From birth, cats should be in a quiet place away from the other furry members of the family, the place you choose should be free from drafts and if possible, they should sleep in a cat bed with their mother, avoiding the cold. off the ground, you can put them in a cardboard box with lots of old sheets or towels. It is ideal that this place remains clean. In this article we will teach you how to care for newborn cats with or without a mother .

Caring for newborn cats with mother

In the first weeks they are totally dependent on the mother as they are born deaf and blind, so she stimulates them with her tongue to do their physiological needs and eats all their waste, cats are guided by perceiving the mother’s warmth to feed themselves and they sleep most of the day.

Around the beginning of the second week of life they begin to open their eyes, so from the third week they can see and hear and it is possible that they begin to take steps.

When they reach one month of age, their curiosity is aroused and they will begin to bite and / or scratch objects and they can already hold themselves easily so they will most likely follow the mother everywhere wanting to feed.

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You must let them feed on breast milk for up to a month and a half and from there you can induce them to the new food, soak the croquettes preferably with water and give them in the form of porridge and little by little you separate them from the mother to facilitate Weaning, you can do it by putting them with her at night and separating them when waking up in the morning and then putting them back with her at noon and again at night in order to avoid hurting the mother with their teeth or nails.

When all their teeth have come out, you can also start putting dry croquettes so that they get used to it. The kittens should be wormed once they are weaned.

When the kitten is around 2 months old, the kitten should be fully adapted to eating canned or dry food (especially for kittens puppies), using its litter box and drinking fresh water without problems, although remember that cats do not drink as much water as dogs.

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Caring for newborn cats without a mother

Unfortunately, the case may arise in which the felines do not have their mother either because an accident occurred, they were rejected or simply because you rescued them without her. Caring for newborn cats is difficult but not impossible to help them.

If that is your case, follow these tips to care for motherless cats

• • Put them in a clean and warm place , you can put a bottle of warm water aside to resemble the warmth of the mother, remember that this place must be cleaned continuously. If by chance you are taking care of a single kitten you can put a small clock inside his bed in order to simulate the heartbeat of the mother and the little one does not feel alone.
    

  • Regarding food, we must say that breast milk is irreplaceable and essential at least during the first 5 days of life, but this need can be met by means of special milk formulas for newborn cats that are sold in veterinary stores, you must Initially feed them every 3 hours for 24 hours a day by means of a bottle or bottle, so prepare to stay up late as if you had a newborn human baby.
• You must stimulate them with a damp cotton ball , preferably with warm water so that they urinate and defecate. This you should do every time you feed the furry ones.
• When they begin to try to stand on all fours, you should caress them from head to tail simulating the licking of their mother, this stimulation can help them learn to walk more easily.

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Follow the above recommendations and newborn cats will develop as if they had had their mother.

Positive training is very important when caring for cats

When they are independent we begin to educate them to relieve themselves in the places we choose, we should not scold them or rub excrement on their snouts when they are not doing in the established place because with this we will only make them scared and they will not understand what we want to teach them, We must have patience.

When we see the cat walking around, crying, or with any sign that alerts us that it wants to relieve itself, we take it running to the place established for it and when it is finished we congratulate it through caresses and / or rewards.

It is not advisable to carry them a lot since they are very fragile , in case we have to learn to grasp them with both hands, one allowing their hind legs to rest on our hand and the other on their chest, remember to carry them close to your chest to make them feel safe.

Do not forget to take them to the vet so that he can advise you on the feline vaccination schedule  and deworming for your cat .

Have you ever had to take care of newborn cats? tell us your experience.