Are you capable of saving an orphaned kitten's life?
Tragically, so many newly born kittens are either abandoned or orphaned. So what should you do if their fragile lives depend on you? Could you be a surrogate mother to a small and precious orphaned kitten?
You may be surprised to learn that it relatively easy to care for an orphaned or abandoned kitten - the main investment will be your time. There are, however, seven essential items that you will need to help with your task. Primarily, your kitten will need a decent sized cardboard box as its home. Further items will be:
A hot water bottle.
Nesting material.
A small eye dropper.
2ml hypodermic syringe fitted with 5cm plastic tubing.
Sterilizing solution for a baby bottle.
A spare towel.
The above items will make sure you are able to give your orphaned kitten the basics of life - food and warmth.
A kitten's mother keeps her offspring warm with her own body heat but you will need to place your kitten's box near a radiator to keep it warm. Newborn kittens can become chilled very quickly and they need a temperature of 30-35 degrees centigrade in their first week of life, with 25 degrees thereafter.
Alternatively, you can provide warmth by placing a hot water bottle under one corner of the box. This way, your orphaned kitten will be able to snuggle down into its warmed bedding or choose to move to another, cooler part of its box.
It is important to make sure that your kitten cannot climb out of its box. Once away from its home, your kitten will become chilled very quickly. However, the box must be roomy enough to allow your kitten to move and play easily, whilst still providing security and a comfortable temperature. Using an old towel to partially cover the open top of the box is a good way to meet all these needs.
As you are acting as 'mother cat', it will be your job to keep your kitten's bedding clean. Old newspaper is great to use as bedding material as it can be easily removed and disposed of when soiled.
Feeding is a priority once warmth and security have been dealt with.
You will need to learn the technique of feeding your kitten with an eye dropper or, for larger kittens, a plastic tube attached to a syringe. Patience and persistence will be the order of the day! You will be able to get suitable kitten formula milk from your vet, together with any equipment you are short of and good pet stores generally have a range of equipment suitable for nursing small kittens. Always remember to sterilize bottles and equipment after each use, just like you would with a baby.
Decide on a firm surface, place your kitten on an old towel and hold its head gently yet securely. Steadying your kitten all the while, gently introduce a drop or two of milk into its mouth. It may take a few tries but, with patience, your orphaned kitten can be persuaded to start suckling. Always make sure that the teat is full of milk and maintain a gentle pressure in response to your kitten's sucking strength.
Your vet will advise you on the amount of milk to feed your kitten and always be aware of your kitten's general health and demeanour. If your orphan gives you any cause for concern, please do call in your vet straight away - small kittens can deteriorate in health very quickly.
As your orphaned kitten grows, you will feel a real, parental pride in your achievements. Your love, care and dedication towards this small bundle of fur will have ensured a happy and healthy future for a tiny creature that would otherwise have perished.
So you definitely can save an orphaned kitten's life. However, to succeed, you will need to have the best information and guidence to help you in your task. It will be your responsibility to find out all you need to know and then to use that knowledge to ensure that your kitten recieves the very best care you can give. Your time and trouble will not go unrewarded though - your healthy, playful kitten will return your love many times over!
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