what to feed a stray baby cat

Foods Safe for Stray Kittens to Eat

• Milk. First things first: never give a stray kitten cow’s milk. ...
• Meat. Adult cats can eat raw meat without any trouble. ...
• Eggs. Besides meat, a stray kitten can also have eggs. ...
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout, herring — these types of fish are some of the absolute favorites of kittens and adult cats, too.
• Whole grains. ...
• Bread. ...
Carrots. ...
Pumpkin. ...
Spinach. ...
Yogurt. ...

Full Answer

How do you take care of a stray kitten?

How to Take Care of a Stray Cat – 8 Helpful Suggestions

• Determine if it’s a stray or a feral
• Feed it with care
• Create a shelter for it
• Seek medical care if needed
• Brush the cat’s hair
• Treat any flea infestation
• Be on the lookout for the cat’s owners
• Consider spaying or neutering. The first thing to do if you want to help a stray cat is to determine whether the animal truly is a stray or not.

How to rescue kittens with a feral mom?

• Sprinkle flour or baby powder around the nest to see the paw prints of a mother cat who may be coming and going from her kittens. ...
• Don’t put food by the kittens: Do NOT place food near the kittens to lure mom. ...
• If the kittens appear healthy and comfortable, you can safely wait 4-6 hours for a mom to return if the kittens are six weeks and under.

Do kittens get along with their mothers as adults?

This bond means a kitten who never leaves its mother will still get along with her when it becomes an adult. The most confident and well-adjusted kittens tend to be those who stay with their mothers until they are at least 13 weeks old. She will have more time to teach them to be confident, sociable adult cats.

How do mother cats react to kittens leaving?

Method 1 Method 1 of 5: Preparing a Kitten for Separation

1. Expect to separate the kittens from their mother when they are around 12 weeks old. ...
2. Be sure the kitten has learned to use the litter pan before removing her from her mother. ...
3. Introduce the new owner’s scent to the kitten. Kittens learn a lot about their environment by scent.
4. Introduce the kitten’s smell to a cat already living in the new home. ...

What can I feed a stray cat?

Plain rice and plain scrambled eggs are good quick fixes for a starving stray cat. A Fluffy Kitty reader even noted that you can add pumpkin or sweet potato to help calm cats' stomachs and aid with digestion. Often times, when people choose what to feed a stray cat they offer something instead of nothing.

Can you feed stray kitten milk?

Do not give a kitten cow's milk, except in an emergency. If you cannot obtain KMR immediately, use the following emergency recipe for up to 24 hours only. In an emergency, call, a veterinarian, or check a local pet store for kitten formulas.

What do you feed baby cats with no mother?

These kittens should be bottle-fed using kitten milk replacer (or KMR), which comes in either liquid or powder form. It's the equivalent to formula that you would use for a bottle-fed baby, except it's formulated for cats. The formula, bottles and nipples are all available over the counter at most pet supply stores.

What do you do with a stray baby kitten?

Do NOT take the kittens to an animal shelter. See if a friend or family member can care for them, or contact local rescues, animal protection groups, or advocates. You may be able to find such advocates near you through Alley Cat Allies' Feral Friends Network®.

What can I feed a baby kitten if I don't have formula?

Homemade milk replacer for kittens1 • 6 tablespoons (90 ml) condensed milk • 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water • 1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt (not low fat) • 3 large or 4 small egg yolks Blend uniformly and warm to 95-100°F. + Refrigerate between uses.

Do stray cats drink water?

Most stray cats will drink water from whatever sources they find. They won't be searching for the cleanest water, or the freshest. If they need a drink, they usually have to make do.

Can kittens drink water?

Your kitten is no different but she still needs to drink water and plenty of it! Kittens may get the water they need form wet food such as Whiskas® wet pouches, but they still need fresh drinking water. Water aids their body processes and helps them avoid potential problems with their kidneys.

Can cats drink milk?

The truth is that most cats are lactose intolerant so giving them cow's milk can actually cause significant health issues. Milk doesn't part of necessary cat nutrition and many cats suffer stomach upsets or other related problems because their owner thought that they were giving them a treat.

Can baby kittens drink water?

Very young kittens will get most of their fluid from their mother's milk and won't need anything else. Weaned kittens will need fresh water to drink.

How do you take care of a stray kitten without a mother?

For the first 3 weeks of life, orphaned kittens are usually bottle fed with kitten formula milk replacer every 2 to 4 hours. When kittens are 3 to 4 weeks of age, feed them a kitten milk replacer mixed with small amounts of moist, easily chewable, commercial kitten food four to six times each day.

What can I feed a stray kitten without cat food?

Discover some harmless staples you can share with your favorite feline:Fish. While you don't want your kitty eating from the aquarium, feeding him oily fish such as tuna or mackerel can help his eyesight, joints and brain.Meat. ... Cheese. ... Bananas. ... Berries. ... Melon. ... Carrots. ... Rice.More items...•

Can kittens drink cow milk?

In a word, yes, cows' milk is bad for cats. Most cats are actually 'lactose intolerant' as they don't have the enzyme (lactase) in their intestines to digest the sugar in milk (lactose), meaning that milk which contains lactose can make them poorly.

Can we feed milk to stray cats?

stigma that cats and milk go together. Cats love milk. However, they don't often digest cows milk well and can have diarrhea and/or vomiting from drinking cows milk. Kittens need the nutrients in a mother cat's milk but adult cats don't need milk.

What do stray kittens eat and drink?

You can start feeding a stray a little bit of cat chow or canned food and plenty of fresh water. Stray kittens who are old enough to be weaned can have small amounts of kitten chow or canned food as well as fresh water.

What kind of milk is good for kittens?

We recommend that you use only powdered kitten milk replacement formula from the start — or as soon as possible — to prevent diarrhea. Two major brands of formula are available: PetAg KMR® Powder and Farnam Pet Products Just Born® Highly Digestible Milk Replacer for Kittens.

What fish do kittens eat?

Tuna, salmon, mackerel, trout, herring — these types of fish are some of the absolute favorites of kittens and adult cats, too. Alas, some people do not have easy access to fresh fish. If you are one of them, feel free to give a stray kitten canned fish.

How old should a stray kitten be to be fed?

Stray kittens three weeks of age and below should be fed nothing but kitten milk replacer.

Why do kittens have eggs?

And just like meat, eggs that you offer to the baby cat should be cooked for the very same reason — to protect it from bacteria present in uncooked eggs. Because a stray kitten has a weak immune system and a frail body, it should be offered nothing but cooked eggs.

How to give a baby cat milk?

Give the baby cat what’s called kitten milk replacer available at veterinary clinics and pet food and supplies stores. When it comes to giving kitten milk replacer to a stray kitten, remember two things. First, ensure that the stray kitten’s temperature is not too low. Second, feed the stray kitten on its stomach, not on its back like a baby.

How much lactose is in yogurt?

While yogurt is from milk, it doesn’t contain as much lactose — a cup of cow’s milk has 12 grams of lactose, while a cup of yogurt has less than four grams of lactose only. It’s because of this why you may try offering a stray kitten yogurt.

What to feed a stray kitten?

Cooked beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey allows a stray kitten to get lots of protein and other important nutrients such as zinc, iron, phosphorus and B vitamins. Just make sure that you avoid giving a stray kitten fatty and greasy meat.

When do kittens start to crawl?

During the first week of life, the ears of kittens will begin to unfold. Their ear canals will slightly open, too, like their eyes. It’s also at this age when baby cats will start to crawl.

1 – Cat Food

Perhaps the most obvious thing to do will be to feed the stray cat some cat food. Cat food is a good option because it has been specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of cats.

2 – Tuna

Tuna is something that has a reputation for being able to attract felines. Cats do indeed seem to love the smell of tuna and will be interested in eating it if you offer it to them.

3 – Chicken and Beef

Chicken and beef will also be fine to feed to stray cats. It’s very likely that you’ll have some chicken and beef that you can feed a stray cat, assuming that you aren’t a vegetarian or a vegan.

4 – Scrambled Eggs or Plain Rice

Another idea is to make something such as scrambled eggs to give to a stray cat. This is generally going to be fine to give to cats and they’ll like eating it.

Avoid Processed Foods

Avoid giving stray cats processed foods because you’ll be harming the cat if you do that. Cats don’t have the ability to digest and process the things that are in processed foods that humans like to eat.

Say No to Milk

Milk might seem like a very good thing to give to a stray cat. Cartoons always seem to show cats enjoying milk.

Final Thoughts

You have many options when it comes to feeding stray cats. If you have a stray cat on your property, then you should be able to use the information above to find it something appropriate to eat.

Identifying A Stray Cat

A stray cat is a feline that is either lost or abandoned by its previous owner. Unfortunately, stray cats are a common sight in many places.

What You Can Do With Stray Cats

You possibly might be wondering what to do with stray cats roaming your surroundings.

What exactly do stray cats eat?

By their nature, cats are carnivorous animals. Hence, left to their device, cats survive as predators who hunt for other animals like lizards, mice, rabbits, birds, and other small animals, for food.

Will a stray cat starve if I stop feeding it?

Stray cats are great hunters, and will most likely not starve if you stop feeding it. However, if you feed the stray cat for a long extended period of time and then suddenly stop, it can be dangerous. If the cat has become reliant on you as a food source, it may have lost its swiftness and ability to hunt for food by itself.

What can I feed a stray cat?

Determining what to feed a stray kitty is the initial and one out of the several steps towards improving the lives of strays, and also increasing their survival chances.

How to Handle Stray Cats

Before you put out any food for a stray cat, you should know how to best handle the situation so you don’t cause any potential harm or stress to yourself or the cat.

Rehoming and After-Care

Often, it’s pretty easy to care for and rehome a stray cat, especially if it’s a kitten.

Final Thoughts

Overall, feeding a stray cat a portion of the cat food you already have on hand is the best approach. In most cases, most commercially bought cat food brands will be easy enough on any cat’s stomach and provide them with the nutrients and health benefits they need.

Katy Duncan

Katy Duncan is a writer/content creator based in the Pacific North West. When she's not busy writing captivating content for clients, she's working on her novel or spending time with her feline friend, Merlin Magoo, and her many prospering houseplants.

How old is a kitten when it's ready to be spayed?

At 8 weeks old, the kitten is ready to be spayed or neutered and placed into a loving home. There are many ways to find the stray kitten a home — check out bestfriends.org for a guide of best practices. Unless, of course, he or she is already home. Kittens are, after all, irresistible!

How to tell if a kitten is moving?

Here’s how to assess the situation: 1 Are the kittens sleeping comfortably? The mother is probably coming back. 2 When you recheck on them, are any of them missing? The mother is moving them. 3 If they’re often found sleeping, then the mother is caring for them. 4 To be absolutely sure, sprinkle some flour around where the kittens are located and look for paw prints upon your return. If the mother is in the picture, let them be. In approximately eight weeks, go back and TNR (trap/neuter/return) the whole family.

What to do if a stray kitten doesn't have a mother?

The first thing you’ll need to do is capture the stray kitten. For some kittens, this is as easy as reaching out and scooping them up.

How to trap kittens in TNR?

For others, you may need to contact a local animal society or shelter to obtain the humane traps often used in TNR. Simply place the trap out with some food inside, and wait nearby. The kitten should wander in and trigger the trap to close its door.

How long did a kitten not eat?

The kitten didn’t eat for nearly 2 days. I have scratches and a bite but finally swaddled and fed her with my husband’s help and after 3 days she’s starting to come around. most people don’t have the patience for this and want instant gratification. If they go to a typical shelter they get euthanized within a week.

How much does a kitten weigh at 4 weeks?

4 to 5 weeks old: kitten weighs 12 ounces to 1 pound. Feed mix of gruel/formula/kitten kibble: every four hours. 6 to 7 weeks old: kitten weighs 1 pound to 1 pound and 8 ounces. Feed mix of kitten kibble and wet food four times a day. 8 weeks old: kitten weighs one and a half to 2 pounds. Fully weaned.

What do you need to get a kitten to stop fleas?

You’ll need a warm room, warm water, Dawn dish soap, several absorbent cotton towels, tweezers and lots and lots of patience. Becareful not to get water in the kitten’s nose, mouth or ears, watch for fleas hiding inside the ears.

1 – Cat Food

2 – Tuna

3 – Chicken and Beef

• Chicken and beef will also be fine to feed to stray cats. It’s very likely that you’ll have some chicken and beef that you can feed a stray cat, assuming that you aren’t a vegetarian or a vegan. A standard type of cooked chicken with no spices will be just fine for stray cats to eat. They’ll love it and will likely come running when they smell it i...

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4 – Scrambled Eggs Or Plain Rice

Avoid Processed Foods

Say No to Milk

Final Thoughts