Salt Spring Cat Orphanage

Salt Spring Cat Orphanage Providing care for very young & orphaned kittens in partnership with other rescue agencies. Providing care for very young & orphaned kittens.

In partnership with other agencies taking kittens requiring special care.

Heathcliff - at six weeks old. He laps up KMR from a plate as he transitions to solid food.
04/07/2025

Heathcliff - at six weeks old. He laps up KMR from a plate as he transitions to solid food.

04/06/2025

Knowing when to separate a mother from her kittens is a difficult decision. Austen is an undersocialized cat who was also trying to care for her kittens. Each day, I sat quietly in the room, allowing the kittens to approach me if they were interested, while Austen could observe.

As the days passed, her behavior became increasingly protective. However, when her stress caused her to stop eating and rendered her unable to nurse her kittens, I had to step in to bottle feed. This required handling the kittens four to five times a day. Each visit to the foster room heightened Austen's stress, and she began to exhibit signs of aggression.

Where is the balance between ensuring the kittens’ health and nutrition needs and their bond with their mother? What is best for the mother, who is nurturing her kittens but becoming increasingly stressed by my presence?

I removed the kittens for 48 hours to help them gain weight and eat adequately. During that time, Austen relaxed and started eating again. Upon returning the kittens to the foster room, the cycle resumed: the kittens refused their food, and Austen became very protective once more. I made the tough decision to permanently separate the kittens, who are now 6 weeks old.

In this video, it’s been three days of working to regain Austen’s trust, and the results are excellent. We have booked a spay surgery in a few weeks and are actively looking for a new home for her.

Oh Emma, you gave us such a scare last week! She has fully recovered and shows no ill effects from her sudden crash. Em...
04/05/2025

Oh Emma, you gave us such a scare last week! She has fully recovered and shows no ill effects from her sudden crash.

Emma is playful, inquisitive, and full of life. She loves to wrestle with her siblings, and join in a cuddle puddle when its time to sleep. She is already 5 weeks old.

Look who is 5 weeks old! Willoughby was the most challenging kitten to transition to solid food. He resisted the syrin...
04/03/2025

Look who is 5 weeks old!

Willoughby was the most challenging kitten to transition to solid food. He resisted the syringe, showed no interest in dry food and would not even consider eating off a plate. Given that he also had severe diarrhea, it was crucial to get food into him. The solution was a gruel mixture offered to him off a spatula. Over the course of a few meals, I slowly moved the spatula closer to the dish of food, where he finally began to lap up food independently.

Now, he readily laps up each meal and his daily weight gains are significant.

Darcy! What can I say? He loves his food but only when hand-fed by a syringe. He also prefers the syringe tip and not a...
04/02/2025

Darcy! What can I say? He loves his food but only when hand-fed by a syringe. He also prefers the syringe tip and not a miracle ni**le. Weaning is all about meeting the kittens where they are. He will let me know when it is time to eat off a plate

Look who is 5 weeks old! Heathcliff is the first kitten to eat food from a plate. Its been a stressful week since Aus...
04/02/2025

Look who is 5 weeks old! Heathcliff is the first kitten to eat food from a plate. Its been a stressful week since Austen quit nursing her kittens. It took many days of syringe feeding the entire litter around the clock. This chunky Monkey loves his food and quickly realized that he could lap it up off a plate all by himself.

Here's a little update on Momma Austen. Early last week, she started leaving her meals untouched. I began to worry about...
04/01/2025

Here's a little update on Momma Austen. Early last week, she started leaving her meals untouched. I began to worry about her milk production and started offering the kittens a mixture of kitten food and KMR. I also began weighing the kittens each day out of concern for their daily intake. This may or may not be related to the crash that Emma experienced.

I attempted to entice Austen with a variety of wet and dry food brands, but with little success. Ultimately, I found success with Purina dry food, freshly cooked chicken, and Fancy Feast combined with churro treats.

She is now eating properly but has no milk to nurse the kittens. Given her unpredictable nature, weaning the kittens presents a few challenges. I set up a carrier inside a large crate as her safe place. I can shut the door to the crate when she seeks the carrier's safety and then pick up the kittens, provided they are not sleeping with her. It presents a few challenges, but lets me keep Austen and the kittens together for now.

I am working to gain Austen’s trust during sessions when the kittens are out of the room. Her maternal instincts are strong when they are present, and she becomes a bit unpredictable. When alone, she approaches me for chicken pieces and takes churro treats from the lick mat.

03/30/2025

Yesterday, Emma had a play date with her siblings. I will monitor her closely, but for now she is behaving like a normal 5 week old kitten.

Emma part 3 Upon my return, she looked up and began to move. I reinstated the glucose protocol and reached out to the B...
03/28/2025

Emma part 3

Upon my return, she looked up and began to move. I reinstated the glucose protocol and reached out to the BC SPCA Salt Spring Island which is sponsoring this litter. We arranged for Emma to be at the vet’s office the moment they opened in the morning. Dr. Tedder immediately began assessing Emma, taking her blood, temperature, and glucose levels. Testing did not identify any specific cause, beyond the presence of a heart murmur. Emma returned home with a guarded prognosis, and a treatment plan to return the next day for another blood draw and additional testing. Her supportive care included subcutaneous fluids to combat her dehydration and antibiotics in case of infection. Since Emma had no appetite, I initiated syringe feedings every three hours for the next 24 hours.

Today, we celebrated her emancipation from the incubator. She is active, eating independently, and gaining weight. To make sure I can monitor her closely, Emma will remain in the bathroom for a few more days.

Why is Emma living in the bathtub? Part 1On Tuesday evening, during my bedtime check-in, I discovered Emma sleeping alo...
03/28/2025

Why is Emma living in the bathtub? Part 1

On Tuesday evening, during my bedtime check-in, I discovered Emma sleeping alone on the floor. She looked lethargic, felt cool to the touch, and exhibited a mild tremor.

These are clear signs of fading kitten syndrome, a term that describes kittens who, despite appearing healthy at birth, gradually weaken, stop nursing, and ultimately die. Kittens are most vulnerable during the first few weeks of life, especially during weaning, which occurs around 4 to 5 weeks of age.

I immediately began implementing fading kitten protocols. To combat hypothermia, I placed her in an incubator to ensure she stayed warm. I’m forever thankful to have an incubator for such emergencies. I set the temperature and maintained it at a constant level to keep her little body warm.

Two tabbies, side by side. Can you tell them apart?
03/26/2025

Two tabbies, side by side. Can you tell them apart?

Rounding out the Literary Classic litter is Emma. The only girl in the litter, she loves to snuggle and will seek out t...
03/24/2025

Rounding out the Literary Classic litter is Emma. The only girl in the litter, she loves to snuggle and will seek out the closet lap or warm body.

She has a slightly smaller frame than her tabby brother, as well as a slightly darker face. Thank goodness I can tell them apart when they are side by side.

Introducing Willoughby! This handsome cutie is a momma's boy. He is usually the last to leave her side and start to e...
03/23/2025

Introducing Willoughby! This handsome cutie is a momma's boy. He is usually the last to leave her side and start to explore once the kittens are woken up. His quiet/calm energy is different from his tabby siblings, but this will change as he matures and gain confidence.

Introducing Heathcliff.....a confident, outgoing kitten who seems to realize how photogenic he is. When the phone comes...
03/22/2025

Introducing Heathcliff.....a confident, outgoing kitten who seems to realize how photogenic he is. When the phone comes out, he stops to pose.

Introducing the literary classic litter! Meet Darcy. This adorable little boy is already showing his personality at 4 ...
03/21/2025

Introducing the literary classic litter! Meet Darcy. This adorable little boy is already showing his personality at 4 weeks of age. He is quiet and likes to sit back and observe, but is interested in the antics of his siblings. It will be fascinating to see how his personality changes as he matures.

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127 Rainbow Road
Salt Spring Island, BC
V8K2G5

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+12505377567

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Videos

austen
austen

Knowing when to separate a mother from her kittens is a difficult decision. Austen is an undersocialized cat who was also trying to care for her kittens. Each day, I sat quietly in the room, allowing the kittens to approach me if they were interested, while Austen could observe. As the days passed, her behavior became increasingly protective. However, when her stress caused her to stop eating and rendered her unable to nurse her kittens, I had to step in to bottle feed. This required handling the kittens four to five times a day. Each visit to the foster room heightened Austen's stress, and she began to exhibit signs of aggression. Where is the balance between ensuring the kittens’ health and nutrition needs and their bond with their mother? What is best for the mother, who is nurturing her kittens but becoming increasingly stressed by my presence? I removed the kittens for 48 hours to help them gain weight and eat adequately. During that time, Austen relaxed and started eating again. Upon returning the kittens to the foster room, the cycle resumed: the kittens refused their food, and Austen became very protective once more. I made the tough decision to permanently separate the kittens, who are now 6 weeks old. In this video, it’s been three days of working to regain Austen’s trust, and the results are excellent. We have booked a spay surgery in a few weeks and are actively looking for a new home for her.

play date
play date

Yesterday, Emma had a play date with her siblings. I will monitor her closely, but for now she is behaving like a normal 5 week old kitten.

mason
mason

The video is a little grainy, but too cute not to share. Clearly Tigger Two had no issues being top dog!

churro
churro

Rosie loves her churro treats, but gets a little too excited. Putting it onto a lick mat helps to slow her down and extend the treat.

Carrier practice with Rosie: getting Rosie ready for a move to a more permanent foster placement while waiting for adoption. As when she went for her spay, we spend days practising going into the carrier for treats. Excuse the delayed shot of her back end while she took her time searching for treats in the carrier. You can see she is very relaxed in the carrier so it will be uneventful when I shut the door to take her travelling.

fireplace
fireplace

Just a little evening play time for the girls.

How is it that these two confident kittens are still available for adoption? I'd love them to go together, but they would be fine in a home with another young cat or folks who are around the house to keep them company.

Lily has left the building. This adorable kitten has been adopted and now joins a feline brother named Frodo and a family with two girls who adore her. Her new family has chosen to keep her name since it suits her so well. To see Lily's journey, please check out her album on our website; https://www.saltspringcat.com/lily/

Rosie
Rosie

Awww, Rosie!

Monday morning momma time, Rosie with her flowers.

Momma Monday. It hard to believe I had to wear leather gloves so I could handle the kittens when Rosie first arrived. She now chooses to come and sit beside me, with the loudest purr ever! #notsofractiousanymore

catnip
catnip

Catnip party, for one. Go, Rosie!

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