate.
It will likely have been at least 1-2 hours since they were last stimulated. Watch this video How to Help Baby Kittens Pee and Poop! by Kitten Lady for a refresher on stimulating kittens.
Prepare a bottle and offer them a meal.
Take a look at this Maddie’s Fund Stomach Capacity Chart. The feeding amount will depend on the weight listed on the kitten’s medical record (look inside the plastic envelope).
If your kitten is not latching to the bottle, please watch these videos
- How to Safely Bottle Feed a Kitten by Kitten Lady.
- 10 Tips for Tricky Bottle Baby Kittens by Kitten Lady.
- Bottle-Feeding and Stimulation by the ASPCA NYC Kitten Nursery.
Weigh your kitten at some point the following day to ensure they have gained weight.
Use this Health Monitoring Sheet or something like it to record their daily weights, each feeding amount, each time they urinate or defecate, and any concerning signs.
Helpful links
Find all of the bottle baby resources HERE.
- This Bottle Baby Training Guide includes an in-depth look at bottle babies & weaning kittens.
- Use the Bottle Baby Cheat Sheet for a quick reference.
- This List of common medical concerns and prevention tips is a great reference tool, but should not be used to replace medical care.
