Kitten Care Coach

As we begin a new kitten season in the US and other areas I want to, again, share this new information from UC Davis.

HEALTHY KITTENS DO NOT NEED TO BE FED EVERY 2 HOURS.

The every 2 hour advice is old and is sort of a "safety net" type of advice because a lot goes into caring and feeding of newborn kittens. People who are unfamiliar with kittens are unable to judge if they are healthy or not so the increased frequency can help in certain situations.

I have raised hundreds of bottle babies and personally never feed every 2 hours without a specific reason such as prematurity or illness.

Perpetuating the old advice that feeding is required every 2 hours can prevent people from thinking they can successfully help foster kittens. Follow your heart with the kittens in your care and if you can't bear to stretch out your feedings then by all means keep doing what works for you.

Please read the guidelines at the following link.

Study Confirms Statewide Veterinary Shortage Change agents who inform & inspire shelter leaders to implement a humane, community-centered approach to animal care and shelter management; focused on prevention and grounded in science

🌸🐱 For many of us, Spring is in the air, and it is the perfect season for new beginnings! As we welcome the blossoming flowers and warmer weather, we're also gearing up for the influx of kittens that come with it. 🌼 As kitten season fast approaches, shelters and rescues will be overwhelmed with homeless kittens from March through October because of cats who are not spayed or neutered.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 & 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗞𝗖 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻:
(blog) 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 & 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 - https://loom.ly/boOUrLs
(blog) 𝐹𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑆𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 - https://loom.ly/PKBPqcE
(blog) 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝐻𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 - https://loom.ly/JdJdkx0
(recorded webinar) 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐾𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠 - https://loom.ly/rmp88jo
(recorded webinar) 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑦 & 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ - https://loom.ly/pIVxMh8

💕😺

Cat dentistry
We haven't shared this in a while, but since February is pet dentistry month we thought it might be a good reminder that
🐈‍⬛ Diseases of the teeth and gums are common in cats.
🐈Studies report that between 50 and 90% of cats older than four years of age suffer from some form of dental disease.
🐈‍⬛Fortunately the most common forms of these diseases are largely preventable or treatable with appropriate preventive dental care and monitoring.

Happy caturday everyone.
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AVMA Veterinary Clinical Trials Registry Learn more now!

Antibiotics can save the lives of kittens but we should always keep the risks in mind.

Severe Side Effects of Antimicrobials | Clinician’s Brief Although mild adverse effects are reported with many antimicrobials for cats and dogs, alarming and severe adverse effects are possible—even with commonly used drugs.

UC Davis updated their care and feeding guidelines for kittens just a few months ago, in May of 2023. To view the information you will need to download a full copy of the guide book by clicking the link near the bottom of this page of their website

https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/guidebooks/?r=guide-to-raising-unweaned-underage-kittens

Overall I think it's important to note that kittens are individuals and what works for one may not work as well for another. It's important that we focus on how the kitten is doing with the current care plan. If they are thriving there's no reason to change what you're doing just to fit perfectly into any guideline... whether it's the long known guidance to feed every 2 hours or the updated guidance to go longer between feedings.

Hopefully the new guidance will help caregivers understand there is more flexibility in caring for kittens than previously thought.

No matter which guidance you follow... If it's working and your kittens are thriving.... that's fantastic! If your kittens are not thriving then look at the whole picture... including, but certainly not limited to feeding schedules, and consider making some adjustments.

Personally, I do NOT feed kittens every 2 hours, at any age, unless they are medically unstable. When I receive newborns I will assess their overall condition, including how the first feeding goes, and set an approximate feeding schedule based on that .. usually 3-4 hours between feedings for healthy newborns. It works for my kittens but nothing is concrete and I will always adjust if the babies need more intense care or if they are sleeping longer and doing well. I start with the goal of every 4 hour feedings but adjust as needed. By 2 weeks my babies are generally going 6 hours at night with 3-5 hours during the day. My schedule and lifestyle allow this flexibility...others may need to plan more scheduled feedings to fit into a work or child care schedule. As long as your kittens are healthy and thriving .... everything is just a guideline and will likely need occasional adjustments.

Guide to Raising Unweaned & Underage Kittens Guidebooks offer the most comprehensive, up-to-date information available on vital shelter medicine topics.

You can learn a lot about a kitten's health by studying their p**p! This graphic does NOT represent all possibilities and is not a substitute for vet care!
**p **p **pHappens **p

Just because you don't see worms, does not mean they aren't there!

Kitten Care Tip of the Day

**Disinfect regularly **

are made to be safe around animals and can kill dangerous germs in as little as 1 minute, depending on which product you use.

Wipes are great for high touch surfaces that should be disinfected frequently, doorknobs, refrigerator handles, and light switches!

I was just informed that these wipes are on sale today on Amazon for 60% off but there are only 5 left!

If you miss the sale, be sure to look at the other Rescue products. I use the concentrate for just about everything!

https://amzn.to/3AHyWgR

Kitten Care Tip of the Day

** What is normal p**p?! **

Kitten p**p is too important to hide behind a content warning and will be a frequent topic around here, so get comfortable with the topic!

A kitten's p**p can give you important clues about their health, and kitten fosters are always on a quest for the perfect p**p... but what is a perfect p**p?

Way back in my early days of fostering, I had no idea! I could tell that runny green p**p was probably bad, but I didn't know what a good p**p would look like or how important it was!

Bottle baby p**p should be yellow... like a school bus or a ✏️ pencil and should be about the consistency of toothpaste. Do not be alarmed. Yellow p**p at this stage of life is normal. If the consistency is any thinner than toothpaste, you still have a problem, though!

Once the kittens are fully weaned, their p**p should look like little TootsieRolls. Yellow p**p at this stage of life is *not* normal and needs to be addressed right away.

**p

Kitten Care Tip of the Day

** Weigh kittens daily**

Weigh kittens daily in foster care! Most kittens should gain an average of 10 grams per day. Weighing kittens daily is the *best* way to monitor their health & growth.
Weigh kittens on a digital scale that measures in grams. With 28 grams in one ounce, weighing in grams will help you catch problems sooner! You'll notice a loss of 5 grams, but that same loss might not even register if you're weighing in ounces! weight log will also help your support team (vet, rescue, mentor, etc) give you the best advice for your kittens.
Changes in weight are often going to be your first sign that something is wrong and should be a cue to look for any problems that could be preventing your kitten from gaining appropriate weight. A change in weight could signal pain in the mouth, stomach upset, diarrhea, or breathing troubles such as URI or pneumonia, just to name a few!
What to look for in a scale? The bigger platform, the better so you can use a large bowl or box to contain your kittens during weigh-ins. You'll also want something without a lot of cracks and crevices to clean... a flat surface is much easier to sanitize between litters. Accuracy may be the most important factor... look for a scale that will register changes as small as one gram. Watch out for baby scales, kitchen scales are generally good, and some companies are even marketing scales just for weighing newborn animals. I have one very similar to this, and I love it! https://amzn.to/3NoRj1L

In 10+ years of fostering, there have been highs...and lows! There were obstacles I didn't know how to overcome, and the emotional turmoil of facing the same challenges over and over again, but usually losing the battle was painful... and maddening! Eventually, there came a time when I decided I needed to quit fostering or I needed to dig in deeper and figure out how to solve the problems.
I simply could not accept "sometimes kittens just die" as the reason I was experiencing so much heartache and witnessing so much suffering. There have been some incredible veterinarians on my journey who fought alongside me & and taught me valuable skills. There were also times when the veterinarians did not have the answers, and eventually, one of them told me they didn't get a lot of education about caring for neonatal kittens in vet school. This revelation would change everything for me and the kittens in my care.
I joined groups and scoured the internet, looking for ways to reduce suffering and save these tiny lives. I was not inventing new ways to care for kittens, I was learning from others who were patient & kind enough to share whatever information they had.
Eventually, it was my turn to share what I knew, and to my surprise, I truly enjoyed teaching others what I had learned from the rescuers who came before me. So, the purpose of this page is to share what I've learned... and what I'm still learning with other rescuers, and to be a resource for foster programs and veterinarians!
This page is educational content only. I am not able to give veterinary advice.