Hand Reared Kitten Journey: Johan & Klaus at 2 Weeks Old

*Johan & Klaus are not available for rehoming at this time*

Meet Johan & Klaus. At just 2 weeks old their mum, who had been straying for some time unneutered, was tragically killed on the road. Some kind members of the public did a wonderful job of hand feeding them for a couple of days, giving them a fighting chance, before contacting us for further help. Johan & Klaus have been hand reared around the clock by a fosterer and have continued to grow and thrive and are now just a couple of weeks ago from being ready to find a home and family of their own. We have made this little series of videos to follow Johan & Klaus’ journey, week by week, as they grow, develop, and eventually prepare for rehoming and starting brand new adventures.

Hand Rearing is not for the faint hearted and requires, time, dedication and knowledge. It requires a flexible lifestyle as kittens, like babies, will need to be with you at all times and fed every couple of hours around the clock using a substitute milk formula. Whilst hand rearing can be a rewarding experience, kittens are very fragile and it is not always successful which can be an upsetting experience. Hand rearing kittens is always a last resort, after all, the best carer for kittens is their mum and we can never fully replace a good queen. In the case of Johan & Klaus and the sad loss of their mum, we had no option but to hand rear to give them a chance at a bright future.

Here is a little information on a kittens Development at 2 Weeks old:

At 2 weeks old, kittens should be twice their birth weight and a healthy kitten will gain 10-15 grams a day2. At 1-2 weeks old, they begin standing and crawling and at 2-3 weeks old they will begin walking and are able to sit. By 2 weeks old, the eyes are open and they can begin to take their first steps and interact with their littermates. They may knead with their paws but cannot yet retract their claws. Between 6-17 days old, the external ears uncurl and open fully and between 2-4 weeks old, the deciduous ‘milk’ incisors and canine teeth erupt. For the first 14-16 days, hand reared kittens need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate, before and after feeding.

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