0–2 weeks
Freshman
Newborns. They cannot keep themselves warm, cannot eat on their own, and cannot go to the bathroom without help. This is the most fragile stage — please call us before you start.
0–2
weeks old
How to tell they’re a Freshman
Eyes and ears are closed (eyes open around day 7–10)
Umbilical stump may still be attached
Can’t regulate their own body temperature
50–250 g — about the weight of a deck of cards
What they need right now
Warmth first, always
Warm them before you feed them — a cold kitten cannot digest and feeding one can kill it. Nest at 85–90 °F with a covered heat source and a cool side they can move to.
Bottle every 2–3 hours
Kitten milk replacer only — never cow’s milk. Day and night, no skipping. Feed belly-down, never on their back.
They need help to pee
Rub the genital area with a warm damp cloth before and after every feed until about 3 weeks.
Weigh every day
Same time, same scale. A healthy kitten gains about 10 g a day. No gain for 24 hours is a call to us.
Call us if you see any of this
Don’t wait to see if it improves. We answer 24/7.
Not gaining weight, or losing it
Cold to the touch and not warming
Crying nonstop or gone silent and limp
Not latching or refusing to eat
Diarrhoea or a swollen belly
Resource library
Everything that applies to this stage. Items marked in production are on the way.