Orphan Kittens
Any unspayed female cat that goes outdoors will very likely be having kittens within a few months. Many first time young mothers and feral cats will abandon litters due to lack of maternal instinct or lack of sufficient food to raise them. If no mother returns for her kittens within 2-4 hours they have most likely been abandoned. Orphans need to be kept warm, fed by hand, and stimulated to urinate and defecate if they are to survive. Have them checked by your veterinarian to make sure they are healthy.

Place the kittens in a box lined with a towel or blanket. Place half the box on top of a heating pad set to LOW. Cover the box loosely with another towel or blanket. This will provide the necessary warmth and if the kittens get too hot they can move to the side of the box that is not heated.

Feed good quality kitten milk replacer with a special nurser bottle (available at any pet store or veterinary office). Keep the kitten in as natural a position as possible and do not place it on its back like a baby (it will more easily inhale milk in this position which can cause pneumonia and death). Make sure the kitten is actually suckling and swallowing, if not then call your veterinarian. Orphans need to be fed every 2 hours during the day and at least once during the night for the first several days of life. After several days they can be fed every 4 hours during the day. Continue feeding at least once during the night until the kittens are at least 1 week old. At approximately 4 weeks of age offer good quality canned kitten food (Science Diet Feline Growth) and begin the weaning process. Kittens should be completely off milk replacer and eating solid food only by the time they are 6 weeks old.

If you are not sure of the age of your kittens you can use the following guidelines. Normal birth weight kittens weigh approximately 100 grams at birth and gain 10 grams per day as they grow (you can weigh them on a diet or postal scale). Many orphans do tend to have low birth weights so keep that in mind. Kittens lose their umbilical cords at about 3 days of age and open their eyes between 10 and 14 days of age. By 4 weeks of age the kittens start to look like little cats with ears standing up and teeth coming in.