Foster Kitten Care Chart

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
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GitaBooks
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Foster Kitten Care Chart

Post by GitaBooks »

I wrote this up as much for myself as anyone else. Every "Kitten Season" I foster kitties for the local Humane Society where I volunteer. We just finished with two boys and now have four that were found in a dumpster. I hope this helps people raising bottle-babies to know what to expect and what to look for. Some of this information I have experienced personally, I can say, however, that I don't measure the amount of milk kittens drink during a feeding, I just watch to see if they drink until full or if they seem to lack an appetite or be having any trouble with eating. My four kittens are about 3.5 weeks old and drink a full kitten bottle of milk during some feedings and only half during others, so it really depends on if they are hungry or not.

FOSTER KITTEN CARE CHART:::::

Weight and amount given varies with individual kittens, especially in the formula quality, animals genetics and eventual size, ect.

0-7 days (up to a week): 3-7 oz (100-200 grams), average 4 oz or 112 grams

32 cc of formula per day. Feed 5 cc per feeding, 6-9 times a day (I do it every two hours)

Ears open at 5-8 days, eyes may begin to open around this time as well.

Stimulating to use the bathroom every time they are fed.

8-14 days (1-2 weeks): 4-10 oz, average 7 oz or 196 grams

56 cc of formula per day, 4-6 times a day, with around 14 cc (1-7 ml) per feeding (I feed them every 2-3 hours, three during the night)

Eyes open at 7-14 days of age.

Stimulating to use the bathroom every time they are fed.

15-21 days (2-3 weeks): 8-14 oz (200-300 grams), average of 10 oz or 280 grams.

80 cc of formula a day, 3-5 times a day, with 27 cc (7-9 ml) per feeding (every 2-3 hour feedings, 3 during the night)

Begin to crawl without dragging themselves. Continue to stimulate, though messes may occur sometimes.

22-28 days (3-4 weeks): 10 oz to 1 lbs, averaging 13 oz or 364 grams.

Feed 104 cc a day, 3-4 times a day, with around 35 cc (10 ml) per feeding (every 3-4 hours, lowering the amount during the night to 2 or even 0).

Ears are erect, kitten can stand, will begin showing grooming and play behavior as well a occasionally using the bathroom on their own.

29-35 days (4-5 weeks): 12 oz to 1.3 lbs, averaging at 16 oz or 448 grams.

Fed 3 times a day around 138 cc in 43 cc servings.

Can usually use the bathroom without help (watch for signs of them not using the bathroom). Offer a litter box every feeding or constantly if they don't eat the litter. Will begin to show interest in canned food or lapping milk from a dish. Consider mixing canned food into the milk and straining it to provide the new taste in the bottle.

May be wormed.

36-42 days (5-6 weeks): 14 oz to 1.8 lbs

May insist on one or two bottles a day, particularly in the morning. Continue bottle feeding of the kittens are showing signs of dehydration or weakness. Offer water in a dish. Feed them 3-5 times a day from a dish.

43-49 days (6-7 weeks): 1-2 lbs

Should be nearly or fully weaned onto canned food. Can offer dry kitten food but watch for choking in small kittens. Water and a litter box should always be available.

50-56 days (7-8 weeks): 1.2-2.3 lbs

Weaned. May be vaccinated. Shelters sometimes fix cats by this age/weight (they are generally neutered/spayed at 2 lbs, though it is healthiest to weight until 4 lbs).

57-63 days (8-9 weeks): 1.4-2.6 lbs

Likely neutered/spayed by now, if 2 lbs, and ready for adoption in many cases.

64-70 days (9-10 weeks): 1.4-2.9 lbs

Keeping them with their mother, if not orphan, until at least 10 weeks of age is best for social skills and health of the kitten.

By 14-16 weeks they should be 4-5.5 lbs. This is the age breeders will separate kittens from their mother and neuter/spay them before adopting them out.

..........

1 week = 7 days = 1/4 a month

2 weeks = 14 days = 1/2 a month

3 weeks = 21 days = 3/4 a month

4 weeks = 28 days = 1 month

5 weeks = 35 days = 1.3 months

6 weeks = 42 days = 1.5 moths

7 weeks = 49 days = 1.8 months

8 weeks = 56 days = 2 months

9 weeks = 63 days = 2.3 months

10 weeks = 70 days = 2.5 months

11 weeks = 77days = 2.8 months

12 weeks = 84 days = 3 months

......

Kittens should be gaining around 1.7-3.5 oz a week during their first few weeks or around 6-9 grams or 0.3 oz from what I read.

....

Week one kittens will be blind and deaf and not into snuggling, petting, or playing at all. They will eat, sleep and use the bathroom. They also need to be kept warm but not hot.

Eyes begin to open in the second week, though they can't really see all that well. Their eyes are vulnerable to infection at this time, so watch for this. They will have blue eyes at this age. They will recognize a favorite nipple by smell.

By three weeks they are more aware of their surroundings and may be active for a few minutes crawling around, but still likely won't be too excited about cuddling or playing for too long. Their ears will begin to perk up and their baby teeth show. They will begin to purr.

By four weeks they have a fully mature sense of smell and are begin active, playful and start to use the bathroom and groom themselves (though the mother does the real cleaning still). They are getting improved eyesight and their hearing is well-developed. The mother will begin to leave her kittens for longer periods of time and they can start to try water or milk from a dish as well as canned food.

By five weeks sight is fully developed and weaning begins. They will begin to try stalking and pouncing, use the litter box, and play on instincts for hunting.

As they reach 6-8 weeks the eye color will start to change, they are VERY active and should be socialized in what a regular house-hold will be like, including being handled a lot, from the paws to the head. They will have sharp baby teeth, sharp claws, and should be getting four small meals of solid food a day.

They will start to mature reproductively at 6-9 months of age, get their adult teeth starting at 11 weeks and ending at around 20-24 weeks of age. They will be physically mature (size wise) at around 8-12 months of age and behaviorally will begin to settle down around 2 years of age.

........

For converting weight and milk formula amounts:::

1 cc = 1 ml

1 tsp = 4.9 cc

1 cup = 48 tsp

1 oz = 28.3 g

1 lbs = 16 oz

1 kg = 35.2 oz

1 g = 1000 mg
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