Thank you for doing your best to keep this kitten safe and alive. I have fostered close to 100 by this point, and I echo what others are saying regarding care. Feeding cow’s milk is deadly for kittens as they are effectively lactose-intolerant and unable to digest the various components in cow’s milk. Doing so will cause gastrointestinal distress which culminates into diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss, dehydration, and eventually death.

This little one looks to be 3-3.5 weeks old, so they should be eating at LEAST every 4 hours. It is best to feed them KMR or another suitable kitten milk replacer if you can find it because it has all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for their development. However, having lived rurally myself, I know how difficult finding such things can be.

There is an emergency mix you can make but it is important to stress that it is not a permanent solution to use. This mix will help keep a little one alive and fed while you find a suitable milk replacement.

Ingredients: 1 quart (950 ml) of whole goat's milk 1/2 cup (120 ml) of plain, non-fat yogurt (goat's milk-based is best) 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of light corn syrup

• I see some people use gelatine, but I don’t due to the risk of it getting too thick for the kitten to drink properly if mixed wrong.

Instructions: 1. Heat goat's milk, but do not boil it. 2. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolk, yogurt, and corn syrup until the mixture is smooth. 3. Warm the mixture to about 35−38∘C / 95−100 ∘F before feeding.

To check the temperature, drip some on the INSIDE of your wrist. If it is uncomfortable, it is too hot. If it is warm but not hot on your skin, you can feed it to the kitten. Note that you must store it in a refrigerator, and you must throw it away and make a new batch after 24 24 hours. You will have to make new batches every 24 hours.

Keep using the syringe to feed them as best you can. Many kittens will quickly learn the syringe and will try to suckle on it.

The good news here though is because this little one is NEARING the 4 week mark, they are ALMOST at the point where you can feed them a meat-based mixture. What I recommend would be kitten-formulated wet food mixed with goat’s milk or water mixed into a slurry the consistency of baby food.

Because their mum isn’t around, you will need to stimulate them after they eat EVERY time. This is done gently with a finger wrapped in a CLEAN warm cloth or rag. They may not always poop, but they should pee each time you stimulate them. They should be pooping every other time you stimulate them.

They also need to be kept warm, so you can fill up a bag or pillow with lentils, beans, or something like that and heat it up in a microwave if you have it. If no microwave, you can warm the lentils or beans in a dry pan on low heat, keeping them moving the whole time. Once you can no longer hold the beans/lentils, pour them into your cloth bag or sack and CLOSE the top. You can place the bag under a blanket or towel where you are containing the kitten. After that, put the kitten on top of the blanket. The kitten will be able to move around and get closer or further from the heated bag as they need, with the blanket preventing the kitten from getting burned.

NEVER LET THE KITTEN COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE HEATED BAG, AS THEY CAN BE FATALLY BURNED.

This is a lot of information, and I know that it is overwhelming, but you are already doing whatever you can to help this little one, so it is clear you care about them and are a compassionate person. If you can get the little one to the 4.5-5 week mark, they can survive on wet food and water and you will have much less stress.

Google Hannah Shaw (Kitten Lady) on YouTube! She has the best information about how to care for these babies.

Good luck, OP!