Every spring and summer, batches of kittens come to the world. We often find abandoned kittens on the grass, parks or roadsides. These poor little guys couldn't be raised by the cat mother for various reasons. Faced with these cute kittens, many kind people will choose to bring them home. This article will tell you how to take care of kittens.
1. Don't bathe kittens
The kitten that has just been picked up may be very dirty, but don't bathe the kitten directly at this time! Bathing is likely to cause the kitten to die due to the symptoms of diarrhea due to cold.
If you are going to bathe kittens, you need to wait until they can run around on the ground, and also pay attention to keeping them warm, and dry them immediately after washing. If the kitten is too dirty, you can first use a cotton swab or a wet tissue to wipe the dirty area of the kitten with warm water.
At the same time, pay attention to the changes in the body temperature of the kitten. The normal body surface temperature of a kitten should be 38 degrees. Hold the kitten in the palm of your hand and feel their body temperature.
If the body temperature is low, you can keep the kitten warm with your hands first, or use a blanket, warm water bag, etc. to keep the kitten warm.
2. Check the kitten for wounds
Observe the kitten's eyes, ears, nose, mouth and body for abnormalities or wounds. If you find any abnormality, do not handle it yourself, but take it to the veterinary hospital for treatment in time.
Some kittens often have secretions around their eyes. Do not wash them directly. You can carefully wipe them with a sanitary pad dipped in saline. Both saline and cotton balls are sold in pharmacies.
It should be noted that due to the weak resistance of kittens, kittens' supplies should be kept clean and hygienic, and hands should be washed with soap before touching kitten supplies to prevent bacteria from infecting kittens.
3. The kitten's diet
Kittens need to be fed special milk powder for cats until they are four weeks old. Milk substitute, goat milk and cow's milk are not the most suitable for cats' stomachs. American Baker is a good brand.
If the kitten has just entered the house and has not had time to buy special milk powder, you can temporarily feed some infant formula milk powder (0-3) months as an emergency. Feeding kittens should be done on a small but frequent basis. Feeding tools can use cat-specific feeding bottles, syringes, and droppers.
It is recommended to use a special feeding bottle for cats. When the kitten drinks milk, it likes to cover the cat's mother's nipple with its tongue. Using a feeding bottle will make the kitten feel like drinking milk in the mother's arms. If you use a syringe, you should pay more attention. Too much milk can easily cause the cat to choke.
4. Kitten defecation
Kittens will not defecate on their own. If there is no cat mother to take care of them, they need artificial stimulation to defecate. Moisten a clean napkin or medical gauze and gently massage the kitten's butt, usually after a few times the kitten will defecate.
When you find that the kitten is urinating, continue to gently touch the cat's butt until the kitten is completely urinated. Kittens have weak metabolisms and need to urinate a lot to stay healthy. Kitten urine should be light yellow and odorless.
If the urine smells pungent, the cat may be dehydrated. Check whether the milk powder is too thick, whether the amount of milk pumped is not enough, and whether the temperature is too low.
5. Determine the age of the kitten
If there is an umbilical cord, it is about 1-3 days old.
If the kitten's eyes are not opened, it is about 2 weeks old.
Observe if the kitten's teeth show a little cusp of the baby teeth, it is about 2 weeks old.
If the kitten is able to stand up, it is almost 3 weeks old.
If the kitten can walk around on the ground with ease, or start to play, it is about 4 weeks old.
