Companion Animal Welfare

Cat Feline Neonatal Hypothermia Prevention

Neonatal kitten hypothermia is the leading cause of fading kitten syndrome - prevention through environmental management is effective and life-saving.

Key Facts

Neonatal kittens cannot shiver or generate body heat for the first week of life
Ambient temperature in the nest box should be maintained at 29-32 C for the first week
Hypothermic kittens cannot digest milk effectively - warming before feeding is essential
Heating pads set to low with half-pad coverage prevent burns while maintaining warmth
Queen absence during illness or high litter numbers increases hypothermia risk dramatically

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal hypothermia causes rapid deterioration and death in kittens that survive birth only to perish from cold. Prevention through appropriate nest temperature management is cheap, simple, and dramatically increases survival rates for newborn kittens.

What You Can Do

Provide supplementary warming for neonatal kittens in cold environments
Monitor nest box temperature with a thermometer during the first week of life
Intervene promptly if kittens appear cold, spread out, or are vocalising excessively