These instructions are for kittens of the below size.
How to Care For an Orphaned Kitten
There are many ways to approach an orphaned kitten. First of all, what is an orphaned kitten? How does a kitten qualify to be called orphaned?
Kittens into Cats
In most cases, a kitten or kittens are left alone forcefully if their mom was run over, in other words, got killed. Most kittens attain a certain age when they don’t need their mother and the adult female cat (mother) knows this which is why the mother slowly distances itself from her kittens. When this happens, the kittens automatically set out to face the world on their own and we all know it’s a cruel world out there.
Orphaned Kitten
An orphaned kitten would be a baby cat or the baby of cat without its mother. If a kitten is lost, the baby cat would cry for its mum. As in, crying hysterically, you may not recognize it if you have never heard a kitten cry. The kitten can cry constantly nonstop in search for its mum. In this case, it is most likely the mother cat lost its kitten while relocating (as they tend to search for new homes if they already don’t have one).
Size of Kittens
For those who are not familiar with kittens, might not know their age based on their appearance. If the kitten is as small as your palm then chances are that it is still drinking with its mother which therefore means that it desperately needs milk.
If the kitten is bigger than your palm then most likely it’s a bit older to take care of itself.
How to help an Orphaned Kitten?
You will often find an orphaned kitten scared. In this situation, no matter how you try to approach the scared kitty, it will run away from you. If it isn’t scared then it’s fine, but most likely that isn’t the case.
What if the kitten is scared?
If the kitten is scared then there’s very little that you can do. For starters, if you spot the scared kitty near your place then give it some milk or food in a small bowl. Take the bowl and place it where you found the kitty and leave the spot. Later on, watch that same spot to see if the kitten is eating or drinking from the bowl. It is very difficult to get close to a frightened kitten as it will constantly try to run away. Usually in this case, you just keep feeding the scared kitty the same way (if it is still there) until the kitty itself warms up to you. This might take a couple of days so be patient.
What if the kitten is friendly?
If you find yourself facing a friendly kitten then feed it food and water, and see its reactions and movements to the surroundings. If you are planning to adopt the kitten then you should take it to the vet to have it inspected and injected. If you are not planning to make it your own pet then you can give it up at your nearest animal shelter.
Caring for an Orphaned Kitten in both situations
Steps to be taken:
- Give the kitten a nice and gentle bath
- Wipe it well so that it doesn’t feel cold
- Be extra careful and gentle
- Caress the kitten softly so that it won’t be terrified
- Take the kitten to the vet for a general checkup
Warning: Cats generally hate to take showers so be extra careful.
Saving an Orphaned Kitten
Saving an orphaned kitten may not come easy. It is not even easy to take care of a kitten but if you have it in your heart to do something good then you should go for it. Just remember, you are saving a life here.
We think twice before doing something good and not even once to do something bad
