Kitten Feeding

Author: Feline Advisory Council

Milk Substitutes

Cow's milk is sometimes erroneously thought to be a substitute for queen's milk However, analysis of cow's milk shows that the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and lactose levels are too high, and the energy, protein, and fat levels are too low to sustain a
growing kitten. Adding egg yolk (cooked over steam while stirring) (creating enriched cow's milk) increases the protein and fat to more reasonable levels, but the calcium  level remains four times greater and the phosphorous level two times greater
than in queen's milk. Enriched milk is an unsuitable substitute for the long term, though it can be used temporarily until a more appropriate milk replacer is obtained.

Commercial human baby formula, made up at twice the recommended concentration, can be used on a short-term basis for kittens. The percentage of nutrients in baby formula is similar to that of cow's milk, except that the lactose level is lower. However,
baby formula provides less than 50 percent of the protein and fat that growing kittens require.

The best substitutes are commercial products such as KMR (PetAg, Inc.), Havolac (Haver Co.), or Veta-Lac (Vet-A-Mix, Inc.), which have been specifically formulated to closely match the nutrients found in queen's milk.

Feeding

Intake is limited by the size of the stomach, and excessive fluid intake must be avoided because a newborn kitten's kidneys are functionally immature and have a very limited capacity. Numerous feedings throughout the day, usually every four hours, will prevent overloading the digestive system and kidneys. The number of feedings can be decreased, and the intake per feeding can be increased accordingly, as the kitten matures.

The daily intake of food is based on the kitten's energy requirement. Caloric requirements for the newborn kitten are approximately 420 kilocalories per kilogram at birth, and by five to six weeks of age it needs only 240 to 275 kilocalories per kilogram. (A kilogram is 1000 grams, or 2.2 pounds. A kilocalorie, a term often shortened to calorie by the nonscientific community, is the amount of heat required to raise
the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius.) To calculate the daily amount of milk replacer required for the newborn follow these steps:

* Divide the kitten's weight in grams by 1,000 to determine the weight in kilograms.

* Multiply this number by 420 (kilocalories). The result provides you with the number of kilocalories needed daily to sustain the newborn kitten.

* Find the caloric concentration of the formula on the label. Divide the amount needed by the kitten by the caloric concentration of the milk replacer.

* Multiply the answer by the quantity of formula (in
milliliters) that supplies the specified caloric concentration.

* Take the total for the day and divide it by the number of feedings per day. Article continues on next page......

About the author:
Courtesy of the Feline Advisory Council, Cornell Feline Health
Center, Cornell University

Linda Mar Veterinary Hospital and its cat-only affiliate, Coastal Cat Clinic, are small animal practices located in Pacifica, California. To find a veterinarian or to learn more about the vet clinic and our staff, visit:  lindamarvet.com