Archive for June 2009

To tube feed your kitten, you need a 12cc Luer Lock syringe. If your kitten is a newborn, you can use a #5 Fr. (1.7mm) feeding tube. If you have a larger kitten, a #7 or #8 feeding tube is ideal. You may also want to use red rubber tubes since they are more flexible compared to the others. Aside from the syringe and feeding tube, you also need a weighing scale, preferably one that can weigh ounces to the closest quarter.

Here are the steps for tube feeding a kitten:

1. Feel for your kitten’s last rib cage. Using the feeding tube, measure the distance from the kitten’s mouth to the last rib. Mark the spot with a permanent marker.
2. Prior to tube feeding, make sure to clean the feeding tube with warm water. Every few days, re-measure the distance from the kitten’s mouth to the last rib because newborn kittens grow fast.
3. Insert the feeding tube inside your kitten’s mouth. Glide the feeding tube into the back of your kitten’s throat. Stop when at the spot where you put the mark on the feeding tube.  The feeding tube should go down your kitten’s throat smoothly. If it does not, gently pull the feeding tube out and try one more time. There are times when your kitten will close and tighten his throat after you insert the feeding tube. Give your kitten a few seconds to relax his throat and then continue

Here are some tips you can use for tube feeding a kitten:

• Weigh your kitten regularly. Your kitten should gain a little weight every day. If your newborn kitten is not gaining weight, and instead is maintaining his weight, you may need to feed him up to two meals per day. A 4-oz kitten can be tube-fed 3 or 4 cc’s of milk.
• If, however, your newborn kitten is losing weight each day, he may need to be tube-fed more often. Start tube feeding your kitten several times per day. You can feed your kitten about 3 cc’s of milk at 4-hour intervals. As your kitten gains weight, adjust the amount of milk you feed him.
• Make sure you are tube feeding your kitten on a clean area.
• Once you get the hang of it, you will find tube feeding a kitten easy. Tube feeding a kitten is actually faster, easier and safer than bottle feeding. Tube fed kittens are less likely to become dependent on you and the nipple on the bottle for feeding. Tube feeding lets the kitten go back more naturally to his mother’s teats if he wants more milk.
• It’s a good idea to keep a record or journal of your tube feeding sessions. This will help you keep track of how much your kitten’s diet is being supplemented by the tube feeding.
• Draw milk into the syringe in the amount for one tube feeding only.
• After your kitten is tube fed, clean the feeding tube thoroughly and place in in the refrigerator.
• If you have two or more newborn kittens, get them separate feeding tubes. Never use the same feeding tube between or among kittens.