Caring For Your Kitten

more cat pictures

By Coylynn Reynolds

Volunteering with the local animal shelter and the rescue groups, I have sadly come across orphaned kittens more than I want to think about.

The kittens have ranged in minutes in age on up. Depending on exactly how old they are, the first thing I do is start with an anti-bacterial bath. It is good to get whatever they might have on them OFF! This is especially important when getting them from the shelter. If they are newborns, I wait until they are a bit older.

Always keep the kitten warm and dry using licking like rubs. Have you ever watched a mama cat clean her babies? I try to intimidate the same process. Small strokes over and over again even around the face. I do this quite often throughout their growing stages. Not necessarily the bath but the cleaning process. And this can be replaced using a damp warm rag.

Most important is feeding them.

The formula is very simple and cheaper and healthier than buying pre-made mixes.

1 can of evaporated milk
2 small jars of meat baby food (stage 2)
1 plain yogurt
2 egg yolks
1 T of Karol syrup

Mix all together and add enough water to make 1 quart. Keep refrigerated. Luke warm for feeding.

Depending on the age of the kittens they will need to be feed every 2 hours. But like any mother will tell you eventually you can get them to sleep through the night and feed first thing in the morning and regularly throughout the day.

I actually use a surrogate mama cat that happens to be one of my own. She didn’t start out that way. She was my first pregnant foster mom from the shelter. She is like 100 years old, rotten teeth and not exactly what I call eye candy. Even though she does not have milk, she tends to all of the other needs like bathing, and trust me, the first time you notice the mom cleaning the hineys of the babies you might re-think using one too.

But if this is not an option for you here are a few other tips:

· They need their mama, and in this case that is you - be there.
· Carry them around, especially when very young inside your shirt next to your skin, let them feel you and smell you. Keep them warm.
· Clean and sterilize your hands in between other pets in the home. You do not want sick babies! And remember to even have clean clothing when being around them.
· If you do have a sick kitten, it is very important to see your vet
· I used a bottle so that my kittens got to experience the sucking just like mom. But in some cases a small syringe will do the trick.
· Use a damp paper towel to “lick” the back ends and tummies of the kittens to stimulate the potting process. Do this after every meal.
· At about 4 weeks, you can introduce kitten food and the litter box. Use unscented, un-clumping brand. Your kitten’s health depends on it. You do not want them to lick anything with too many chemicals in it.

I loved the changes that occur right down to watching them learn to walk, and soon explore my home.

If you want to experience kittens, instead of allowing your cat to have kittens, foster a pregnant mom from the shelter. There is no short supply of them unfortunately. And they are happy to move them out to a safer, cleaner atmosphere. Not that our shelter is by any means, not clean. But you have animals coming and going. And you don’t know anything about them or what they are bringing in to the shelter.

Most of all enjoy the process. They will be excited to see you. And before long you will be saying goodbye to your babies as they find their first real forever home.

Coylynn Reynolds has been volunteering and foster many cats and dogs over the years. Hundreds of animals can thank her for their second chance at a better life. You can see her blog at http://coylynn.blogspot.com/ - Her subject matter offers advice from other authors about care on both dogs and cats. And her tidbits as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Coylynn_Reynolds http://EzineArticles.com/?Orphaned-Kittens—Homemade-Formula-and-Care&id=1367709

From the time a kitten is about three weeks of age, it chooses a site to go to the washroom with a surface it can dig. The kitten will return to its kitten litter box each subsequent time it needs to relieve itself.

Kittens are generally very clean and will use their kitten litter box with very little training. The kitten must feel the litter underfoot, must smell the odor, and know the location of the kitten litter box. It’s also a good idea to keep the kitten litter box well within sight of the animal.

Cats are clean creatures and as such, even kittens have certain preferences about their kitten litter. The feel underfoot is especially important to kittens and this trait has its roots in North Africa where the cat evolved and they acquired a liking to earth and sand for burying waste.

Generally speaking, the finer the feel to the kitten litter, the more attractive it is to them. This is the reason children’s outdoor sandboxes have occasionally been fouled by cats. As far as preference for the type of kitten litter, our requirements are much like our cats.

We both want something absorbent that controls odors. The market has several types out. Clay is one of the more popular types of kitten litter used. It clumps with the feces but should never be flushed down the toilet. Wood and fiber-based litter is a byproduct of the pulp and paper industry and it is biodegradable.

Earth and sand is the kitten’s favorite, but because these substances are not biodegradable, they are not widely used in urban areas. Non-absorbent kitten litter is often made of pelleted corncob and the urine is collected in a special box underneath.

A new feline addition to the family will be a demanding but rewarding endeavor. Part of any regiment of new kitten care will include carefully selecting that new pet. There are a variety of kitten breeds to choose from and each one has a different set of new kitten care needs that might only be specific to that animal.

First, you’ll need to take into account that all kittens play and need to be groomed. One of the biggest new kitten care considerations is the amount of time you’ll have to watch the kitten or actually play with the animal. Some of these furry friends don’t seem to have an off switch. The Abyssinian, for instance, is considered the gymnast of the cat world and likes to swing from drapes. Persians, on the other hand, seem to know they are meant to be admired and like to sit quietly on window ledges and perch.

The coat is another consideration that will involve how you implement a new kitten care program. Longhair kittens need more brushing than the shorter hair varieties, and even though a kitten’s tongue is slightly barbed to help with its grooming, a new owner will need to help out with this aspect of new kitten care.

There’s also the bathroom deposits of those longer haired breeds that can cause some problems. By that, we’re talking about how new kitten care can also involve looking at kitty’s backside to ensure nothing got left behind. These wayward deposits that can hang around the kitten’s behind can cause health problems if left untreated.

Finally, the new kitten’s voice is another consideration. A few breeds are famous for their loud meows and ability to hold notes, or conversations, for a long time.

moar funny pictures

moar funny pictures

Once you’ve picked out the kitten you want, there’s a few things you’ll need to do to ensure the latest member of your family is happy, safe, and warm. Proper kitten care goes beyond giving the little bundle of fur a new name and picking out some toys. There’s a lot of planning involved to lay the groundwork for a healthy life.

First off, new owners demonstrating the best in kitten care are concerned with the new pet’s eating habits. Establishing proper eating habits early on ensures that the kitten won’t become either gluttonous or finicky later on. Either of these faults can lead to health problems.

Of course, it’s important to select the proper dishes and bowls before the feeding starts. Proper kitten care requires that you have at least two bowls—one for water and the other for food. Veterinarians who are the real experts in kitten care and can give any new owner the best advice, suggest the bowls be stainless steel as plastic tends to hold the odor of old food and is often hard to clean.

Usually, kittens are ‘occasional feeders’, which means they’ll eat a little at a time. Rather than eat a big meal, they nibble several times a day so kitten care requires that dry commercial food can be left in the bowl all day. But wet food will spoil if it’s left out in the same fashion, so many kitten owners purchase automatic food dishes that dispense rations over the course of the day.

All of these automatic dispensers have a series of compartments, some of which are refrigerated, and they hold the food and release it on a timer. In this way the food stays fresh and there’s no chance the food spoiling on your animal.

It’s the kitten breed that fascinates most cat aficionados. Although they turn heads and draw the praises of judges at the cat shows when they grow up, the uncommon kitten breed is the one that’s often found in homes living as family pets. The Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) accepts forty-one breeds into their ranks. If you’re studying categories and searching for the unusual kitten breed that might win awards when the little tyke grows up, here’s a list of some names you’ll want to consider.

The Abyssinian is the kitten breed that closely resembles those cats in the drawings and paintings from ancient Egypt. This kitten breed is characterized by broad chests, slim bodies, long legs, and large pointed ears. You might find a surprise with this kitten breed even when it is small as these cats are quite muscular.

The American Bobtail bears a striking resemblance to its namesake. Of course this kitten breed is a domestic cat and is quite friendly and loving, so the similarity to its wild cousin ends with the name. They have a gentle loving temperament and a well defined brow with almond shaped eyes.

The American Wirehair, on the other hand, is a kitten breed that suits its name perfectly. The unique wiry coat is this breed’s distinctive feature; each hair is hooked to give the cat a woolly look.

Don’t let the Birman fool you. This kitten breed sports blue eyes and a luxurious coat that gives the idea this cat is a Siamese. Closer inspection will reveal that this cat has a darker color on the tail, legs, ears, and face. Another distinctive feature of this kitten breed is the ‘white gloves’ marking on all four paws. This white color runs up the back of the legs as well.

Country of Origin: United States

These cats get their name from their short tails. They are available in both shorthair and longhair cats, but the shorthair breed does not typically have a smooth coat. These cats can be very mischievous and somewhat noisy. You should provide these cats with plenty of toys to keep them out of trouble. These cats tend to do best when they have another feline friend around.