Newborn Kitten Care: A Comprehensive Guide Every Cat Parent Should Know

Bringing a newborn kitten into your home is an exciting and heartwarming experience, but it also brings along an immense responsibility. These adorable tiny creatures are extremely vulnerable and require extensive care and attention, especially during the first eight weeks.

In this blog, we’ll explore the fundamentals of newborn kitten care, from feeding and socialising to weaning and deworming, covering the major milestones. We’ll provide you with a week-by-week kitten care guide to help you give them the best possible start to their life.

Let’s jump straight into it!

Week-by-week Guide to Taking Care of a Newborn Kitten

You can get a kitten if your cat has a litter of kittens, or you adopt, foster, or rescue one. In any case, newborn kittencare is a huge commitment, and you need to be 100% sure about this decision. If you’ve made up your mind, be thorough with the following kitten care guide.

Week 1: Newborn Kitten

The newborn kittens are highly susceptible to infections as their immune system is in the initial stages of development. They need to be fed every 2-3 hours, even during nights, with kitten-friendly milk. If you have a cat, it’s possible she might not produce enough milk for all the kittens, and some cats reject their kittens. So, you’ll have to feed them the same way you’ll feed a rescued kitten.

Newborn kittens cannot urinate or defecate themselves; you’ll need to stimulate the genital area with a warm and damp cloth. Plus, they are not able to regulate their body temperature, so you’ll have to provide the required warmth. Wrap them in a towel or use a heating pad or warm water bottle and replace it every 2 hours.

Week 2: Eyes Opening

During week 2, newborn kittens begin to open their eyes, but their vision is still developing. They’ll start to grow and consume more milk, so continue to feed them larger amounts but less frequently, every 3-4 hours.

This week is crucial for their growth, so start weighing them daily to ensure they’re putting on a healthy amount of weight. Plus, they’ll start to develop the ability to regulate body temperature but still require assistance for warmth and toileting.

Week 3: Getting Stronger and Socialising

Around this time, your kittens will start to grow rapidly and will require slightly larger portions of feeding every 4-5 hours. They’ll also start to grow fur so you can adjust the external warmth assistance accordingly.

Plus, they may start to defecate on their own but still require gentle stimulation after feeding. Week 3 is also ideal for their socialisation, which they typically learn from their mother. However, for a rescued one, you’ll have to help them by letting them interact with the littermates, other animals, and people.

Week 4: Litter Box Training

When your kitten is a month old, you can start introducing wet kitten food, but continue bottle feeding while you gradually shift to solid food. Plus, you can start reducing the reliance on external heating sources.

A month-old kitten should be encouraged to play and explore their surroundings. Provide them with safe and stimulating toys and allow them to socialise. Furthermore, this is the ideal time to begin litter training, so after feeding, place them in a litter box and stimulate them to do their business.

Week 5 and 6: Weaning and De-worming

These weeks usually mark the beginning of the weaning process, where you can start increasing the amount of solid food. Mix warm water or kitten formula with the food and gradually reduce the amount as your kitten gets older. Continue to monitor their weight and encourage your kitten to indulge in interactive activities. This will help develop motor skills and establish bonding with humans and their surroundings.

De-worming is another crucial aspect of newborn kitten care, which protects them against deadly worms and infections. You can take a general idea from the following treatment frequency table. However, it’s crucial to consult your vet, as the dosage of deworming treatments varies. The vet will recommend a suitable treatment and dosage schedule depending on your kitten’s weight and age.

Week 7 and 8: Becoming Independent

By this time your kitten should fully start eating kitten-friendly solid food and should have access to fresh drinking water at all times. They’ll be more curious and active, getting into all kinds of trouble, so provide a safe environment to play and explore. Moreover, these independent kittens should be fully litter-trained by now.

Around this time, kittens should receive their first round of vaccinations to protect them against a range of infections and diseases. Consult your vet about the vaccinations and follow up on the deworming dosages.

Parting Words

Caring for a newborn kitten is a rewarding but demanding responsibility that requires the right knowledge and dedication. Each stage of newborn kitten care will bring its own set of challenges. With the comprehensive guide discussed above, you will be able to navigate these challenges better and ensure your kitten thrives and becomes a healthy and happy cat. And if you’re unsure about anything throughout your cat’s pregnancy, birth, or when caring for the newborn kittens, you should consult your vet.