Last Spring my husband found a cardboard box on the ground by our gate. At first, he assumed it was a package that UPS had dropped off. After walking over to it, he soon realized this was no “package”… something had been dumped on us. Inside were 6 tiny baby kittens. On the internet you can find very detailed information for raising abandoned or orphaned kittens, and I recommend you read some of these resources. You can also call an animal shelter or rescue in your local area and get information on where you can take the kittens if you’re not capable of raising them yourself. Of course, it’s always recommended that you conference with a Veterinarian, and get any recommendations he/she may have. I’m sharing this story in case this ever happens to you and you’re forced into immediate – uneducated – action, as I was.
I was so unprepared for the sight of a box of baby kittens that I forgot all of the aforementioned advice – and jumped right into the role of caregiver! The kittens had been in the box for so long one had already died. The remaining 5 seemed slow to respond and listless. I knew they were probably dehydrated, and past the point of hungry. I didn’t have a rabbit or kitten bottle on hand, but I did have a baby bottle I’d been feeding goats with. I also had powdered multi-animal replacement milk on hand. There was no directions for mixing it for a kitten, but I figured a rabbit’s mix would be close enough. The kittens were way too small to nurse from the bottle, but with some patience and lots of dry towels – I was able to give them all enough milk to fill their little bellies and put some life back into them. I continued to do this until the next day when my husband was finally able to go into town and get a kitten nurser and some kitten formula.
The most important thing to remember with baby kittens is that they need help eliminating their waste. A mother cat would help them do this, and you can simulate the process with a warm wet wash rag. Simply wash and rub their little bums until they relieve themselves. You may be amazed at how much urine such a small kitten can produce! So have plenty of paper towel on hand. I can’t vouch for every kitten in the world, but my little guys were fed on demand, and it averaged about every 2 hours for the first week or so. I let them nurse until they fell away from the nipple on their own. I used the wet rag trick to relieve them before and after each feeding. I didn’t stop doing this until I noticed wetness and elimination in their box.
To keep them warm, clean, and dry, I used a large sized Rubbermaid container, and I lined it with old rags and towels. I left plenty of “hidey holes” and crawl spaces for them in the folds of the material, so they could snuggle down for warmth. As they grew, they began to want out of the box, but I didn’t turn them completely loose until all 4 could climb out on their own. I’d let them out after a feeding to run and play, then put them back in until the next feeding. Once all 4 could get out on their own, I took their bedding from the box and moved it to an area inside the laundry room. This gave them the protection and warmth they needed – and allowed me to line the immediate area with newspaper to catch their eliminations, and a door to close in case I had to leave. Very seldom did one wander off the paper. By the time this became an issue – they were old enough to begin box training. Soon they were also eating solid foods. I started them on canned food of course, but slowly switched them over to dry by soaking it in their kitten milk at first.
Of the 5, we kept the males and found homes for the 3 females. Grayson and Honkey Cat (named after the Elton John song) are now full grown (and spoiled!) Toms. And living proof that you can successfully raise baby kittens – even if you have NO idea what you’re doing! This is the pair when they were about half grown.
