Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Within a few hours after the kittens are born, you should look them
over for any apparent birth defects or you can take them to your vet-
erinarian for an assessment.Things to check:
1.
Open the mouth and look for a hole in the roof of the
mouth.This is called a cleft palate.
2.
Check to see that there are four legs and a tail.
3.
Check the umbilical area and make sure a hole is not present
at the abdominal wall.
4.
Check under the tail and see if there is a rectum and a set of
genitalia.
Kittens who are unhealthy at birth generally do not survive. Queens
may abandon or cannibalize kittens who are not healthy.
RAISING AN ORPHAN
Mother nature knows best, and kittens who are cared for by their
mothers have a better chance of survival than orphan kittens who are
raised by humans. If you find kittens who have been abandoned by their
mother or have kittens who are not being cared for by their mother, be
prepared for a lot of work and possible disappointment. But if all goes
well, there are few more rewarding experiences than raising an orphan
kitten into a healthy cat.
Feed Me
Newborn kittens need to eat
every two to three hours. They
have very small stomachs and
require small amounts of food
regularly. Do not give cow's
milk to a kitten, because it will
cause diarrhea and dehydration.
You need to use a commercial
kitten milk replacer. There are
several brands available through
veterinarians and pet supply
stores.There are also pet nursing
A special bottle with kitten milk replacer is
used to feed an orphan kitten.
