Hi Bronwyn,
Thanks for saving this girl and I’m sorry the others didn’t survive.
Here’s the basic information I give out and it has worked well.
You will need to have a warm nest box for the baby. You will need a heating pad in the nest so she’ll keep warm. Make sure she has a cool spot to move to if she gets hot. Wrap the heating pad with a towel and an unwashed shirt of yours. Warmth is especially important the first 14 days of a kitten’s life because they have not yet developed the ability to control their body temperature. For extra comfort, get her a soft stuffed toy to snuggle with so she doesn’t feel lonely (it works).
KMR concentrate tends to give kits constipation and the liquid does the opposite. In TDKland, we recommend Goats’ milk for kittens. Cats are lactose intolerant and can’t digest cows milk. Goats’ milk is full of nutrients, probiotics and gentler on their tummies. This can also regulate the poop. You can find it in the dairy section or the concentrate in the baking aisle. Mix the concentrate 1:1 with water or pedylite. If milk bubbles out of the nose it is flowing too rapidly from the bottle, you are holding the kitten wrong, or it is too weak to suckle normally. Most of the time, it is due to too large a hole(s) in the nipple or over feeding. Also, Kittens that have been abandoned are often chilled, dehydrated and hypoglycemic. Warm her up and give her a dab of Karo syrup or honey. This will give her an energy boost.
Minimums –
Newborn need to consume about 32cc daily,
At 2 weeks, 55cc daily,
At 3 weeks, 80 cc daily,
At 4 weeks, 100cc daily (add wet food to the milk to make a gruel),
At 5 weeks, 125cc daily.
Yes you need to burp your kitten! After each feeding hold the kitten its tummy against your shoulder and pat it gently until it burps, releasing trapped air.
Normal kitten stools are yellowish brown with a jam-like consistency. After every feeding, gently massage her with a cotton ball or Kleenex moistened with warm water until they urinate and defecate. Don’t worry if no urine or stool is produced after every feeding.
You might check for fleas. Those little pests can quickly suck a kitten dry of blood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJrSU-nqC
http://messybeast.com/catarchive.htm
Good luck
PG