| The absolute best place for newborn kittens to be is | | | | your kitten the best nutrition. Never give plain cow's |
| with their mothers. They need valuable antibodies | | | | milk as it gives kitten's diarrhea because they cannot |
| from her colostrum and need her constant licking and | | | | digest it well. |
| care. Sometimes newborn kittens are separated from | | | | Ricky had his good days and bad days. Some days |
| their mothers and need to be raised by humans. | | | | he wouldn't eat or eliminate well and would be very |
| Although this isn't ideal, you can still raise healthy | | | | shaky. There were plenty of days when we didn't |
| newborn kittens by hand. | | | | think the little guy would make it through. We fed |
| Our world was turned upside down by a newborn | | | | him round the clock and took him everywhere we |
| kitten named Ricky Bobby. Our dog Shamrock, a | | | | went. He couldn't be left alone for even an hour or |
| huge German Shepard, brought a newborn kitten | | | | so at the beginning. |
| home in her mouth. She gently carried this brand new | | | | We did everything we could to keep him warm and |
| kitty and gently laid it down in front of us. Shamrock | | | | safe. Newborn kittens are very fragile and need |
| had always loved cats, but this was truly amazing. | | | | constant care and attention. We fed him often and |
| She was a kitten rescue dog! | | | | constantly stroked him and cuddled him. Raising a |
| Ricky Bobby still had his little umbilical cord and | | | | newborn kitten alone, without littermates is difficult. |
| couldn't have been more than a day old. We | | | | Newborn kittens with littermates will pile on top of |
| searched high and low for his momma, but never | | | | each other for warmth and support. They feel safer |
| could find her. We decided that we were going to | | | | having littermates near them, as they can feel their |
| have to try and raise this newborn kitten on our | | | | heartbeats and they know their smell. A newborn |
| own. We knew he had a very slight chance of | | | | kitten that is alone needs extra care and attention |
| survival, but we wanted to give him the best possible | | | | from a human to simulate a mother or littermate. |
| shot at a normal, healthy life. | | | | Ricky Bobby made it through and is very |
| Newborn kittens really need colostrum from their | | | | affectionate. He came down with an inner ear |
| mothers, and although there are supplements you | | | | infection at one point, that makes him walk with his |
| can buy, nothing beats that milk they get in the first | | | | head crooked. He looks and acts quite comical, but |
| 24 hours of life. Of course, we had no idea if Ricky | | | | he is healthy and happy. Since he was hand raised he |
| Bobby had received his colostrum. We instantly made | | | | is very social. He has a very outgoing personality. |
| a homemade formula for him and then went and | | | | Raising newborn kittens can be tough. With a little |
| purchased some high quality commercially made | | | | information and persistence you can hand raise a |
| formula as soon as we had the chance. It is | | | | healthy, happy cat. |
| important to get really good quality formula to give | | | | |