Helping New Born Kittens

I'd like to introduce you to a very special lady.  Shelley of Theo's Home has made many kittens, puppies, cats and dogs very happy.  Today we will look at some very lucky kittens, who found their way to Theo's Home.

The Town Lake Animal Center receives hundreds of unwanted and stray pets.  A big concern is the young puppies and kittens that are too young to be vaccinated.  Without shots, these young babies can fall victim to many diseases that may appear at the center.  Fosters and rescuers play a very important role, by giving these small pets a safe place to grow until they are old enough and healthy enough to be adopted.

From March to September of this year, Shelley and her volunteers have cared for 53 kittens.  These tiny kittens were two to four weeks old.  Since they are so young, special care must be given to make sure they grow to be strong and healthy.

If the kittens have a mom, the care giver must make sure the mom is healthy.  Next they must ensure the mom is feeding the kittens.  The mom should also be cleaning, stimulating and playing with the kittens.  The foster home also makes sure these kittens and their mom become comfortable living with people.

If the mom has been lost, some hard work is in store for the rescuer or foster person.

Kittens that are under one week of age must be feed every 2 hours.  The rescuer takes the place of them mom, doing all of the feeding, cleaning, stimulating and playing with the young kittens.  So the rescuer must be willing to get up around the clock with these tiny kittens to make sure they are getting the food they need to live.  At this age, they basically sleep and eat.

As the kittens mature, they eat less often and sleep a bit less.  Kittens that are 2 weeks old eat every 4 hours.  At the young age of 3 weeks, these little kittens begin to eat soft food.  They also begin using a litter box.  Cats have a natural instinct to use a litter box.  The only time that a cat does not use the litter box are if it is sick or there is a problem.  The first thing to do about this type of situation is consult your vet to determine the problem.

One of the most troubling times for Shelley came in the middle of the summer.  She received a phone call that an animal center had just received 60 kittens and care needed to be found fast!  At this time of year, many fosters and rescues have all the animals they can care for, so space was very limited.  Shelley sent e-mails to everyone she could think of, knowing that she could not possibly take on this huge job alone.  Within the week 10 new foster homes opened up, allowing all of the kittens to go to people who would provide the care they needed and then help them find permanent homes.

Not everyone feels a need to do this type of work.  The hours are long.  Sometimes people can be unfeeling.  It can also be very hard to watch a kitten you've cared so much for go to a new home.  But Austin cats and dogs are very grateful that Theo's Home has made the choice to provide such a loving support system for them.