Kitten Milk Recipes
for Infant Kittens

It happens sometimes that a mother cat is unable to provide kitten milk to take care of her kittens for one reason or another. Perhaps she has died delivering her kittens. Perhaps she has no interest in her kittens (it happens). Or perhaps she does not have an adequate milk supply to feed all of her kittens properly. Or it might be that you have been given a kitten that is really too young to have been taken from its mother. In all of these cases, it may be up to you to supply the kitten with the proper nutrients in another form.

Here are a couple of recipes that may help:

EMERGENCY KITTEN MILK

12 oz. boiling water
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and add:
1-12 oz. can evaporated canned milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 egg yolk

Mix well in mixer. Place in covered bowl and store in refrigerator. Warm a small amount for feedings. This will keep for about 7 days.

INFANT KITTEN FORMULA

1 can evaporated milk (or 1 can goat's milk)
1 cup Pedialyte (or generic equivalent, unflavored)
1 whole egg
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon liquid infant vitamins

Blend together. Heat small amounts in microwave to "wrist comfortable" temperature immediately before administering. Store leftovers in refrigerator no longer than 72 hours. Blend before serving each time.

To administer, use a syringe without needle or use a kitten feeding bottle. Start with small amounts and work up gradually as kitten grows. Administer once every two hours during first two weeks, every three hours during third week, and every four hours during fourth week. During fourth week, start blending a small can of high quality ground kitten food into the mixture.

KITTEN MILK

13 ounces unflavored Pedialyte
12 ounces evaporated milk
8 ounces plain yogurt (1% milkfat NOT light)
2-1/2 ounces lamb baby food
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Karo white corn syrup

Put all ingredients into a blender and mix well. Put milk into Nurse-Maid pet nursing bottle (found at Wal-Mart) and heat to lukewarm. Test on the inside of your wrist. Be sure to stir the milk in the container each time before you refill the bottle.

Put remaining milk into 8 ounce containers and freeze until needed. Two-week-old kittens will drink about 1/2 ounce every 4 hours. Four-week-old kittens will drink about 1 to 1-1/2 ounces every five hours.

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