A newborn kitten should feed at least every 4 hours. Feed the kitten until it is done nursing and has been satisfied for 30 minutes. If the kitten nurses more than five minutes, you are feeding too slowly. If your kitten is showing signs of weakness or appears lethargic, you should seek veterinary advice immediately.
To feed a very young kitten, hold it with its belly on your forearm and support its head, neck, and shoulder area with the crook of your arm. Gently grasp the kitten’s jaw with your thumb and fingers, then open its mouth with your fingertip. Most likely the kitten will latch on to the nipple immediately. If not, be patient–the kitten may need to adjust to this new position. Some kittens are more aggressive than others; try to hold off if it appears that the nursing process is stressful for them. You can wear a soft glove or use a small piece of rolled-up cloth over your finger if you don’t want the baby scratching you with its claws while feeding.
Properly supporting a newborn during feeding will keep milk from getting into his lungs; however, some milk should drip out of his nostrils as he nurses because suckling stimulates nasal secretions. When the kitten has been fed, keep him on your lap with his head resting in the palm of your hand. Support the bottom of its spine with your thumb and stroke from around his shoulders down to a little below his tail. This stimulates milk flow back into the mother’s udder so that she will be ready for the next feeding.
The best way to tell if a kitten is full is by watching its body language. A kitten being overfed will have milk coming out of its nose after eating, since suckling brings up the air as well as fluid. If this happens, slightly tip the bottle downward until all bubbling stops before removing it from the kitten’s mouth. If you notice that he promptly starts sucking again when you put the bottle back, he’s finished his ration for the feeding.
Once your kitten is three to four weeks old, you should feed him five or six times a day at 10-15 minute intervals during the daytime and once during the night. After about one month of age, feedings can gradually be extended to 15 minutes apart until, by six months of age, your kitten will only need two meals each day–one in the morning and once at night.”