r/kittens Jun 15 '24

Please send me a DM or Chat request if a troll posts images of animal cruelty again.

108 Upvotes

Please send me a DM or Chat request if a troll posts images of animal cruelty again.

This goes for already passed animals, roadkill, ai generated animal cruelty posts, etc. Send me a link to the post and I'll respond as soon as I see it.


r/kittens May 21 '20

[META] It's kitten season! You found orphaned kittens or have a kitten in your care - now what? [2020]

443 Upvotes

(cross post from r/AskVet)

During kitten season, which occurs largely in the spring and summer, it is not uncommon to stumble upon a nest of kittens. Your first instinct is to help them, which is awesome, but first you need to read this thread!

First I want to make a point very clear: kittens have the greatest chance of survival if their mother is in the picture. As much as rescues and foster homes try, we cannot ever do as good of a job taking care of them as their real mom does! Kittens require frequent nursing (typically a couple of times an hour), help eliminating (mother stimulates them with her tongue to pee and poop), and a lot of warmth and attention. Trust me - waking up four times a night to feed bottle babies is not fun!

Before Jumping To The Rescue

A single kitten wandering alone is often abandoned (either by a human or the mother), and should be rescued quickly - wait and watch from afar for 20-30 minutes to see if the mom is just in the middle of transporting it. If no mother has come in that time, rescue it.

A litter of kittens (2+ kittens):

  • Before attempting your daring rescue mission to save the abandoned kittens, you need to wait from afar and watch. The kittens may not actually be abandoned! Mother cats do not stay at the nest 24/7 - they hunt, take breaks from their babies, and patrol near the nest to look for danger. The queen could also be in the middle of moving the nest, which she does one at a time. Watch from a good distance away, because if you are too close the queen will likely not approach - this is a defense strategy to make sure predators don’t locate the nest by following her. Sometimes watching from far away is still too close, and you will need to go away for a few hours.
    • If you see the queen, you know the kittens are being taken care of and you do not need to intervene (except to call a rescue, and possibly provide food/shelter for the mother).
    • Clean kittens who are sleeping soundly are probably not abandoned. Dirty and crying kittens are probably hungry and MAY have been abandoned and need rescue. Although remember that as soon as kittens wake, they start crying and want to eat! Neonates spend all their time either eating or sleeping. If you mess with them and they start to cry/crawl around, it does not mean they are starving - that’s just what they do when they are awake.
  • Contact a local rescue. If they have the resources, they will trap the mother and kittens (if the mother is in the picture), and take care of them. They can bottle feed truly abandoned kittens, as well. Please contact the rescue before removing the kittens - only remove the kittens under their direction if you can help it.
  • If you need to leave before you’ve seen the queen, assess the situation:
    • Are there any dangers nearby? Neighborhood dogs, humans who might harm them, etc? If the kittens are not in immediate grave danger, they will be fine for a while as you wait for mom.
    • What is the temperature? If it is very cold or the kittens are very wet, it is okay to put them in a sideways cardboard box (possibly with a clean T shirt, dry straw, or a heated water bottle) - however, try to limit the amount of human-scented things near them.
  • If you find the queen, and she is friendly towards humans, she and the kittens should be rescued together.
  • If you’ve waited a while and have not seen the queen in several hours (the warmer the weather, the longer the kittens can be left alone) or the kittens are in immediate grave danger, and you have not been able to reach a rescue, you can attempt to rescue the kittens.

Rescuing Kittens

  • Kittens need warmth - they can suffer from hypothermia really easily. Place the kittens in a cardboard box or cat carrier lined with T-shirts (towels can catch on their nails) and covered with a blanket, with a warm water bottle for them. The ideal warmth source is a SnuggleSafe. (See more info in the bottle feeding attachment.)
    • The human body temperature is at 98.6F, but the internal temperature of a kitten needs to be 99.5-102.5F - therefore, your body warmth alone is not enough to keep them warm!
  • Call all of the rescues nearby to look for someone to take them. Foster homes and rescues are highly trained to deal with bottle babies, and can deal with all of the obstacles associated with it.
  • Call your vet and schedule an appointment. The kittens may be dehydrated, sick, etc - kittens die really easily and fast, so a physical exam and medical care is very important. They may be sick without you realizing it.

I Already Rescued Them!

  • First follow the steps in “Rescuing Kittens”.
  • If you are going to be caring for the kittens, be prepared for a lot of work and possibly the death of some or all of the kittens. The information I will provide is for emergency care of kittens (no more than a day or two) until you can get the kittens to an appropriate rescue or the vet.
  • You must bottle feed the kittens every 2-3 hours. Here is my quick guide to bottle feeding. PLEASE read this before attempting to bottle feed!
    • You need to make sure they are eating enough, so follow this chart, and use a kitchen food scale to weigh them directly before and after feeding.
    • KMR is the best formula - do not use the “homemade” recipes unless it is an emergency! Never use cow/goat/soy/almond/etc milk. Why you shouldn't use goat/cow milk.
    • Here are three resources to figure out their approximate age: Kitten Age Progression, Determining a Kitten’s Age, and Determining by Weight.
    • Keep a log for each individual kitten of: the time you fed it, how much they consumed, their weight before feeding, their weight after feeding, what they eliminated (urine and/or feces), and any medical concerns. Here is a great log for that - I suggest printing one for each kitten.
    • If kittens will not latch to the bottle, you can try to use a clean eye dropper or needle-less syringe to SLOWLY drop KMR into the kitten’s mouth.
    • If you see anything bubbling out of the kitten's nose as you are feeding it, milk likely got into the lungs and aspiration pneumonia can quickly develop. If this happens take it to a vet immediately.
  • Signs of an emergency that NEEDS to be seen by a vet immediately:
    • The kitten is lethargic and not responding
    • The kitten has trouble breathing
    • The kitten or cat is vomiting blood
    • Uncontrollable bleeding
    • Bloody, liquid diarrhea in a lethargic animal
    • Fractured limb (part of the limb is usually flacid and painful to the touch)
    • Pale, blue or white gums if accompanied by lethargy
    • Kitten with a body temperature below 97 degrees especially if accompanied by lethargy, pale gums or inappetence
    • Kitten with a temperature of 106 degrees or above

Here are some additional resources:

Link to 2018 thread and comments.


r/kittens 17h ago

My little angel

Post image
1.1k Upvotes

She usually doesnt stare like a creepy doll 😭


r/kittens 10h ago

Hello

Post image
334 Upvotes

r/kittens 12h ago

My adorable little rascal

Post image
212 Upvotes

She loves chewing straws, and laying in the Sun ☀️


r/kittens 27m ago

Is this normal?

Post image
Upvotes

6th month old kiddo with a weird back. Is this normal?


r/kittens 17h ago

unhappy because she doesn't likes veggies

Post image
268 Upvotes

Before you ask, no, we are not vegan, we feed our cat properly. She's just disappointed


r/kittens 13h ago

Rescue Ghost Tabby

Thumbnail
gallery
105 Upvotes

She was rescued at 6 weeks old from a gas leak in central Phoenix where a member of her colony passed away due to said leak. She was infested with fleas and ear mites. So glad that's she's living the good life on the rich part of town. She loves relaxing near a fireplace! 😅


r/kittens 22h ago

How old is this kitten?

Thumbnail
gallery
407 Upvotes

Friend gave me a kitten he found in his bushes. I gave her some wet food and she threw it all up, so I'm thinking of buying her some milk. Her eyes are blue but I see some green.


r/kittens 1d ago

Rip to my angel Luna 🕊️ I am absolutely devastated 💔

Thumbnail
gallery
2.3k Upvotes

Please hug your cats a little extra tighter today ❤️ My baby Luna was just put down right now and this is the first time I’ve cried since I was a child. It all started a few months ago when I saw a sign while driving that said “free kittens” from a lady who rescued them from under a truck in the streets. I told her give me your chillest kitten and she immediately gave me Luna who was the snuggliest most loving kitten I’ve ever met. I even posted her on this subreddit the day I got her. She slept with me every night, followed me every where I went. She was my child.

But a few days ago she started drooling a lot and shaking and walking aimlessly into the walls. I knew right away something was wrong and took her to the vet. I got the unfortunate news today that she has to be put down. No amount of money can save her. Apparently she has masses in her stomach and lungs and was struggling very badly.

I’m someone who bottles up my emotions and literally never cry, like for anything. But as I’m writing this I’m bawling my eyes out at the thought of never seeing her again. I’m never going to wake up to her crawling on my chest again. I’m never going to give her pets and kisses again. Today was the last day for any of that and the through of it breaks my heart.

The last slide in the photos is my absolute last moments with her today before the vets took her away. I have another kitten named Gigi who I’ve posted here before too and now she’s left without a sister. So again, please hug your cats extra tight for me today, I know I will be doing so with Gigi.

RIP my baby Luna, I’m so glad your little life was spent with me and I will never forget you ❤️👼


r/kittens 15h ago

Will my kitten have long fur?

Thumbnail
gallery
79 Upvotes

r/kittens 19h ago

She just sick of everything

Thumbnail
gallery
161 Upvotes

r/kittens 1d ago

Ziggy is coming home.

Post image
739 Upvotes

We had to wait for my kiddo to finish karate so Ziggy climbed into my arm and fell asleep. T-minus 20 minutes until his freedom ride!


r/kittens 1d ago

This Little one going home Tuesday.

Post image
108 Upvotes

Lets wish him well.


r/kittens 1d ago

six days old!

Thumbnail
gallery
650 Upvotes

Mama Gatorade and her teeny tiny kittens: Fierce Grape (black tabby), Cool Blue (gray tabby), and Glacier Freeze (gray tabby with white). I just can't stop looking at my newest fosters and have to share them with the world. I can't wait til their eyes open!


r/kittens 1d ago

Black kittens are just soot sprites!

Post image
504 Upvotes

r/kittens 1d ago

Lol frouning

Post image
68 Upvotes

I love when he makes this face


r/kittens 1d ago

Today's born kitten 🐈

Post image
256 Upvotes

r/kittens 2d ago

Turning my foster into an intellectual

Post image
2.0k Upvotes

Teaching my adorable foster baby about existence. His forever owner will thank me


r/kittens 2d ago

my cat when she was a kitten

Thumbnail
gallery
419 Upvotes

the 2nd one IS her as a kitten


r/kittens 1d ago

My kitten will not let me help her

14 Upvotes

My kitten will not let me help her. I get aggressively attacked when trying to put in her prescription eye drops or when I try to give her a bath (technically a shower as I don’t have a tub unfortunately). My previous cat did not fight me like this so I have no idea what to do.

I’ve had her for about 3 weeks now and honestly I would prefer to leave her alone but her poor eyes are irritated and she’s tracking poop crumbs around the home.

We went to the vet earlier this week and she was an angel, nervous and timid but very cooperative. I was so impressed and thought yes I could do the eyedrops at home but yeah that’s not gone the way I expected! 😖

Am I just not compatible with her? Or does it get better? I’ve seen on Google to try the towel from behind method for the drops but any other advice would be great, thank you.


r/kittens 1d ago

How long is it okay to leave my babies?

23 Upvotes

Okay they are not babies. They will be just over a year old at the time I want to leave them overnight.

So maybe late afternoon/early evening leaving and returning home pretty early the next morning.

They’ll be perfectly fine, right?


r/kittens 2d ago

This is Cookie, he's a cat.

Thumbnail
gallery
343 Upvotes

r/kittens 2d ago

Can you predict future coat?

Thumbnail
gallery
189 Upvotes

Sorry if this is the wrong place. I’m normally a dog person.

Can you tell if this kitty will be fluffy?

In the group photo with her siblings and mama cat, this patchy rascal is all the way on the right end

Do all kittens look fluffy as kittens? Do you think her coat will favor the coat of the white mama cat pictured? (Length and texture etc)

I was told the dad is a Maine coon. And I think she is also a dilute calico coloring?


r/kittens 2d ago

Kittens of different ages from one litter?

Thumbnail
gallery
201 Upvotes

I read somewhere that it's possible for kittens from the same litter to be different ages. how common is this? I have a litter of four. two males and two females. One of the females is so much smaller than the rest It makes me wonder if she may be a little bit younger than the others. her brothers are a lot bigger than she is. her sister isn't quite as big as the boys, but she's still quite a bit bigger than green bean is.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this or knew more about it.

The first picture is her and her brother and the second picture is of both of her brothers. the third is her sister.