What Do I Do With This Kitten I Found?

By Melissa DiLeo, ArkNews Spring 2007

 
One September morning, Nancy was shocked to discover a brand new litter of kittens along with their mother under a boat in her driveway. It soon became routine for Nancy to leave out fresh water and food daily to ensure the mother cat was able to nurse her litter. December arrived and disaster struck when one of the neighbors called animal control claiming the mother cat was vicious. The mother was taken away and her young helpless kittens were left to fend for themselves. With winter soon approaching, kindhearted Nancy decided her bathroom would be more humane than abandoning the orphaned kittens to a death sentence outside in the cold.

If you find homeless cats or kittens: Assess the situation. If it is a very small kitten that seems clean and healthy, the mother is most likely around. An abandoned kitten will almost constantly cry.

 TRAPPING

• Do not attempt to rescue young kittens without their mother as they need her milk for the first eight weeks.
• Do not attempt to move the cats by hand unless they’re in immediate danger, as you can certainly get hurt. Never pick them up by their necks.
• A baited humane box trap is a great alternative although it might take several days of putting out food and water to catch them. One trap per cat is ideal.

QUARANTINE

• Place the cats in a warm, private room such as a bathroom, laundry room or a spare bedroom with blankets, towels and/or carpet. Be sure to put the toilet lid down and make sure all household cleaners are put away.
• Keep the kittens away from other animals in the household until you get approval from the vet. They could pass along an illness or parasites and need to be gradually introduced to each other.

CALL YOUR LOCAL VETERINARIAN

• Take the cats to the vet as soon as possible. A very young kitten needs to be fed its mother’s milk or kitten formula every few hours.
• If you tell the vet it is a rescue they may provide discounted services. Some rescues and shelters will pay medical costs and provide training if you are willing to become a foster.
• When making these calls, check to see if the animal has been reported missing. Posting flyers is also helpful.
• If you are unable to care for the animals, inform your local animal shelter or rescue. Most facilities will be able to help as space allows. If fostering the animals, be sure to keep a 24 hour animal hospital phone number on hand.

FEEDING

• Once you meet with the vet, they can discuss with you the best diet.
• At the age of 8 weeks, kittens should be eating solid and wet food.
• Don’t feed cats and kittens cow’s milk.
• Provide fresh water in a clean bowl daily.
• Don’t feed felines human food as it can be deadly.
• If you have house plants, check that they aren’t poisonous.

SUPPLIES

• Cat carrier for easy transport, litter box scooped daily, litter about one inch deep, scoop, warm blanket or towel, safe toys and a scratching post are necessary.

SAFETY

• Be sure to secure all blind cords, string, yarn, wires, poisons such as certain plants and foods away from the cats.
• Keep office supplies, coins, plastic bags and medications out of sight.
• When picking out a collar, it’s best to get one with a safety latch that unlocks if the cat becomes tangled to prevent a choking hazard.

SOCIALIZATION

• Cats need human interaction to prevent bad behaviors, obesity, and provide intellectual stimulation.
• Be sure to play with and possibly handle the cats daily.
• Baby food on a finger is a good start for socializing.

 As for Nancy, with the help of family, friends and the hair salon she frequented, she remarkably found homes for all of the kittens and even the mother.