Helping Feral Cats This Winter
by Becky Robinson
Are you feeding feral cats – or do you know someone who is? Or maybe you’ve seen the cats around your neighborhood, but you aren’t quite sure how to help them.
Feral cats are not socialized to humans, and can’t be adopted. Feral cats live in family groups called colonies. They exist in every landscape, from the largest cities to the most rural farmland.
Most feral cats are skilled at finding their own food and shelter. But with cold weather quickly approaching, there are simple ways you can help the cats in your community – not only to keep them warm, but to help to deter them from places they aren’t wanted or that are unsafe.
Here is how you can help:
Build an outdoor shelter.
Plans for easy and inexpensive shelters are available online at Warmfuzzys.org under fact sheets or http://www.alleycat.org/WinterWeather. The shelter should be elevated off the ground and sited in a quiet area with minimal traffic. There should be enough space for three to five cats to huddle. The door should be no more than six to eight inches wide to keep out predators. It should be insulated with straw, not blankets or other materials that absorb moisture. A flap on the door will keep out snow, rain and wind.
Keep food and drinking water from freezing.
Build a simple feeding station that protects the cats from the elements while they eat. Keep to a regular feeding schedule so that the cats will come to expect you and will eat the food before it has a chance to freeze.
Wet food in insulated containers is best for winter, as it takes less energy for cats to digest than dry food – and cats can use all that extra energy to keep warm. For water, use bowls that are deep rather than wide, and place them in a sunny spot. If possible, refill the bowls with warm water. A pinch of sugar also keeps the water from freezing as quickly, and provides added energy for the cats.
Stop the breeding cycle with Trap-Neuter-Return.
Educate yourself, your family and your neighbors about the habits of outdoor cats during the winter time. For example, know to check under the car or give the hood a tap before starting the engine, as cats will sometimes crawl into car engines or hide under them for warmth.
Prevent another “kitten season” next year by getting the outdoor cats in your neighborhood spayed or neutered as part of a Trap-Neuter-Return program. Cats have a 63-day gestation period and usually mate in winter. Trap-Neuter-Return ends the cycle of breeding and helps the cats lead better lives. A local volunteer group that practices Trap-Neuter-Return may be able to help. Visit Alley Cat Allies’ web site, www.alleycat.org, for more information about connecting to local resources and starting a Trap-Neuter-Return program in your community.
Becky Robinson is president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies, based in Bethesda, MD. Their web site is www.alleycat.org.
December 5th, 2009
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fuzzy1 |
Ferals, Ferals: Misc, Ferals: TNR |
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How to help the Kitty to eliminate
The mother cat will stimulate her kitten’s elimination by licking his anus and genital area with her rough tongue. You can emulate this process with a warm, rough washcloth. It may take a couple of feedings to see results, so don’t despair if he doesn’t defecate right away. Urinating may take a bit longer.
Normally, kittens will have a couple of firm, yellowish stools per day if they are being properly fed. Most kittens can control their own bowel movements at about 10 days old.
The skin area is very delicate and may become raw or sore from your efforts. If this happens, apply a tiny dab of Preparation H ointment to the affected area after each stimulation. Keep in mind that your kitten will probably not have a bowel movement every feeding, and sometimes even skip a day. This should be fine as long as the kitten is growing, eating well, not showing any signs of distress, and urinating.
Young kittens must be protected from disease!! ALWAYS wash your hands before and after handling the kittens, and ALWAYS clean and sterilize your bottles, nipples, brushes, or tube feeders in boiling water after each use!!
DIARRHEA/CONSTIPATION
What does a loose and/or yellow stool mean? This would indicate a mild case of
overfeeding. Try diluting the formula strength with liquid, unflavored Pedialyte by about 1/3 until the stool returns to normal, then gradually bring the formula back to full strength.
What does a loose and/or greenish color stool mean? This would be indicative that the food is moving too quickly through the kitten’s system, and the bile is not being absorbed, and is probably attributed to moderate overfeeding. Cut the formula back with the Pedialyte or bottled water; in severe cases use 2 to 3 drops of Kaopectate every four hours until this problem clears up.
What about stools that look like cottage cheese? Either the formula strength is too rich, there is severe overfeeding, or the kitten may have a bacterial infection. Check with the shelter manager who may recommend that you cut the formula in half with bottled water and/or Pedialyte liquid, and start the kitten on antibiotics. If the kitten is seriously dehydrated, fluids can be given under the skin.
Constipated or straining kittens? In this case, you would want to increase the strength of the formula, and feed slightly smaller amounts, but feed more frequently. If the kitten has a swollen abdomen and hasn’t passed a bowel movement in over a day, you may want to try mineral oil given by mouth (3 drops per ounce of body weight).
Stool Color:
- Bloody – Actual red blood seen in stool. Could indicate panleukepenia. Grossly abnormal, must be seen ASAP.
- Mucous – yellowish/white/clear slimy substance. Indicates severe bowel irritation. Grossly abnormal and needs immediate care.
- Black – True dark black color to stool. Usually indicates bleeding high in the bowel. Severe sign, needs immediate attention.
- Brown – Normal color. Be happy!
- Orange – Usually indicates way too much bile in stool, can occur with reflux.Seek medical advice.
- Yellow – Almost always indicates bacterial imbalance in the bowel. If has diarrhea also, usually related to coccidia. Seek medical advice.
- White – Grossly abnormal color, usually indicates, severe bacterial imbalance and severe infection in the bowel. Kitten at risk of dying, needs medical attention, ASAP.
Consistency:
- Dry/hard – Abnormal, usually indicates dehydration. Seek care, promptly.
- Firm – Normal, be happy.
- Formed but soft – Low range of ‘normal’. If stools change from firm to soft you should seek medical advice.
- Toothpaste – Still has somewhat tubular form but falls apart once touched. Abnormal, needs medication.
- Cow-patty – Never formed but thick enough it falls into a ‘cow-patty’ shape. Abnormal, animal is at significant risk and needs immediate attention.
- Liquid – Just fluid that falls out of rectum, thin and may have mucous. Abnormal, animal is at severe risk and must be seen immediately.
- The ‘Squirts’ – Animal has no control over bowel and watery fluid squirts out of rectum. Grossly abnormal, animal in danger of dying, must be seen immediately!
Urine color:
- Red/Dark Orange – Severe sign. Severe at-risk, must be seen immediately.
- Dark yellow/almost brown – Extreme dehydration or bilirubin in urine. Either way it’s BAD! Needs immediate aggressive treatment.
- Intense yellow – Concentrated urine. Animal is not getting enough fluid for total body hydration. Needs immediate care.
- Yellow – Mildly concentrated urine. Monitor closely and if ANY other signs, seek care immediately.
- Light yellow – Mildly diluted urine. Overall body hydration should be adequate if no kidney disease. With sick/injured or at-risk animals, this is the color we shoot for.
- Pale yellow – Diluted urine. Hydration should be excellent if no kidney disease. With any significantly debilitated or severe risk animal, this is the color we shoot for. Be aware however of possible over-hydration and keep urine this color, only if under medical care.
- Almost clear – Severely dilute urine. Risk of over-hydration. Urine should only be this diluted if under constant medical supervision.
October 3rd, 2009
Posted by
fuzzy1 |
Kittens |
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Is the Kitty Dehydrated?
Hydration is basically how much water we have in our system. Since water drives all of our metabolic functions, you can see why adequate hydration is essential.
The easiest way to check how hydrated your kitten is, is to grasp the skin firmly but gently between the kitten’s shoulder blades, and lift it straight up with a twisting motion as you release it. Kitten skin that is well hydrated pops back within a second or less.
The longer it takes the skin to return to its place, the more fluids your kitten needs. In severely dehydrated kittens, the shelter manager may decide to inject water or electrolyte solution under the kitten’s skin, for faster absorption.
Treatment: A kitten that is noticeably dehydrated should receive prompt veterinary attention. Treatment is directed at replacing fluids and preventing further losses.
In mild cases without vomiting, fluids can be given by mouth. If the kitten won’t drink, give an electrolyte solution by bottle or syringe into the cheek pouch.
Balanced electrolyte solutions for treating dehydration in children are available at drugstores. Ringer’s lactate with 5 percent Dextrose in water and a solution called Pedialyte are suitable for kittens. They are given at the rate of two to four milliliters per pound body weight per hour, depending on the severity of the dehydration (or as directed by your veterinarian).
Feed the solution every 2 hours until the skin snaps back accordingly. Then start with a thin milk replacer mixed with the electrolyte solution.
October 3rd, 2009
Posted by
fuzzy1 |
Kitten: Development, Kittens |
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HTML clipboard Raising Orphan KittensIf you have rescued an orphan kitten from a cat veterinary clinic for cats or the cat doctor in your area, you are doing a wonderful thing. Show the kitten the love and affection they so desperately need.
- First Aid – From checking for fleas to weaning the newborn kitten off of milk, there are many first aid procedures that must be addressed when raising an orphaned kitten, all of which would be handled best by cat veterinarians and cat doctors, who specialize in feline veterinary medicine. These specialists can provide the proper cat diagnosis for any problems that might be evident.
- Temperature and Socialization – A newborn kitten is very susceptible to temperatures. Learn about the proper temperatures and socialization aspects that must be followed when raising an orphaned kitten.
- Care of Orphaned Kitten – This mega list of instructional care will have your orphaned kitten in top health in no time. Broken down into specific categories, you will learn about dental disease, heart worm disease, and checking for fleas and ticks. Always use your local doctor cat vet clinic as the first resource for medicine cat dr.
- How to Raise a Baby Kitten - Whether you adopted an orphaned kitten, or you are caring for a litter of newborn kittens, there are plenty of informative articles on how to properly raise and care for your new pet across a wide variety of resources. The ultimate resource should always be the cats vet in your area, with many a veterinarian cat care veterinary clinic locations easily accessible..
- Orphaned Kitten Care – Broken down into 5 categories, this guide to caring for orphaned kittens will have you being a wonderful parent in no time; with the proper guidance from your local veterinary cats can live long, healthy lives.
- Orphaned Kittens - Ideas and helpful ideas to manage the health of newborn orphaned kittens.
October 3rd, 2009
Posted by
fuzzy1 |
Kittens |
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HTML clipboardEmergency Kitten Milk Replacer Formula’s
1 -
one 12-ounce can of evaporated skim milk
one 4-ounce can of evaporated whole cow’s milk
4 ounces of plain yogurt
three egg yolks
2-
1 part boiled water to 5 parts evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon bone meal per 16oz fluid
3-
(do not use if diarrhea is present)
1 can evaporated milk
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons Karo syrup
4-
3 ounces condensed milk
3 ounces water
4 ounces plain yogurt (not low-fat)
3 large or 4 small egg yolks
5-
8 ounces homogenized whole milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salad oil
Mix all ingredients well and strain. Serve slightly warmer than room temperature. Before serving, test a few drops on your wrist to make sure the formula is comfortably warm. Keep unused formula refrigerated at all times. Store for up to four days, and always check to make sure the formula is still fresh.
Also Mix 1 drop of human infant liquid vitamins in each kitten’s formula. If the kitten(s) become constipated add 1 drop of vegetable oil or cold liver oil per ounce.
Cow’s milk is not particularly healthy for kittens and is missing many vital nutrients; do not continue to use regular milk on kittens.
Never feed a kitten in the air or on their back.
October 3rd, 2009
Posted by
fuzzy1 |
Kitten: Development |
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