Tube Feeding Orphaned Kittens

Posted by Darlene Cheek Jan 3, 2008

There may come a time, whether you are a breeder, a rescue worker, or simply have a pregnant cat, that you need to tube feed a litter of kittens. This is a tricky technique but may be the only hope for saving kittens if their mother has passed away or is sick, or if she didn’t make milk or just won’t feed her kittens. It is also a good procedure to know if you ever need to supplemental feed an at-risk kitten or one that is struggling to gain weight.

Purrinlot Cattery has posted a complete step-by-step instruction guide on tube feeding kittens. There are also two video clips of an adorable kitten being tube fed. Watching an experienced breeder try a couple of times to get it just right shows why she recommends getting a vet to show you first hand if it is your first time.

I hope I never have to tube feed a kitten, but it eases my mind tremendously that I know how to do it! Emergencies happen, and it is best to be prepared. If you have or are expecting a litter of kittens, you might also enjoy “Caring for Newborn Kittens,” which will teach you everything you need to know about raising a litter from birth to four weeks old.

If any of you have questions, please feel free to drop our forum. You will find “Pregnant Cat Question and Answer” and “Kitten Question and Answer” very helpful!