How do I care for a kitten without their mother?

In this instance, it's really good to go ahead and have the help of your veterinarian, so they know what's going on and can guide you. It is possible to bottle feed, but generally, newborn kittens need to teach you how to stimulate them and how to go to the bathroom. You can do this by taking a warm, damp paper towel and gently rubbing over their private area for their poops and their peas every two to three hours, and they should go ahead and go. That's how the mother cat stimulates them to go to the bathroom. I always recommend coming in to see your veterinarian, going through this, and talking about bottle feeding because sometimes bottle feeding isn't the easiest. You think that it would be, but it's not.

Caring for a kitten without their mother can be a full-time job. You will need a safe enclosure, a bottle, and milk replacer (not cow's milk). You will also need to feed the kitten every two to three hours and stimulate them to help them eliminate waste. Consult with a healthcare professional or veterinarian for more specific instructions on caring for a newborn kitten without their mother.

For newborns up to about five weeks, you'll need to use a kitten milk replacer and bottle feed every two hours or more if the kitten is vocalizing and readily accepts the bottle. As the kitten ages, these feeding windows will gradually lengthen. For very young newborns, you'll also need to stimulate them to urinate and defecate.