Kitten Fostering Equipment

• Small animal bottles and nipples

• Most animal supply stores carry a supply of small animal bottles or kitten bottles that'll come with a nipple. You'll want to get several of these so you can swap out and clean used bottles as they get dirty. 

• Receiving blankets or old towels

• Baby receiving blankets are perfect for padding cages or playpens and keeping the kittens warm. They're soft and warm and can easily be thrown in the wash. 

• Kitten milk replacer (aka KMR)

Photo courtesy of PetAg


• There are a number of brands on the market for kitten milk replacer. These can be found at your local pet supply store, or even your local grocery in many cases. PetAg is the easiest to find, or Breeder's Edge can be procured through a specialty store or on Amazon. Be wary of at home recipes for kitten milk as these often do not have the appropriate nutritional additives that kittens need (such as taurine). Never give a kitten cow's milk, and only in certain circumstances use goat's milk. 

• Heating pad or heating disk

• During the first few weeks of their life kittens cannot self-regulate their temperature. They typically rely on their mother for a heat source. You will need a heating pad or heating disk (like the Snuggle Safe microwavable heating disk) in order to keep the kittens warm. 

• Wet wipes, kleenex, other soft wipes for cleaning

• Kittens also can't use the bathroom on their own for the first few weeks of life. Mama cat helps them go poop and pee by stimulating their bowels with her tongue. This helps keep the kittens clean and prevents them from sitting in their own waste while mama cat is out hunting. However, it also means you will need to be the one to help stimulate them to go. You will need tissue and baby wipes to help stimulate them, and clean them up after. 

Other items you may also consider

• Food scale
• It's important to keep track of the kittens weight to know they are eating and growing appropriately. A gram or ounce scale, the kind you would use for measuring out food in the kitchen, is perfect for weighing these diminutive babies.

  

  Diana in her natural environment, the fuzzy blanket

• 10cc or smaller syringes
• For syringe feeding if necessary
• Miracle Nipple
• These are the best nipples and can really help out when you have picky eaters.
• Dawn dish soap 
• For kitten baths, any fragrant free, gentle liquid soap will do the trick
• Blender bottles
• These are perfect for mixing up formula from dry powder
• Shallow bowls
• These will help when weaning the kittens onto solid food
• Kitten/cat carrier
• For transporting kittens
• Puppy pads
• For litter training and keeping the area clean
• Cleaning supplies
• Disinfectants and sanitizers like bleach and hydrogen peroxide are helpful in keeping the area clean and disease free.
• Nail Trimmer
• Kitten claws are SHARP! Keeping them trimmed will help save your furniture and your flesh.
• Flea comb
• Fleas are some of the worst hazards a young kitten can face, and treating them will be incredibly important. 
• Dewormer
• Many kittens coming into your care will already be infested with worms even days after birth. Many deworming medications such as Panacur and Pyrantel Pamoate are safe for kittens and nursing moms. 
• Kitten wet food and dry kibble
• For when it's time to start the transition to solid food. Make sure the food is specific for kittens so that it has the correct nutritional value for your young kitten.
• Toys and scratching posts
• Once those little guys start growing they will need to play.
• Shallow litter pans and kitten safe litter
• For when it's time to start litter training these young ones.
• Digital thermometer
• Useful in assessing overall health of your kittens.