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Orphaned Kittens - 7 Household Objects That Can Save A Life
Could you save an orphaned kitten's life?
Sadly, many newborn kittens are orphaned or abandoned. So what should you do if you find yourself responsible for the life of a tiny and precious orphaned kitten?
It may surprise you to learn that it is relatively straightforward to care for an orphaned or abandoned kitten and the most onerous requirement will be that of your time. You will also need to find seven essential items to help you with your task. Maybe the easiest to find is a good sized cardboard box. Then you will need:
A hot water bottle.
Suitable nesting material.
A regular 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.
Kittens generally get their warmth from their mother and is is essential that your orphan doesn't become chilled. This can happen very rapidly and you will need to maintain a temperature of 30-35 degrees centigrade in the first week of life and 25 degrees thereafter. Placing your kitten's box near a radiator is a good way of achieving this.
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.
One job of a mother cat is making sure that her kittens are kept clean and that their bedding doesn't remain soiled. As you now have that responsibility, you will need to provide clean bedding regularly. Old newspaper is good for this as it can easily be removed and disposed of when dirty.
Feeding is a priority once warmth and security have been dealt with.
Here, patience and persistence are what is required as you learn to effectively administer each milk feed via an eye dropper or, as your kitten grows, a hypodermic syringe fitted with an appropriately sized tube attached in place of a needle. Your vet will have kitten formula milk and will also be able to supply you with the equipment necessary to administer it with. Alternatively, good pet stores will sell specialist feeding bottles for use with orphaned or abandoned kittens. Always make sure that the feeding equipment is sterilized after each use, just as you would for a baby's feeding bottle.
Place your kitten on an old towel on a firm surface - you lap will do if you feel that is sufficiently secure. Gently steady your kitten's head as you carefully squeeze a drop of milk into its mouth. With luck and patience, your orphaned kitten's suckling reflex will kick in and they will start to feed. Ensure that the teat is always full of milk and that you keep up a gentle pressure in response to your kitten's sucking.
Follow your vet's advice on the amount of formula to feed your kitten and always remain alert to the general health of your small orphan. If you are at all worried or concerned about any aspect of your kitten's health don't hesitate to call in the professionals and consult your vet without delay.
The sense of parental pride you will feel as you see your orphaned kitten grow and develop will be amazing. Your intervention, care and dedication, given with love, to this tiny and helpless creature has secured a happy and healthy future for a kitten that would otherwise have perished at birth.
So, yes! You certainly can save your orphaned kitten's life. But to succeed in this endeavour you will need to learn a great deal about how to give the essential care needed to replace a missing mother cat. It will be necessary to have all the information and guidence to hand and it will be your responsibility to acquire it and put it into practice. Your trouble will be well rewarded in the joy and pleasure of sharing your home with your healthy, loving kitten!
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
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Are you fully able to help your orphaned or abandoned kittens? Learn everything you need to know about orphaned and abandoned kittens and subscribe to Jane Tompsett's free Cat Owners Confidential newsletter by following these links.
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