Many people have a feeling of pity and compassion for a homeless kitten, a cat that is wet in the rain and shivering from the cold. The animal’s big eyes are filled with melancholy, a plea to passers-by who can become owners and provide a warm, cozy shelter. Not everyone will agree to perform the heroic act of adopting a homeless pet, sheltering it in their apartment, and providing proper care. But if you still decide to take such a responsible step, study the recommendations of specialists on the correct adaptation of the animal. This will help protect the household and make the process of getting used to the new home more favorable for the cat.
Visit to the veterinarian and self-examination
It is necessary to show a kitten picked up on the street to a specialist. The veterinarian will conduct an examination and determine the condition of the animal. If the presence of diseases is suspected, the doctor will perform additional tests. If necessary, he will select effective treatment and prescribe medications. A variety of diseases spread among homeless animals. Some of them are dangerous to humans. A professional examination will help maintain the health of your pet and protect family members.
If it is not possible to contact a veterinarian at the first stage, it is necessary to arrange a quarantine for the new resident. For 2-3 weeks it should be placed in a room where there are no drafts, the optimal temperature is maintained, and the pet’s condition should be carefully monitored. It is necessary to exclude his contact with other animals, if there are any in the house. The cat should have a separate bowl, its own tray.
A kitten picked up on the street must be carefully examined. In a healthy pet:
- there are no damages, growths on the skin, no bald spots;
- there is no redness on the mucous membrane of the eyes, no lacrimation is observed;
- there is no unpleasant odor from the ears, there is no excessive amount of wax;
- The nasal speculum is in good condition, there is no runny nose.
You need to feel the paws to make sure there are no fractures. You should also lightly palpate your tummy. If there is damage to internal organs, the animal will feel pain and react accordingly. It is necessary to check the cat's reaction to light and water. If she is terrified of these factors and exhibits aggressive behavior, this may be a sign of rabies. You need to contact a veterinary hospital urgently.
Is it worth taking a kitten from the street and how to care for it?
Definitely yes. However, before you pick up a kitten, carefully weigh your strengths. This may require a significant investment of money and time. If you want to help a stray cat, but are afraid you won’t be able to cope, you can take your mustachioed friend into the care of animal rights activists. They give away animals that have already been quarantined and sanitized.
If you pick up a kitten on the street and shelter it in an apartment, as a rule, very grateful and faithful animals grow up. They quickly become accustomed to the litter box, are not picky about food unless they are spoiled at home, and will thank their rescuer forever.
Monitoring a cat during quarantine
During the quarantine period, the kitten must be closely monitored. Important indicators are appetite, consistency, and color of stool. There should be no foreign inclusions, impurities, blood or purulent discharge in feces and urine. You should pay attention to the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth. They should have a light pink tint. The appearance of a yellow, bluish color is the reason for a visit to the veterinarian. You need to go to the hospital if you experience:
- lack of appetite;
- loss of shine on the coat;
- depressed state;
- temperature increase.
If no negative signs appear within two to three weeks, then you can stop quarantine, allow the kitten to move freely around the apartment, and get to know other pets.
What to do if newborn kittens do not have a mother?
If you find that the mother does not return, then you should take the kittens. This is very important for their survival. If you decide to intervene, then be prepared to deal with kittens from the moment of rescue until placement in families. This will take you quite a long time.
It is unlikely that you will find a veterinary clinic, shelter or volunteer who would take on nursing and education.
Typically, shelters and veterinary clinics do not have the resources to care for small kittens because they do not have staff to feed and care for them around the clock.
Since such services require financial expenses, beware of scammers, unscrupulous shelters and volunteers.
If you do decide to transfer responsibility to another person or organization, make sure that the kittens are properly cared for. Request detailed information about the condition of the kittens, as well as photo and video reports.
If your kitten is sick or injured, contact your veterinarian. You will be given prognoses and recommendations for care.
Signs of a sick kitten:
- Gaunt muzzle, visible ribs and spine
- Cold ears, stomach and paws
- Pale gums and tongue
- Lethargy/almost no movement
- Excessively crusty eyes or nose
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- Labored breathing
Signs of an injured kitten:
- Lameness
- Visible wounds or ulcers
- Screams of pain
You may also experience fading kitten syndrome.
If you are taking newborn kittens from the street, then the first thing you need to do is:
- Prepare a box or carrier in which you will move the kittens to a safe place. Wrap the carrier/box in a towel or blanket to keep the kittens warm, but do not block the air holes.
- Make sure the kittens are warm. This is more important than feeding. Never feed a cold kitten!
- Prepare everything you need for bottle feeding. Newborn kittens can only be fed with a special formula. Cow's milk, kefir, pate and other products are not suitable!
By deciding to help newborn kittens, you are doing the right thing. But you should know that about 15-20% of kittens raised by humans die.
To avoid mistakes, use the recommendations for feeding and caring for newborn kittens.
When the time comes for the babies to be placed in good hands, register on Kotopoisk and place advertisements for kittens.
We are sure that you will succeed!
Washing and antiparasitic treatment
A homeless animal has no chance of avoiding infection with parasites. The new tenant of the house must be rid of them. First you need to bathe the kitten using shampoo with acaricidal ingredients. This product will help to efficiently remove all dirt from the fur and skin, and rid your pet of fleas. One procedure for controlling insects is not enough. After a couple of days, you need to treat fleas with special products.
Another common parasite of stray cats is worms. A week after the anti-flea procedure, you should give your pet angelmint. It is advisable to use a drug that destroys all types of worms. If your cat's health is good, you can treat fleas and worms at the same time. After a week, the deworming drug must be given to the animal again. But you need to try to find out the age of the kitten. If he is not yet three months old, not all medications can be used in antiparasitic treatment.
Do not allow contact with other animals
If there are dogs at home, they should not come into contact with the new pet and its litter box until treated for parasites. Cats should not come into contact with an outdoor kitten for at least 14 days, especially if the animals are not vaccinated against the most common feline diseases.
It is ideal to give the kitten and other cats in the house a blood test using PCR for “slow” viruses - leukemia, peritonitis and immunodeficiency. If at least one test of a new pet is positive, and your pets do not suffer from it (or vice versa), it is better for the baby to find new owners.
Vaccinations for a selected pet
Cats need vaccinations. It will provide protection against common diseases. The timing of drug administration and dosage must be determined by a veterinarian. Please note that vaccinations are given only to healthy cats that have been treated for worms. You need to go to a veterinary hospital after the end of quarantine. Pets are vaccinated against:
- calicivirus;
- rhinotracheitis;
- chlamydia;
- panleukopenia.
Nowadays complex preparations containing components for vaccination against all common diseases are used. 2 vaccinations are required with an interval of 4 weeks. Rabies vaccination is done annually. There are new drugs with a validity period of 3 years.
To get along in character
Photo from the website sputnik.md
In order to find new owners for a dog, these owners need to first know about it.
Submit advertisements. In newspapers, magazines, on ad sites on the Internet, on bulletin boards at entrances. Finally, post advertisements in nearby areas.
“Try to imagine: what kind of owner would be suitable for your ward, who is this person, what does he do and what newspapers (websites, magazines) does he read? For example, if you find a calm small dog, then it can be a faithful friend for older people. Accordingly, advertisements should be submitted to newspapers that are popular among pensioners (these are free regional newspapers, newspapers with a TV program for the week (“Antenna”, “TV program”, “KP”), advises Anastasia Shukaeva , a volunteer at animal shelters with extensive experience in adoption animals.
– If you found an active young dog, then perhaps she was (or will be) a joy for people living outside the city. Submit advertisements in newspapers near Moscow or simply post them at commuter train stations. Or she can find her home in a family of young people - then advertise on the website avito.ru, on the vkontakte.ru network and on other Internet resources. Universal newspapers (those that are read by almost everyone) are Komsomolskaya Pravda and the Metro newspaper.”
We are installing the foundling. Instructions
- Shelters do not accept puppies because : 1. Puppies require special care; 2. Puppies, most likely, simply will not survive;
- What to do : 1. Look for foster care where they will take you for a fee or free of charge; 2. Look for owners.
- What you need for this : 1. Take good photographs; 2. Write a text about the dog\puppy\cat\kitten (age, character, perhaps a story about how you found the animal). Indicate that you cannot keep the animal (for whatever reasons), that you need help finding the owner or temporary foster care. 3. Leave your contacts. This can only be a link to your page, or maybe also a phone number (at your discretion). For some people, for example, it’s easier to write than to call. 4. Write to the administrators of large animal protection groups with a request to place your ad (text and photo). 5. If there is a person who is ready to help, do not be lazy and talk to him. Anything can happen... including bad intentions.
Proper feeding of your pet
Many cat owners prefer ready-made food. These products provide balanced, high-quality nutrition. But if it is not budget category food that contains harmful substances that lead to liver and kidney diseases. It is important to choose products that are appropriate for the age of the animal. For owners who do not have the opportunity to regularly purchase ready-made “extra” class food, it is better to feed the kitten with natural products, ensuring an optimal supply of all necessary microelements.
It is understandable to want from the heart to feed a hungry homeless animal. But you need to understand that street life does not contribute to the proper digestion process. Most likely, the system functions are impaired. At first, the cat needs to be fed dietary food. Volumes should be reduced, overeating during the period of getting used to homemade food is unacceptable.
Proper feeding will allow the body to adapt to a new diet without stress and will avoid stool disturbances and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration.
Education
So, the kitten has been treated and the quarantine is over. It's time to help him get comfortable in the house. And here the owners may encounter difficulties. When the kitten lived on the street, he was left to his own devices and could do whatever he wanted: go to the toilet in any flowerbed, sharpen his claws on trees. Now the space for maneuver has changed and turned out to be unfamiliar. The owners’ task is to help the new resident quickly get used to the new place.
You need to get used to the tray right away. It should be open and large in size. First use sand or soil as a filler. These are exactly what the kitten got used to when he lived on the street. Gradually you can mix cat litter into the soil/sand. Eventually the kitten will get used to it and you can completely switch to it.
On the street, the kitten had to hide from danger. Therefore, in the new home there should be places where he can hide and be alone.
Kittens love to play. Games will help your pet quickly get used to it and begin to trust its new owners. A fishing rod toy will be a great helper. The kitten will be at a safe distance during play so that it can relax and not be afraid.
Playing with a kitten is the best way to gain trust
Don't grab the kitten suddenly. Better call. When he comes over, give him a treat and pet him. The pet should see the owner as a friend, and not as an aggressor or a source of danger.
When raising a kitten, you should not shout at it, much less hit it. You need to talk to him strictly and calmly.
If, for example, he took food into the room, you need to return it to his bowl. This must be repeated until he understands that this cannot be done.
A natural need for a kitten is to sharpen its claws. If you want to keep your furniture intact, buy a scratching post. Take the time to explain to your animal how to use it. You can spray the scratching post with catnip, which cats love. Over time, the kitten will love it and most likely will not spoil the upholstered furniture.
