Feeding a 3-Week-Old Kitten: What Every Rescue Should Know

 

 

In 2015, my husband and I found a trash bag on the side of the road. Inside were baby kittens cold, fragile, and fighting for life. We didn’t know their age, but we knew instinctively what had to happen: keep them warm, bottle feed them, and stay close. That moment changed everything. What we learned through trial, error, and late-night research became the foundation for this guide. If you’ve just found a kitten and feel overwhelmed, I hope this article helps you the way others helped us.

At three weeks old, a kitten is entering a critical developmental stage. Their blue eyes are still prominent, ears begin to point upright, and baby teeth start to emerge. Vision and hearing are improving, and they’ll begin walking, exploring, and even testing out the litter box. A healthy kitten at this age typically weighs between 350–450 grams (12.8–14.1 ounces).

 Introducing Food

You can begin weaning by offering a mix of wet kitten food and kitten formula. This can be served in a shallow dish or fed via kitten-specific bottles. A general guideline is 4 ounces of milk per pound of body weight per day. For example, a 3-pound kitten would need approximately 12 ounces of formula daily, divided into multiple feedings.

 Essential Care Tips for 3-Week-Old Orphaned Kittens

 Feeding Schedule Feed every 6–8 hours, dividing total intake across feedings. Offer milk replacement formula in a shallow dish to encourage weaning. Introduce a moist, chewable mix of warm formula and high-quality kitten food 4–6 times daily. Avoid cow’s milk, which can cause digestive upset.

 Hydration: Provide fresh, clean water at every feeding. Rinse and refill the water bowl regularly, and sanitize weekly.

 Warmth: Use a low-setting heating pad wrapped in a towel until kittens are 4–6 weeks old. Ensure the bedding is warm but not hot, mimicking the warmth of a mother cat.

Cleanliness: Use clean newspaper for bedding during the first week. Avoid soft cloth bedding, which can pose suffocation risks for newborns.

Weight Monitoring: Kittens should gain about ½ ounce (14 grams) daily or 4 ounces (113 grams) weekly. Weigh kittens every 12 hours for the first two weeks, then daily until weaned. Continue weekly weigh-ins until at least 8 weeks of age.

 

📚 Supporting Resources

• Feeding Orphaned Kittens – VCA Animal Hospitals
• Best Friends Animal Society – Feeding and Weaning Orphaned Kittens
• Caring for Orphaned Kittens Under 3 Weeks – WikiHow

 

If you’ve just opened a trash bag and found life inside, or if you’re staring at a tiny kitten wondering what to do next know that you’re not alone. We’ve been there. And every ounce of care you give matters.

Bringing Home a Rescue Cat: Day One Rituals for Safety and Trust

 

Welcoming a rescue cat home? Learn how to create a safe, calming space on day one from setting up the perfect cat room to building trust through quiet companionship.

Over the years, I’ve welcomed many rescued cats into my home. And while each one arrives with their own story, my first-night routine has never changed. It’s a ritual of safety, calm, and quiet trust.

Setting Up the Safe Room

Every new arrival gets their own sanctuary a cat-safe room prepared with care: A clean litter box, fresh food, and water bowls. A pet crate lined with a self-warming bed, covered with a blanket to create a cozy den. A Feliway diffuser plugged into the wall to ease anxiety and promote calm. A sturdy cat tree securely mounted to the wall for safe climbing. Soft classical music playing in the background it seems to soothe them, and it soothes me too.

The floors are laminated wood, easy to clean and disinfect. I always wipe them down with vinegar before a new cat enters. This room becomes their haven, a place to absorb the scent of the house and the quiet presence of other pets without direct interaction.

What If You Don’t Have a Spare Room?

Not every household has a dedicated cat-safe room. If you're juggling kids, other pets, or limited space, you can still offer your rescue cat a soft landing without compromising their emotional safety.

Here’s how I’ve adapted when space was tight: I’ve used a large dog kennel with a secure latch and covered sides. Inside, I place a pet bed toward the front and tuck food and water bowls behind it, out of the way. For litter, I use a shallow shoe box lid it fits perfectly and keeps things tidy. I always spray the interior with Feliway Mood Modifier before the cat enters, never while they’re inside. The scent helps ease anxiety, but spraying near a frightened cat can backfire. I’ve carved out calm zones in guest bathrooms, laundry rooms, and even behind furniture using folding screens or baby gates. I’ve taught kids that this is a sacred time—no loud voices, no reaching in. Just quiet presence. I’ve kept resident pets out of the cat’s zone for the first few days, swapping blankets and toys to introduce scent before any face-to-face meeting.

Playpens don’t work for adult rescues. They climb. They leap. They panic. Containment must be secure, not just suggested. The principle remains the same: containment, calm, and quiet companionship. Even without a spare room, you can offer your rescue cat the gift of safety and trust. It’s not about perfection it’s about intention.

First Impressions Matter

On day one, I don’t expect affection. I don’t reach or coax. I simply sit on the floor and read a book. My presence says: I’m here. I’m safe. I won’t hurt you.

Most cats hide. Some hiss. A few try to scale the walls or test the windows. That’s why I always keep windows shut and locked. Fear makes them resourceful, and safety must come first.

The Hardest Day Is the First

The first day is often the hardest for both of us. But it gets better. With time, patience, and quiet companionship, the Feliway begins to work its magic. The cat starts to relax. They begin to explore. And eventually, they’ll want to learn more about me.

This isn’t just a rescue it’s the beginning of a relationship. One built on trust, respect, and the quiet promise that they’re finally home.

People Who Should Not Own a Cat

This month I have wondered why people adopt cats because some people are not responsible pet owners. Three weeks ago my husband found a cat in our yard in the middle of the night that was attacked by another cat. The cat my husband rescued was an adult Maine Coon that was defenseless because it had no claws.

Read my first post about this cat here

We gave this cat shelter in our garage and treated its wounds. For the next three weeks, we tried to locate the cat's people. A neighbor showed us a house that they thought was where this cat resided but after several attempts to contact the pet owner, we never heard from the people who resided in this house.

Then my friend who lives a block away called to say that she found the cat owner and they said to release the cat because it was an outdoor cat. My friend mentioned to the pet owner that the cat in question had been wounded and they said their cat was nice and did not fight and if it got into a fight then it was nature.

A cat that has no claws should not be an outdoor cat. They cannot defend themselves and it is not natural for a cat with no claws to get into a fight with another animal. No claws this is not a fair fight and cat with no claws will take a beating, is no match against other cat or dog.

My husband said we must release the cat as that is what the owner has requested. We did release the cat but the cat did not leave our yard and at the end of the day, the cat went back into our garage to sleep in safety.

When my friend called to see if the cat was released we were honest and said that we did let the cat loose. She told me the cat did not go home, after four weeks the pet owner said they would not come get their cat because it was an outdoor cat and they did not mind it wandering the neighborhood.

As requested we release the declawed cat daily and he goes where he goes and returns to sleep in our garage at night. We have never met the pet owners. In my opinion, they should not own a cat, especially not a declawed cat.

Silver Bengal-Mix Kitten Photograph Postcard

This postcard was created from a photograph I took of four-month-old Bengal mix rescue kitten. In this photo, she is lying by the window on a ledge and the sun rays looked pretty on her silver hair. Know that I found this kitten because her mom and two other littermates were abandoned by my home. The queen cat was left in our woods with three kittens that had not been weaned.

Silver Bengal-mix kittey in woven box

We had gotten a call that somebody had put out a nursing cat with her three kittens and knew that if we did not find them and rescue them that it could be a fatality. Cats that are not accustomed to outdoors.  The cats do not know where to go for shelter or food.

There was cold weather in our forecast so husband I took to the woods to find the queen cat and her kittens. We heard the meows and we did go toward them, but the cat was frightened so we put out the traps in the vicinity.

At home, we put out a cat house with self-heating bed, cat food, and water. Husband and I took turns going outdoors to watch the traps.  We had hoped the cats would go in the live animal traps because of the food and water. Also a layer of straw back behind the trigger.  This straw would keep the cats warm.  Then I covered the backside of the trap with a child's sleeping bag.  I did this to create a safe place for the cats and to also keep them warmer inside the trap overnight. 

We trapped 3 baby raccoons but no queen or kittens. No meows were heard the following day and we assumed a predator had found the abandoned cat and her three kittens. That day was long, we were both sad and angry at the irresponsible pet owners for abandoning the cats.  

That night I went to bed and was awoken at 5 AM.  I am not sure what woke me up but for some reason, I put on my fleece robe and boots and went outdoors. I walked to the front of the yard and saw leaves moving toward me. I stooped down to get a better look, and there in the light of my flashlight was a silver Bengal-Mix kitten.

This small kitten was cold so I picked up and put the kitten into my robe pocket and brought it inside. Woke my husband up and he started to warm the kitten, then bottle fed it. I threw clothes on to search for the other two kittens and the mother cat. They were never found.

We were able to rescue one, the beautiful Bengal-Mix silver kitten that you view on this postcard. This postcard is a great way to keep in touch, to say hello, thank you or announcement. If you would like to buy this cat card then click on the blue highlighted words.

Thank you for your support of my cat cause.

Beautiful Bengal-Mix Silver Cat Photo Postcard by giftsforcatlovers
Get your postcards printing from zazzle

Plans to Relocate Cats to Farm Rescue

As far back as I can remember I have always wanted a small farm where I could relocate the neighborhood cat colony that I oversee. This farm rescue would provide feral, stray and abandoned cats with safety from crossfire from hunters, wildlife predators and animal control trappers. 

It has been my dream to trap the cats that have been abandoned to the woods by my home. I would like to socialize them and adopt them into forever homes.  

The plan is simple, my cat rescue would be open to accepting all feral cats that had been previously vaccinated, and sterilized, excluding cats infected with felineimmunodeficiency virus. The feral cats then would stay on the property and become barn cats.

This has been my dream for a long time, but I thought it was only a dream. I never thought it would come true, BUT my husband has agreed that if this is what I want then we can move in the summer to a farm and I can have a cat rescue. 

Husband suggested that I look and collect ideas as to what I want. In the past month I did look at 2 hobby farms but both were too small for what I wanted, plus they backed up a busy crossroad and I desired a remote location. Remote being better for barn cats as there were be less worry of them attempting to cross a busy road to get to the other side.

Both of the hobby farms that I looked at had old dilapidated barns which meant that we would have to go to the expense of building a shelter for the cats. It is one thing to remodel a barn, but to build from ground up is a great expense. In addition the land was rocky and there was not area suitable for garden. Neither of the farm houses were to my liking, in my opinion they both should have been demolished and taken away.

So my search for a farm to be converted into a cat rescue continues. I do think there is a need for the feral and stray cats and do plan to trap the cats at the colony that I oversee before construction; excavation and blasting of the south ridge commences for urban development.

Happy Ending for Rescued Chartreux Cat

After four months of tying to locate the Chartreux cat’s family I finally met someone who recognized the cat and that is when I learned that this cat’s people had passed and that the cat was taken by a neighbor.  

The neighbor had no experience in caring for a cat, and thus did not realize that the cat was mourning the loss of his master and was uncomfortable with the new home.

The new cat owner thought the cat had unwarranted behavior issues and put the cat outdoors during.  It was winter when that cat was put outdoors.  There was snow and ice on the ground and the temperature bitter cold.

Being put outdoors caused the Chartreux to suffer as he did not know where to go for cat food or to seek shelter. The neighbor that took the cat did not provide a cathouse or any type of outdoor shelter. 

I am not sure why my husband decided to take a walk in a blizzard, but he did and at two in the morning he discovered the Chartreux cat sitting in the snow and meowing at the top of his lungs.  It was a distress meow and my husband reacted by lifting the cat and putting him under his overcoat.

The cat suffered from a minor case of frostbite. We took care of the cat and he regained his healthy and his spirit.

During the time that I cared for this cat I noted that he did not like women in general and I attribute that to the neighbor and that he may think all women are uncaring.  I worked with the cat every day and came to the conclusion that he would be best suited living with a single man.

At first we were going to keep this cat but he never warmed up to me and he did not get along with other cats. I am happy to say that this Chartreux gray and white cat was adopted today into a forever home and will live out his life as a housecat with a senior citizen man.

Rescuer Takes Cat to Veterinarian for Checkup

The Aegean-mix cat that I found after following distress meowing in the woods had a bite wound to the tail, cold-like symptoms and stomach upset with diarrhea.  

Since there was no way of knowing how long the cat was outdoors it was taken to the Veterinarian for a wellness check up.  While at the veterinarian the kitten received a rabies vaccine, test for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus the results for cat disease were negative.

The kitten is being treated for the bite wounds however will be released to me and I will continue my efforts to locate its people. I will make every attempt to find the cats people and if they pet owners are not located the cat will be put up for adoption.

I will not turn the declawed cat lose in hopes that he goes home as there are dogs that run loose in my neighborhood as well as coyote.  A declawed cat has no way of protecting itself from these predators.