You Are Reading

What should I do if a newly born kitten doesn't eat milk?

There are two main reasons why a newly born kitten doesn't eat milk. The first reason is that the kitten is too small and doesn't know how to suckle. As long as the kitten's mental state is normal, this is a normal situation. The owner can bend the kitten's mouth and place it near the mother cat's nipple. Once the kitten smells the milk, it will open its mouth to suckle. The second reason could be that the kitten is weak and lacks the strength to suckle. In this case, you can try to feed the kitten using a syringe or pipette.

  1. inability to suckle

Newly born kittens may not be able to find the mother cat's nipple. In this case, you can place the kitten's mouth near the nipple, allowing it to suckle on its own. If the kitten doesn't eat milk within a day, you can prepare goat's milk formula and feed it to the kitten to prevent malnutrition.

  1. weak constitution

Some kittens may not eat milk because they are inherently weak. If the kitten goes for a long time without eating milk, it can lead to death. In this situation, you need to feed the kitten manually. You can choose a pet-specific goat milk formula and a small bottle. Mix the formula with hot water and feed it to the kitten in small amounts to prevent indigestion.

Note: When manually feeding a kitten, it's important to remember that the kitten lacks the ability to pass urine and feces on its own. Therefore, you need to use a cotton swab dipped in warm water to gently wipe the kitten's anus to stimulate urination and defecation. Also, since the kitten is too small to regulate its own body temperature, it's essential to keep it warm to prevent illness caused by cold.