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by: JaneTompsett
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Are you capable of saving an orphaned kitten's life?

It is a sad fact that many newborn kittens face life without their mother, either through abandonment or by being orphaned. So what should you do if you find yourself needing to be a surrogate mother to a small and fragile orphaned kitten?

Surprisingly, it is fairly straightforward to care for your orphaned or abandoned kitten successfully. The most burdensome aspect of the whole process is the amount of time you will need to invest in the care of this newborn bundle of fur. Also, you will need to equip yourself with seven essential pieces of kit that will be required to help you with your task. First, you will need to find a suitably sized cardboard box, then:

A hot water bottle.

Warm nesting material.

A small eye dropper.

2ml hypodermic syringe fitted with 5cm plastic tubing.

Baby bottle sterilizing solution.

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.

As an alternative, a hot water bottle placed under one corner of their box will provide the warmth needed and your kitten will have the choice of moving to a cooler area of its home if it chooses.

When selecting a suitable a nursery box, make sure that your kitten is unable to climb out of it unaided. If your kitten manages to escape its warm home it will rapidly become chilled once outside its secure environment. Be certain to check that the box is big enough for the kitten to move around in freely with enough room to play in, whilst remaining enclosed enough to provide security and retain sufficient warmth. Partially covering the box with an old towel will help retain heat.

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.

When your kitten's warmth and security have been provided for, nourishment will need to be taken care of.

Patience and perseverence are required here. Learning to feed your kitten via an eye dropper and, as your kitten grows, via a plastic tube attached to a syringe, is a skill you will need to master. Suitable kitten formula milk will be available from your vet who will also be able to supply you with any equipment that you don't have at home. Good pet stores too will have a range of goods designed to help with feeding very small kittens. Just make sure that you sterilize any bottles or droppers each time you use them - just as 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.

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!

About the Author

Are you fully prepared to help your orphaned or abandoned kittens? Learn everything you need to care for orphaned and abandoned kittens and subscribe to Jane Tompsett's free Cat Owners Confidential newsletter by following these links.

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