07/03/2023
Happy Monday! Let's start the week off with a little perspective 🤓
Kitten season is upon us(did it ever really end?!), and I'd like to spew some care requirements at you to show you just how much goes into a litter of kittens.
After working with thousands of cats over the years, here are some rough numbers I've experiences for you to consider.
Mom cats give birth to between 4 and 8 kittens on average. Mom cats need deowrmed and vaccinated, plus they eat at least 3 times what they usually do while pregnant or nursing- at least 1 full can of wet food daily plus all the dry food they want while pregnant.
Beginning as soon as 2 weeks, but usually at 4 weeks of age, all kittens need dewormed, usually 2 types of dewormer are involved. This continues every 2 weeks until they are adopted or reach 4-6 months of age.
At 6 weeks, each kitten begins their vaccination schedule. Depending on rescuers medical protocol, they receive vaccines every 2-4 weeks until they reach 4 months old. At 4 months old, they also receive a rabies vaccine.
Sometimes, the family needs medication. Could be for parasite overload, URI, eye infections, all of the above. Medications are usually given in 7-14 days courses. Sometimes the course is shorter or longer depending on medication type and illness being treated. This needs medication bottles and additional syringes.
As early as 8 weeks old, kittens begin the spay and neuter process. This procedure can only happen if they've reached a certain weight, and their overall health can impact their weight greatly. If they've been sick, they usually have to wait for their surgery.
When they are fixed, they receive a microchip and flea treatment.
One cat, born in foster care uses 3-5 syringe/needle sets for vaccines, 3-5, 1ml syringes for dewormer, 3-5, 3ml syringes for dewormer, one microchip, 1-3 flea treatments, 1-3 pill bottles, 1-3 liquid rx bottles, 1-3 large syringes for fluid therapy, a handful of needle replacements, a handful of butterfly needle sets, and so much more that I'm forgetting.
These are just the rudimentary medical supplies for the typical litter that passes through a rescue. This doesn't include intensive care for moderate to severe illness, like fluid therapy, nebulizer supplies, 3-5 different types of eye drops until you find one that works, swapping antibiotics because they've contracted a different infection, spot treatments for mouth or nose sores, syringes and high calorie food for syringe feeding, injectable vitamins, or fever reducers. This doesn't include the food that is consumed by mom to keep milk supply up until kittens can eat on their own. This doesn't include bottle feeding supplies and formula if mom can't produce enough milk because she's sick, or stressed, too young to be having babies, or flat out doesn't want to nurse her kittens (we see these things a lot later in the season). This doesn't include the food the babies need once they are weaned from mom (a litter of 4 goes through AT LEAST one case of 24 cans in less than two weeks), they need wet food twice a day to stay hydrated, plus the dry food they're offered 'round the clock (a litter of 4 goes through AT LEAST one 6 lb bag per month).
Plus the blankets, litter, litter boxes, p*e pads, wash clothes, towels, laundry detergent, dishes, dish soap, gloves...enrichment tools like toys, scratchers, treat dispensers. Plus the supplies needed to outfit your foster/intake head quarters like bleach, sanitizing wipes, scales, bags of fluids, heating pads, syringes of various sizes, needles, collars, KMR, high calorie supplements/foods, prescription foods for high-risk intakes, blacklights, crates, scrub tops, scrub pants, first aid kits, bite gloves, crates, and so much more.
ONE LITTER OF KITTENS, y'all. One litter takes all of this. And rescues take in so much more than one litter every season.
They need things like syringes, needles, scales, heating pads, cleaning supplies. They'd love a new set of litter boxes without cracked sides, or a new couple crates that they don't have to zip tie together. They'd love to stock their supplies up so when someone asks how they can help, they have a foster kit ready to go out the door that same day with all the supplies needed to get started. They'd love to have cases of wet food and bags of dry food on demand. They need bags and bins of litter, and ziploc baggies to send these things home with their foster families.
And they need us to help fill these cabinets and shelves and kits and cars. They need our help to get their foster homes ready for the season. They need our help to save all these homeless meows and I know we won't let them down because I know you guys by now and you're the ones that have made us "The Little Bin That Could".
We can do this for them. Just look at the sweet faces at Oakbrook Cat Rescue that need us!
Wishlists:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/IU0MYC7VQFBE?ref_=wl_share
https://www.walmart.com/registry/ER/9f9cb71e-8d65-4ec3-be1d-2372221b5354