I want to first start this by saying do not ever take neonatal kittens away from their mother unless they have been rejected and/or the mother is trying to hurt them.
You stumbled across something small, and are not sure what it is. You discover you have found a new born kitten! While they are extremely cute they are also extremely vulnerable. Here is a step by step guide on what to do. The first 24 hours you have them will be a hugh factor in determining if they survive or not. Set yourself up for success!!!
1) Get them warm! Find a box, a heat source ( I use a warming blanket or heating pad) and set the source on low. Put a blanket over the heat source if it is not already a blanket. Put in a room no colder than 79 degrees and no warmer than 83 while also using a heat source. Most importantly keep them away from any drafty parts of your home. Homes that are kept very cold can be a death sentence for neonates even with a heat source. Taking these extra steps to make sure the room they are in is not too cold increases their chance of survival. I also make a space in their box (or cooler in my case) where it is just blanket in case they get too warm then they can squirm over.
2) Once you feel they are warm take their temperature. Use a rectal thermometer and put some KY jelly or any water based lubricant on it. Stick the very tip in gently. Their temperature should range between 97-99 degrees Fahrenheit. 96 is ok but do not let them get lower. 100 is ok too, but higher a fever has started. I would personally would not feed them if they are below 97 degrees. Warm them up gently. Neonates cannot regulate their temperature and when they are too cold their organs shut down. Do not feed a neonate who is cold. This will kill them. Their organs will begin to shut down if they are not warm enough.
3) If you take their temperature after having them on a heat source for 30 minutes and they continue to be cold warm them up slowly. Warming them up too fast can also kill them.
4) Once they are warm enough make the kmr or warm it up from the can. The milk should be warm not hot. I like to use a bottle with a miracle nipple ( buy off Amazon). Others use a syringe. With a bottle make sure you are not tilting it up too high. You don't want the milk (kitten formula) rushing out too fast. If you choose syringe without a nipple give the formula drop by drop. You can easily aspirate a kitten if they feed too fast. This is when the formula gets into the lungs and if the liquid is not removed this will kill them.
5) If a kitten does aspirate hold the kitten pointing down with one hand and tap their backs with the other. You need to do this immediately. You will know they aspirated by formula sneezing out of their nose or hearing a gurgling sound when they try to meow while you're feeding. You can also listen by putting your ear to their back after feeding. If you hear a popping when they breathe there is most likely fluid. visit your vet immediately. If you catch them aspirating you must react immediately. Calmly with care but with intention to get the formula out without hurting the neonate. Don't be afraid. Get it out fast and the baby will be ok. I listen to the neonate’s lungs by putting their back up to my ear after each feeding just to make sure no fluid has gotten into their lungs . This is a quick little trick to make sure you haven’t somehow missed seeing it. You will hear it, and again it sounds like a popping when they breathe.
6) Keep the box in a safe place and check on the kitten every 2 hours to feed for 1-7 days. Once their eyes are open I do every 3 hours. At 3 weeks you can move to 4-5. If you want them to live you MUST commit to this. If the room is the right temperature and they are on a heat source indirectly you should not have to take their temperature again unless they feel cold to the touch unless they are acting ill. By acting ill I mean not wanting to eat, and not sleeping most of the day. Lots of screaming means hungry or there is something wrong. If they do not want to eat every 2 hours try on the 3rd hour. They really should not go any longer than 3 hours. If your kitten does not want to eat contact your local rescue or vet for help.
7) Weigh your neonate at the beginning and the end of every day. THIS is very important! If the kitten is not gaining weight or losing weight over a 24-36 hour period there most likely is a problem. DO NOT wait to see if they get better. Immediately find a vet in your area that is familiar working with neonates. Not all vets are so make some phone calls before getting in the car.
8) Once the kitten is fed and warm you want to check them for fleas. If they have fleas they will need a bath. You need to give this bath with the utmost of care. Check out the Kitten Lady on Youtube. Make sure you blow the neonate dry on low heat immediately after the bath. Do not feed right after the bath. If they got cold they need time to warm back up.
Kitten Lady bath video
9) Lastly put some warm fuzzy blankets and a stuffed animal in your baby's box so they feel safe, secure and loved.
The first 7 days of a neonates life are the most critical. If you are new to this try to devour as much information as possible. Make sure you get sleep in between those 2 or 3 hour feedings. Even 1 hour will help. You may want to stay by their side but you need rest or you can't help as clear minded as you normally would. I personally put my house temperature between 78-80 degrees F, and have them sleep next to or on my bed in their personal box. A cooler works great!
Again, if the neonate refuses to eat there is most likely some underlying issue. In my experience a lot of times it's some sort of infection that a tiny amount of antibiotics can clear up. Again, find a vet familiar with neonates. Vets that are not familiar will most likely tell you to humanely euthanize. We don't do that over at Kitten Season because we believe they deserve a shot. Go to our YouTube page @kittenseason.tv to see some of our neonate success stories.
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