You've Found A Baby Kitten Or Puppy...Now What?

Finding baby kittens and puppies can stress anyone if you love animals because the first question is normally "what do I do with it?" Here's some good information about what to do and if you're up to it some supplies you can get to feed the little one.

http://www.kittenbaby.com/

http://puppies.about.com/od/NewOwners/a/Development-Birth-to-3-Months.htm

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-newborn-puppy-care.aspx

http://www.2ndchance.info/orphanpuppy.htm

The links above provide some really good information about bottle feeding and the development stages of both kittens and puppies.  As far as guessing their age, I have personally found it useful to calculate it at 4 ounces per week of life.  For instance, if the kitten weighs 8 ounces we can safely assume he/she is 2 weeks old.  Obviously this is a guesstimate since the only way to know exactly how old your baby is is to see them born.

These guys are really super cute, but they are deceivingly a lot of work.  They are also extremely busy figuring out what's appropriate behavior and what is not and will play almost non-stop.  They will also fill a litterbox so it is extremely important to stay on top of that as well.  Kittens defecate their body weight every day which is quite amazing given how small they are.

These guys are even more work in that potty training is involved.  They have to learn to go outside and not in your home!  That requires lots and lots of trips outside to show them where they can go potty.  Their bladders are also not as big so they will have to go a lot more than their adult counterparts.

These babies are extremely cute and sweet but if you find one or more then it is important you check with a local vet or rescue organization if you aren't sure what to do.  It is work but definitely worth it in the end.

If you have any questions, comments or need information on how to go about finding a local rescue organization please let us know. Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Flipbook.  As always, thank you for reading!

Finding New Litters and Babies

 Animal rescue people know when kitten season is coming but a lot of "normal" people do not and will often contact rescue organization, their vet or even shelters when they find litters and even infants.  Most of the time these organizations are full to the brim with animals they already have so fostering these babies is hopefully an option for the finder.

The care needed for these little ones can be intimidating, however, but no need to worry.  If you find a mom with babies all you need to do is put her in a small space like a large dog crate, bathroom or spare room with a box for the babies and she will do all the work for you!  Occasionally there is a little one left behind, though, and this is even more intimidating than finding the family.  While caring for the little one is hard work it is not complicated at all.  Here are two links for kittens and puppies to help you figure things out.

http://www.kittenbaby.com/

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2108&aid=863

Animal rescue organizations can also be a great source of information as can your vet.  Do not hesitate to ask but here are some things I like to keep on hand for kitten season:

Kitten Meal Replacement (KMR):  found at any petstore in powder and liquid form.
Baby kitten soft food:  doesn't matter what brand as long as it is a pate form
Baby kitten hard food:  for when they develop teeth and start eating.  I like Royal Canin baby cat but  whatever kitten food available is fine.
Bottle for KMR when they are still bottle feeding and not eating food yet.
A scale for making sure the little ones are gaining weight.

Socialization is key as well so having more than one animal with these babies is wonderful for their development (mental, social and physical).  Adopting kittens in pairs is always preferable because if the parents ever want another cat then the exposure and socialization is already there for them to be accepting of another housemate.

I hope this has helped and as always please let me know if you have any comments, questions or a topic you would like to see discussed here.