‘Tis The Season

Spring has arrived and the momma kitties have begun to arrive with their kittens. This is the season that most cats give birth. If you happen upon a kitten, or litter of kittens, and do not immediately see Momma, your first impulse may be to scoop them up and zip them to the SPCA. STOP!! Newborn kittens can steal your heart but you don’t want to “steal” them away from their mom. Mother cats who are living on the street can only afford to stay with their newborns continuously for a day or two. They must then begin to leave the nest to search for food. There are also times when a mother cat’s instincts will tell her it is time to find a new location for the nest, and she will move the babies one by one. Imagine her panic and distress if she were to return and find her kittens are gone!!  If you find a lone baby, this baby may be the first, or last, to be moved to a new location. If you find that the kittens are safe from harm for the time being, observe the nest from a distance to discover if mom will return from hunting or from moving her babies. Keep in mind that it is very important that the mother and babies remain together, for without their mom, the baby’s very survival is at risk!!

It is a difficult decision to ascertain how long to wait. Newborn kittens should not be alone for more than a few hours and there is no way to know how long ago the mother departed. Left alone for too long, the babies are in danger of becoming too cold and of becoming dehydrated. If you decide these kittens are true orphans there are steps that should be taken immediately.  

Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the kittens. Kitten’s immune systems are weak and will become weaker without the antibodies in momma’s milk. Warm the kittens up SLOWLY!! It is best to use your own body heat until the kitten is warm, then place a heating pad set on low under the kitty’s bed or covered with a towel. Leave an area of their bed off of the heating pad in case they become too warm. Also, do not attempt to feed a chilled kitten, his intestines will not be working properly and bloating and death may occur. Once they are properly warmed, the kittens can be given a formula that can be acquired at a pet shop and some grocery stores. Ask the shop for what is called “kitten replacement milk”. The pet store should also have the nursing bottles for the babies. DO NOT give a kitten cow’s milk. This can cause dehydration or death.  In an emergency, if the pet shop is closed, you can use the following recipe for a temporary formula: 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can of water, 1 egg yolk and 1 Tsp. Karo syrup. Make sure the formula is warm but not too hot. Be very careful while feeding the babies so they do not choke. Do not feed the kittens on their backs, like you would a human infant. Make sure to feed them in an upright position, like they are when they feed from their momma. They will need to be burped after each feeding like a human baby though!!

Feeding such young kittens is an exhausting and around the clock job. Kittens under 1 week need to be fed every 2-3 hours, feed every 3-4 hours until they are 3 weeks old and every 6-8 hours from 3 weeks until weaned. Here are some ways to help determine a kittens age: Ears open between 5 and 8 days, eyes open between 8 and 14 days. They are usually able to begin crawling by approximately 2 ½ weeks. Young kittens cannot eliminate on their own so you will need to assist them. Lay the kitten on a clean towel on his back in your lap. Gently rub the genital area with a clean cloth, tissue or cotton ball. A kitten should urinate after each meal and should defecate at least once per day. Look for firm brown stools without blood or mucus, and the kitten’s urine should be pale yellow. Any inconsistencies, the kitten should be examined by a veterinarian. Please be aware, even with the best of care, very young kittens can die without their mother’s care.

No Room At The Inn

It is very understandable if you do not have the time or stamina to care for orphaned kittens. If you are aware of someone who can take them in until they are approximately 8 weeks old, this would be preferable to turning them in to a rescue group earlier, to safeguard the health of the kittens. The fewer additional cats the babies are exposed to, the less chance they will become ill. The SPCA can accept orphaned kittens, but with their weak immune systems they often become ill from the germs of the other cats in the shelter and sadly don’t make it. Cat organizations are filled to the brim with cats, especially during “kitten season”, which generally runs from spring until fall. There are times a cat organization may have to turn away new cats. This is not because they “do not care” about the cats that you have found, it is because they have SO many cats already that they realize they cannot handle any more!! Many citizens search out “no Kill” facilities, and these folks must realize these facilities often have to turn away new cats until they are able to find homes for the cats already in their care!!

Please have patience and understanding when dealing with the organizations that help out homeless pets. Many of them are helping these animals mostly with money from their own pockets, and animal shelters are also often run only on donations. Resources to care for the overwhelming influx of cats are stretched to the limit. Cage space, food and money are in scarce supply.

How Can I Help?

 If you do need to drop off kitties to be cared for, please remember that the organizations who care for them are struggling for their own survival also. Donate what you can afford to help them care for these animals in need. Remind your friends and neighbors that spaying and neutering their pets can help prevent this “sea of kittens” that occurs every “kitten season”. If you find kittens with their momma Organize a donation drive for your animal rescue group of choice. If you can, become a foster parent for a rescue group. Foster homes are a great way to keep the critters safe from illness while being prepared for adoption. (Our SPCA is working on beginning just such a program as soon as possible). Adopt a cat from a rescue group. This opens up space for them to help the next cat in need. Encourage friends and neighbors to get their pets from shelters and rescue organizations. For those folks who sympathize with cats living outdoors and feed them, look into organizations that provide low cost spay/neuter assistance. Without spaying and neutering, these cats begin an endless cycle of kitten births that just explodes the population and makes it even less likely that there will be enough people and rescue places to help the next generations. The cats that are suffering on the streets now will then be joined by all of their offspring!! Can you help in one of the above ways? Please give it some thought, you may be able to be part of the solution!!!