Care and Feeding Guidelines for Orphaned Newborn Kittens and Puppies

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When a newborn puppy or kitten loses their mother, is rejected, or cannot nurse safely, human care can quickly become lifesaving. This presentation explains the basics of caring for orphaned newborn kittens and puppies, including warmth, feeding, hygiene, safe positioning, weight tracking, and housing.

What does this presentation cover?

This care and feeding guide covers:

• When humans may need to step in
• What supplies to gather
• How to prepare and handle milk replacer
• Bottle feeding and Miracle Nipple use
• Feeding timelines for newborn puppies and kittens
• How to calculate feeding amounts
• Safe feeding positions
• Daily weight tracking
• Warning signs and special care concerns
• Safe housing for orphaned newborn animals

Caring for orphaned newborn puppies and kittens can be stressful, especially when the babies are very young, weak, hungry, or unable to nurse. This presentation can help turn a high-stakes animal care situation into clearer next steps.

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About the Author
This presentation was created by Marisa Yaniro, RVT/LVT, a HazAdapt Animal Resilience Researcher with 20+ years of veterinary and animal resilience experience.
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For more step-by-step safety information and instructions for helping dogs and cats through pregnancy and birth, visit HazAdapt’s Pregnancy & Birth: Dogs and Cats Guide.

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