Hello to all!

Monday afternoon the Fed-Ex driver ran into our clinic holding this cute little kitten with the umbilical cord still attached and looking not more than a few hours to a day old. One of our receptionist kindly took it under her care and is currently bottle feeding it and toting to and from work and home with her to give it the attention and care he needs.

Orphaned kittens and puppies take a lot of care and attention. Kittens and puppies are abandoned for many different reasons. Some mothers will tend to leave them behind at birth if she feels she can not care for, protect or have enough milk for the entire litter. Also death or illness of the mother will cause a kitten, puppy or litter to be abandoned. It is very important to keep young kittens and puppies from becoming chilled , they generally get the heat they need from their mother. A heating pad, set on the lowest temperature, that is well covered with bedding in a small box or container of some sort tends to work well. During the first 48 hours of life, they receive antibodies from the mother's milk. This is important to their immune system. Kittens and puppies that do not receive this need to be closely watched as their immune systems may be very fragile. Bottle feeding is required for orphaned kittens and puppies for the first 4 weeks of life, after which you may start to introduce solid foods. A formula specifically for kittens and puppies should be used to ensure they get the proper nutrients, regular milk (whole, low-fat and non-fat) is not recommended. This type of formula can be found at any pet store. Sometimes you are able to find a foster mother to nurse and care for the kittens or puppies, but the orphaned kitten, puppy or litter may still need supplemental feedings and care if the foster mother has a large litter of her own to care for already. In any case with lots of tender loving care and attention this kittens or puppies can grow to be loving, healthy adults.

If you ever find an abandoned kitten, puppy or litter of either please call our office if you have any questions or concerns, need help raising them or want to find someone who will raise them. We want to do all we can to ensure the health and well being of these animals.

Thank you so much to the Fed-Ex driver who took the time out of his busy day and route to get the kitten to somewhere he knew it could be taken care of!