Resources to Care for Orphaned Kittens
Fostering orphaned kittens is fun, adorable, and rewarding! Kittens can be fragile and need specialized care. We have gathered a variety of resources to help ensure you have access to all of the information and best practices you need to successfully raise your kittens! If you’ve recently found stray kittens outside, learn more about what to do here.
Alley Cat Allies and The Kitten Lady both have fantastic resources if you’ve found orphaned kittens or community cats. Check out some of our favorite resources below.
Determining a Kitten's Age
Wondering just how old those neighborhood kittens you’ve found are? Check out these helpful guides!
Feeding Orphaned Kittens
Bottles are often too big for newborns, so start with syringe feeding. Make sure they’re always laying flat on their bellies during meals to avoid aspiration, which can be deadly.
Once they’re ready for a bottle, transitioning is easy! Make sure they’re always laying flat on their bellies during meals to avoid aspiration, which can be deadly.
Weaning Kittens
At three weeks of age, it’s time to begin the weaning process. Congratulations — you now have “gruel babies!” Gruel babies are more independent, more active, and naturally, a little messier — but they’re also absolutely adorable!