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Rub-a-Dub-Dub: To Bathe or Not to Bathe

2023-07-13T20:00:17-04:00January 25th, 2022|

If you’re lucky enough to foster a mom cat and kittens, she will hopefully take charge of keeping them clean. If you’re caring for orphaned bottle baby kittens, you’re in charge. 

When you get kittens, with or without a mom, use a flea comb to detect fleas. They suck blood, which […]

Looking for Intestinal Parasites: Fecal Exams

2022-05-16T16:34:28-04:00January 18th, 2022|

Intestinal parasites can be wormlike (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms) or one-celled protozoan organisms (coccidia, giardia, toxoplasmosis). In kittens, they are a common cause of diarrhea.

Fecal exams are very important for kittens with diarrhea, which can be life threatening. Fecal exams are also important when kittens strain to defecate, lack appetite, vomit […]

Ringing IN the New Year: Wiping OUT Ringworm

2022-01-04T19:09:36-05:00January 4th, 2022|

Ringworm is the most common infectious skin disease in cats and gets its name from its circular appearance of hair loss and scaling of the skin. Ringworm isn’t a worm at all, and it’s not just an inconvenience. In a shelter, it can spread havoc.

Ringworm is a fungal infection caused by dermatophytes, microscopic fungal […]

In One End, Out the Other: Understanding Kitten Poop

2022-12-10T18:55:03-05:00December 28th, 2021|

Poop, poo, stool, feces and bowel movement are some of the words that describe what kittens deposit, hopefully, in the litter box: solid bodily waste discharged from the large intestine through the anus during defecation.

Kitten stool is a highly useful indicator of an individual’s health. However, kittens can’t defecate (poop) or urinate (pee) before […]

Good to Go: Choosing a Litter Box

2022-08-07T17:34:52-04:00December 21st, 2021|

For as long as there have been cats, they have instinctively been burying their pee and poop – or not. They bury their waste to avoid unwanted attention to themselves or their kittens. On the other hand, if they want to claim territory, they don’t bury their waste, which contains unique chemical scent markers […]

Choosing Litter: Listen to Your Cat

2022-01-30T16:35:46-05:00December 14th, 2021|

Mom cats lick their kittens’ genital areas to stimulate kittens to pee and poop. It’s nature’s way of keeping the nest and kittens clean and not attracting predators. When there is no mom cat, fosters use a soft tissue to stimulate kittens to potty before and after each meal.

It isn’t until kittens are three […]

Eat, Drink, Clean: Selecting Food and Water Bowls

2021-12-10T10:57:15-05:00November 30th, 2021|

Kittens can begin transitioning from nursing to food at about four weeks of age. Although choosing food and water bowls seems straightforward, it’s important to consider a few things to keep kittens, and cats, happy and healthy.

Material

  • Stainless steel and ceramic bowls are best, as they can be easily cleaned to prevent the spread […]

Holiday Tips:  Keeping Kittens Safe

2022-12-16T16:46:24-05:00November 30th, 2021|

Everything is a toy to kittens, who can be injured in the blink of an eye. Take precautions to protect them from these potentially dangerous items, some of which can be fatal:

  • Foods: chocolate, grapes, raisins, alcohol, raw yeast dough, fatty meats and bones.
  • Plants: holly, lilies, Christmas tree water. Make sure your Christmas […]

No, ifs, ands, or butts: how to choose a thermometer

2021-12-10T10:58:29-05:00November 23rd, 2021|

Have you ever wondered what makes one thermometer better than another when it comes to taking a kitten’s temperature? Now’s the time to find out, and get a thermometer. Kittens younger than four weeks of age cannot self regulate their body temperature, and having the right thermometer at the right time can mean the […]

Recognizing and Working through Compassion Fatigue

2022-01-05T17:40:35-05:00November 16th, 2021|

Compassion fatigue affects many people who care for others, especially those who work to improve the lives of animals. More than just exhaustion due to caring for neglected, abused, sick and injured animals, compassion fatigue encompasses the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others and overwhelms us with negative emotions and loss of […]

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