Bottle Feeding a Kitten

I was watering the garden last Sunday and I heard a kitten cry.  I went and investigated and find a very small, very wet kitten in the corner of my garden.  The eyes of the kitten had just opened recently; I could see that the kitten could not focus properly.

What to do?  I picked the kitten up and took the kitten inside and immediately started drying him off.  By the way the kitten is a male!

I went and bought a kit from the local vet, this include special formula for kittens, a bottle and three teats.  Every time the bottle is used, it has to be sterilized first. There are instructions on how to prepare the milk.  These instructions must be followed exactly.  The right amount of formula to water.  The milk must be body temperature, and as for a human baby, the temperature of the milk must be tested before the kitten is fed.  The milk flow must be checked beforehand to.  

Placing a towel on my lap, I tried feeding the kitten; he was not interested so i began to rub his stomach.  I know that the mother cat has to stimulate her kitten to make the kitten wee or shit. Using a warm damp cloth and wiping the anus and genital helps the kitten eliminate.  I did this on the kitten and he had a good long pee.  After that he took to his bottle and began to drink. When he was finished, I had to burp him just like one will do with a human baby.  Held him gently in one hand and rub his back until he produced a good burp.

After kitten was burped and cleaned (milk formula is kind of sticky), he drifted off to sleep.  I have a box for him, where I place a towel.  The kitten needs to be kept warm all the time.  In the beginning I kept on checking if the kitten was breathing still.

I am not sure how much the kitten should be drinking each time; the internet says that the kitten must have at least 32cc, which is divided in 9-12 feeds a day.  The amount the kitten drinks is depending on the age, size and condition of the kitten.  We use ml in this country so I found out that 1cc is equal to 1ml.  Kittens should be fed around the clock every two hours, at first. The kitten is bottle fed for about four weeks.

I find my kitten needs something else; he needs lots of attention and love.  When he gets this, feeding goes much better, and both of us have a better experience.  If the kitten does not get the required attention that he needs, bottle feeding is a nightmare, and both of us end up very unhappy.

See love is essential to all creatures, not only humans.  When the kitten is happy he purrs.  My kitten is starting to play, he is so adorable!!!

I have just fed my kitten; he is lying on my lap, finally asleep.

It's a demanding job, but so very rewarding to see him being happy and content.  Watching him grow, day by day.  It's been four days.  

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