Grandma Smith Knew How to Keep a Baby Kitty Alive

This is the type of formula that Grandma Smith would use. She usually, and always that I knew of, was successful in getting another nursing mother cat to adopt the baby by putting butter on the baby's nose and putting it with the others. She said that keeping a baby cat alive was a lot of work and was not as successful as getting a kitten adopted was.

Formula #4
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
All three mixed well and kept in tightly sealed jar in fridge. At feeding time mix 1/2 of the estimated feeding amount with: Equal amount of boiling water (once a day mix 1 drop of human infant liquid vitamins in each kitties' formula)

If constipation occurs: add 1 drop of vegetable oil to each kitties formula no more than once daily till problem is eased. Test temperature before feeding (the combination of boiling water and chilled formula should be just about right)

In a pinch (emergency), the Cornell University's Veterinary School's Book of Cats says that human baby formula can be used if made up to double the normal strength (human baby formula is not nutritious enough for kittens). As with the below formulas, please remember that any emergency formula should only be used until regular Feline Replacement Formula (such as KMR or Just Born) can be purchased at the pet store. None of these are nutritionally complete for the long term health of a kitten.

[note: if you cannot find "Karo syrup" (a very sweet corn syrup) you can substitute a very sweet sugar-syrup: 1 c. sugar + 1/4 c. hot water.  Heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves.]