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Kitten Care • First Aid

I found a kitten. What should I do in the first 24 hours?

The priorities are determining whether the mother is truly absent, protecting the kitten from cold, assessing age and condition, and arranging appropriate feeding and veterinary care.

Veterinarian reviewedUpdated Aug 20, 2026
The key takeaway

A healthy mother cat is usually the best caregiver. If the kitten is warm, quiet, clean, and in a safe nest, observe from a distance before assuming abandonment.

First: is the mother returning?

Mother cats may leave to find food or wait until people move away. If the location is safe and kittens are warm and settled, monitor discreetly. Immediate intervention is appropriate when kittens are cold, injured, continuously crying, in danger, or the mother is known to be dead or unable to return.

Warmth comes before feeding

Very young kittens cannot regulate body temperature well. A cold kitten should be warmed gradually before feeding because hypothermia reduces gut motility and suckling ability. Use a wrapped heat source that warms only part of the nest so the kitten can move away.

Do not use cow’s milk as the main diet

If the kitten is truly orphaned, use a commercial kitten milk replacer prepared exactly as directed. Feed in a belly-down nursing position, not on the back. Forcing liquid into the mouth can cause aspiration.

Veterinary assessment

Age, hydration, body weight, fleas, congenital abnormalities, injuries, infection risk, and feeding needs should be assessed as soon as practical. Very young kittens may also need stimulation of the genital and anal area after feeding to urinate and defecate.

Urgent signs: cold body, weak or absent suckle, constant crying, pale gums, heavy fleas, diarrhea, breathing difficulty, trauma, seizures, or failure to gain weight.

Veterinary sources

Merck Veterinary Manual — Neonatal managementMaddie’s Fund — Orphaned kitten care