My 4-week kittens aren't being fed by mom. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Other | Unknown - Other | Female | 27 days old
I have 4 weeks kittens but the mother stopped feeding them what should ido
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 18th, 2018
Unfortunately the babies are still young so if mom will not feed them then they will depend on you. The best food is KMR (kitten milk replacer). You should be able to find it online. You can also purchase a nurser bottle. If mom is also not keeping them clean or stimulating urination/defecation this is important as well. I have attached an extensive link that gives a lot of helpful information about raising orphan kittens. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petcoach! www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on January 5th, 2020
Poor kitty! You will need to feed a milk replacer that is more tailored to a kittens nutritional needs. Here is a website with a few different homemade formulas. https://kittenrescue.org/2017/03/recipes-emergency-kitten-formula/ . I don't know if KMR is available in your area, but pet stores or Agriculture supply stores may have it. https://kittenrescue.org/2017/03/recipes-emergency-kitten-formula/ Ideally get mamma and baby kitten in to see a vet; I am concerned that she stopped feeding him before he was eating on his own. Also, usually at about 4 weeks of age, kittens will start to eat a little soft food (or hard food softened with milk replacer or with water) and most will drink water on their own. If he isn't doing that I'm concerned he may have an underlying problem.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on April 9th, 2017
UHT milk is not nutritious enough for kittens. You will need to get kitten formula from a veterinary doctor or pet shop. If you have found the kittens just now, you may want to take them back to where you found them and wait and observe whether their mommy is coming back. If the mother does not come back within a few hours then you can take them home and try to raise them. It is so much easier for a cat mom to raise her young than for a human. Here is how you raise kittens: Go to a pet store or a department store with a pet section and get a feeding bottle and some kitten milk. You will need to mix it according to instructions (if it is the powder) or warm up the liquid milk. Let the kitten suckle but do not turn it on its back, it needs to be on its belly. Take a warm moist paper towel or cloth and stimulate its anus and genitals so it urinates and poops. Clean it afterwards. Keep it warm in a box. Feed it every 2- 6 hours, depending on its age (Age determination: for every 4 oz of weight it is approximately one week old. So, if it weighs 16 oz, it is 4-5 weeks old.). You can start offering canned kitten food at the age of 6 weeks but keep feeding the kitten milk until it eats enough kitten food. Give it lots of love.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on March 14th, 2018
Newborn kittens are very fragile and cannot last long without food. You need to get to a pet store or grocery store immediately to get kitten formula. The brand I recommend is KMR, and you will need to get bottles as well to feed them. Raising orphan kittens is very time consuming, and you need to be prepared to feed them throughout the day and night, every two to three hours. I will put a link below on how to care for orphan kittens. I'd also recommend getting Zushi spayed. If she has abandoned her kittens, she simply may not be a good mother and if she is allowed to have kittens again, there is a likelihood this behavior will be repeated. Because of that, spaying her is best to prevent her from having any future litters and potentially leading you to have to take care of them. I hope this helps! http://www.2ndchance.info/orphankitten.htm
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 13th, 2017
Good for you for taking in the kittens! Kittens under 4-5 weeks of age should be fed kitten milk replacer formula (KMR - Esbilac is one brand) every 2-3 hours with a small bottle. After feeding, all kittens should be stimulated to eliminate by rubbing a fairly coarse damp washcloth over their hind ends to mimic the mom's tongue. Be sure to keep the kittens warm and confined to a small area. Around 4 weeks of age, soft kitten food can be introduced using either canned kitten food or water soaked kitten kibble. Around 6 weeks of age, the kittens should go to the vet to start vaccines and deworming treatments. This link also has additional information about caring for the kittens: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576. I hope that all goes well!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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