Learn about the key things kittens need after birth.

What do newborn kittens need?

While the mother cat will usually provide her kittens with warmth and nutrition, it's good to know what kittens require, in case you need to help. It can be difficult to know how to properly care for vulnerable newborn kittens. Watch our video for advice on how to look after newborn kittens in their early development including healthy weights, healthy physical developments, and how to look after newborn kittens.

Feeding newborn kittens

Newborn kittens should get all of their nutrition from their mother. This will continue until they gradually transition to solid foods when they are around four weeks old (a process known as weaning).

The first milk produced, called colostrum, is rich in antibodies and will help protect kittens against diseases. These antibodies last for six weeks or more. Kittens can only absorb colostrum during their first 16 to 24 hours of life and they should feed within two hours of birth. It is essential that kittens receive colostrum to protect them against disease. If any kittens do not receive the first milk, contact your vet.

Newborn kittens need to feed every two to three hours. Kittens suckling well from their mother will sleep between feeds and do not need additional nutrition until three to four weeks of age. Kittens not receiving adequate nutrition from their mother may cry and constantly seek the teats. Contact your vet if you think a kitten is not getting enough milk.

Distressed newborn kittens may be restless, cry excessively, stay awake for long periods, leave their mother and kittening area, appear neglected by their mother or stop feeding and have a reduced sucking reflex.

If the mother is relaxed, you can gently weigh the kittens at birth and then weigh them daily to ensure they are gaining around 10 to 15g each day, doubling their birth weight by two weeks of age. Kittens typically weigh between 90 and 110g at birth.

If kittens are rejected by their mother for any reason, or if the mother is unable to feed her kittens, you may need to hand-feed them.

Veterinary care

Talk to your vet to find out which treatments the kittens need and when.

Flea and worming treatments may be recommended for kittens as young as two days old, depending on the risk to the kittens. Find out more about fleas and learn more about worms.

Vaccinations are essential to protect the kittens from disease, so ask your vet when the course of vaccinations can begin. Find out more about vaccinations. 

The kittens should be neutered when they're around four months old. If neutering is not carried out by then, you should separate males from females and the mother to prevent inbreeding. Ask your vet if you need help sexing the kittens. Find out more about neutering.

Hand-rearing kittens

If any of the kittens are rejected by their mother, or the mother is too ill to care for them, then you will need to help care for the kittens.

Hand-reared kittens need:

  • a carer who can attend to them throughout the day and night
  • a clean, warm environment. If there is no mother, a cat-carrying basket with lots of bedding and a soft toy to snuggle up to is ideal
  • a safe source of warmth
  • a clean environment to prevent infection
  • regular feeding. Newborn kittens must be fed every two to two-and-a-half hours
  • to be stimulated to pass pee and poo before and after each feed until at least three weeks old
  • to be socialised with positive experiences and taught normal behaviour that they would normally learn from their mother

Find out more about hand-rearing.

Download: Pregnant cats guide

Related topics

Kitten care

Hand-rearing 

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