


Need advice caring for a newborn kitten
I found a newborn kitten outside last night around 7 PM, about 5 feet away from his mother, who was nursing the other babies. He was screaming and felt cold, so I brought him inside, warmed him up, and started feeding him KMR kitten formula.
At first, he was really struggling to latch, and I made the mistake of trying to force him to eat a little. I didn’t know how dangerous that could be until I looked it up afterward. I’m not 100% sure if he inhaled any milk, but he doesn’t seem to be acting any differently.
I kept him warm and tried feeding him until around midnight, then settled him in a box with towels and a warm water bottle nearby.
I’ve continued keeping him warm and trying to feed him, and he’s made some progress! He has started latching, sucking, and swallowing, but it’s still not consistent. I have to put the nipple into his mouth to get him to start sucking. Otherwise, he’ll start sucking on the towel underneath him, so I know he wants to eat. He just seems to be having a hard time, and I’m worried he’s still not getting enough formula.
His eyes and ears are closed, he can’t walk yet, but he moves around and reacts when I touch him. He also still has his dried umbilical cord attached, so I’m guessing he’s around 1–4 days old.
The reason I’m asking for advice is that I can’t afford to take him to a vet and pay for his care. When I considered taking him somewhere last night, I was thinking more along the lines of surrendering him to a place that could care for him, but everything was closed.
Now that he’s making some progress with feeding, I’m torn between continuing to care for him myself and hoping he gets better at latching, or surrendering him to someone more experienced who can give him a better chance.
I don’t want to give up on him if he’s actually doing okay and just needs time, but I also don’t want to keep him if I’m unintentionally doing something wrong or if he needs more care than I can provide.
Has anyone cared for a kitten this young who struggled to latch at first? Did they eventually get the hang of it? Based on what I’ve described, do you think I should keep trying or would he have a better chance with an experienced foster or rescue?
I’m doing my best with what I have, and I really want to give this little guy a chance. Any advice is appreciated.