Lactation

How to Help a Kitten Defecate

Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. Updated: September 3, 2024
How to Help a Kitten Defecate
Cats

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If you have just rescued or adopted a kitten, you should know how to help it do its business. After a kitten drinks cat milk, it should empty its intestine by defecating. We must make sure the kitten does this every time it gets fed.

It is very important to pay attention to this detail whether you have one kitten or many. You should monitor them carefully after they have had their feed to ensure that they go to the toilet properly.

Keep reading this article from AnimalWised to find out how to help a kitten defecate.

You may also be interested in: How to Feed a Newborn Kitten
Contents
  1. Should we help a kitten defecate?
  2. How to help your kitten defecate
  3. More tips
  4. What to do if your cat doesn't defecate

Should we help a kitten defecate?

In the absence of the kitten's mother, we are responsible for the cat's life: We must feed and clean them, provide a stable temperature and indeed help the kitten defecate.

Under normal conditions, it is the mother that helps the tiny kittens to defecate after each feeding of milk. As their owner, it is you that should step in and help them do their business properly.

How to Help a Kitten Defecate - Should we help a kitten defecate?

How to help your kitten defecate

After each intake of food, you should ensure that your kitten does its business; but how? The mother cat uses her tongue to stimulate the body's natural reaction, but what about you?

You can use a damp washcloth or cotton garment to gently massage the kitten's genital area until you notice that they defecate. It is very important that you repeat this process each and every time you kitten feeds.

How to Help a Kitten Defecate - How to help your kitten defecate

More tips

After helping your kitten defecate, you should return the kitten to the "nest" you have prepared for them. Remember; you shouldn't touch kittens too much when they are very small.

The kitten may still have some urine left in their body and might soil their bed; therefore, you should regularly check that everything is clean and wash the bedding often. Failing to do so my lead to illness or disease.

What to do if your cat doesn't defecate

If your kitten does not defecate after two feeds, you need to visit a vet urgently - this is a very serious situation. Young kittens are very sensitive and can die when you least expect it.

You must act quickly if you suspect that your kitten is not well.

How to Help a Kitten Defecate - What to do if your cat doesn't defecate

If you want to read similar articles to How to Help a Kitten Defecate, we recommend you visit our Lactation category.

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IRAM
I found a lost kitten but its too small and I cant find its perants
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi IRAM,

Hopefully this article might be some help:

https://www.animalwised.com/caring-for-abandoned-kittens-2100.html
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How to Help a Kitten Defecate