How to Make Kitten Formula in 5 Easy Steps
Orphaned kittens are highly dependent on a special formula to keep the nutrients they need to thrive. You need to keep in mind that kittens are dependent on liquid nutrition from birth up until around 4 weeks.
While an ideal food source is the mother’s milk, you will also have to learn how to make kitten formula to ensure that these kittens get sufficient calories and nutrition in the absence of their mother’s milk. Yes, knowing how to whip a kitten formula is also a good skill for emergency feeding.
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Learning how to make kitten formula from scratch is an essential skill for every cat owner or carer. Note that these kittens have high energy need that they need to get in one meal. As per the assistant professor of Clinical Nutrition at the University of California- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Dr. Jennifer Larsen, most kittens need to have about three to four meals every day. She likewise emphasized that cats are, in fact, snackers and that they find comfort in food as well.
It is important to know that the nutritional requirement for most vitamins, fatty acids, and fats, is almost equivalent for both kittens and adult cats. However, kittens need a bigger amount of amino acids and minerals. These young animals should likewise get about one-third of their energy from a protein source
What You Will Need in Making Kitten Formula
We will not discount a fact that you can instantly purchase premixed or powdered kitten formula directly from a pet store. However, if you have tiny kittens, learning how to make a kitten formula that is way too calorie-laden. In this tutorial, we will focus on how to make kitten formula using goat’s milk as the primary ingredient. Here’s what you will be needing:
10 oz of goat’s milk
1 cup of whole or plain yogurt
1 large organic egg yolk
2 teaspoons of light corn syrup
Never substitute this syrup with honey. Kittens are not able to fight the botulism spores that are present in honey due to the sensitivity of their stomach linings.
For the feeding part, you will have to prepare the following:
Syringe or feeding bottle for kittens
Your prepared goat’s milk kitten formula
An alarm clock for the feeding schedule
Spreadsheet or a journal for documenting progress
Microwave oven (heating of formula prior to feeding)
Digital weighing scale for documenting purposes
Towels and cleaning materials for post-feeding
How to Prepare the Goat’s Milk Kitten Formula
1. Prepare the Milk Base
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Purchasing your goat’s milk from the local farmer’s market is your best option. Goat’s milk has much substantially less lactose than cow’s milk, so it is much easier for their tummy to digest and absorb. However, If fresh goat’s milk is not available, you may opt for an evaporated goat’s milk. You simply mix about 30z of water to a 10 oz of evaporated goat’s milk.
2. Add the large organic egg
Lightly beat the egg and add to the milk. Gently whisk it to avoid the formation of froth or bubbles. Always opt for an organic ingredient. It is easier and better for their digestion.
3. Add the plain yogurt
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Add the plain yogurt. Organic is a better option. Please note that kittens need the fat so do not replace the whole fat or plain yogurt with the low-fat type. Moreover, it is also a big NO to replacing the yogurt with cream. It lacks the enzymes needed for digestion which can make them very sick and prone to diarrhea and other digestive diseases.
4. Add the Karo Syrup
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If you intend to feed a new kitten but unsure as to when it was last fed, it is recommended to use 2 teaspoons for the first batch. On your next batch, a single teaspoon is sufficient. As mentioned earlier, never substitute syrup with honey as small kittens are prone to botulism or botulism poisoning.
5. Mix well and start feeding
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After mixing all ingredients, store the formula in a container with tight lid. Before feeding it to your kitten, you can microwave it first for 60 seconds and cool down. You may opt to use a syringe of a tiny feeding bottle.
Be aware of how frequent you should be feeding your feline friend. For its first week, you need to feed it around 1ml every two hours. You can then increase the amount of formula by 0.5 ml. On the second week, your kitten should be able to consume around 7 ml per day.
After feeding, know that there is also an aftercare to apply. Just like human babies, these kittens need to be burped as well. A tiny gasp of burp is usually achieved if you do a gentle tap using a finger or two on their back. Aside from burping, you should also potty your pets after feeding.
Conclusion
Learning how to make a kitten formula is vital, but knowing what you need to be careful of when feeding is also equally important. When you are feeding your kitten, check whether your feline pal is latching well and to ensure that it is not aspirating.
As a general rule, it is better to slightly underfed the kitten than to overfeed these kittens. When kittens are overfed, they tend to develop diarrhea which can be detrimental to their health. Small kittens can easily die from dehydration.
Apart from knowing how to make a kitten formula, the frequency of feeding, and all the necessary aftercare, you also need to track the progress. Keeping records will enable you to detect a problem. Tracking does not have to be complicated; a simple spreadsheet will do.
You need to take note of the input (amount of milk taken), output (potty), and the weight gain. All of the information can help you understand the health status of your kitten.
