PetLac and KMR both work great. I try to keep the convenient liquid on-hand for sudden needs.
When some post that they have a found bottle-baby kitten and don’t know what to feed it, the Goat Milk People start coming out of the online swamp to recommend Goat’s Milk as an appropriate emergency food for kittens.
It is not — and many of the Goat Milk People — would never have your change to a species-appropriate substitute. I am looking for a handout I used to send people that included the nutritional information for a number of animal milks.
They vary greatly in terms of fat and protein content and everything else. When I find the chart I will add it to this post.
Here is a chart posted by the shelter vet program at the University of Wisconson that illustrates the differences between a queen’s (cat) milk, a bitch’s milk (dog), cow’s milk, and goat’s milk.
Here is a page from PetAg, the Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) folks that talks about what is in their kitten and puppy milk.
If you feed enough goat or cow’s milk to meet a kitten’s nutritional requirements you will likely not get enough into the tiny cat, you will make it sick, and it may even die.
Remember that Wal-Mart is an excellent source for kitten and puppy milk replacer when you can’t go to a real pet store.
I like to have pre-made KMR or PetLac (both comes in soda cans or TetraPaks) handy for when I need some in a hurry. Don’t mix the powder in a blender because it foams. Get an instant-read thermometer to measure the feeding temperature. I like 100 degrees but no more.
Once opened, the liquid and powder must be refrigerated.
The program is heard Noon-2pm Sundays on KSCO 1080/104.1 and KOMY 1340 Santa Cruz/San Jose/Monterey, CA as well as live online and as an always-available podcast.
He is the founder of two large Facebook lost-and-found groups for missing pets in and around Tracy, CA. His family includes his wife, Elionora Bjur, and multiple dogs and cats.
- How to Listen to KSCO Pet Radio - December 12, 2020
- This Week’s Guests on Pet Radio - November 17, 2020
- Red & Howling Closing (until next Summer?) - October 17, 2020
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