Liberty has been getting a lot of these babies, and most of the time there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them.
i know the same thing happens with kittens, too. just because momma cat isn’t around doesn’t mean they’re abandoned
please dont pick up baby animals
More than that, you picking baby animals up can cause their death.
For years my family has fostered kittens who were brought in to shelters because people found them but didn’t see the mother around. If a kitten is too young to eat solid food, then its immune system isn’t solidified yet. The ONLY way the babies get the proper defenses in their system is through their mother’s milk. There is not an effective way to replicate it, though we try, and it often involves a lot of medicine and even more often results in very sudden onsets of illness or death.
If you happen to find a litter of baby animals, LEAVE THEM THERE. Observe from a rather far distance to see if the mother is coming back. Possible leave food AWAY FROM THE BABIES where the mother could find it to help support her. The ONLY time you should take them before they are up and playing (this is you seeing them jumping and tackling one another, also seeing them eating solid food without difficulty. Especially rearing up. Kittens who rear up when they play are JUST barely old enough to separate from the mother safely. Be sure.) is if you know for certain that the mother has not come back in over a day. If you can prove that the mother is dead or missing then it might be the only thing you can do to take them.
IF SO, Contact a vet immediately and before you touch them. They could have severe illnesses already setting in. You don’t know why the mother has abandoned the litter. Better to assess early.
NEVER feed them cows milk. This will result in horrible diarrhea and a horrible, painful, slow death. Cat milk can be found at any pet store. Then you treat them like you would human babies. Heat a bowl of water and put the bottle (with a small enough nipple) until it feels about room temperature or a little above (not cold and not hot on your wrist) and then hold the bottle at an angle so that gravity helps them to drink it. On their stomachs is fine, but you can also hold a nursing kitten upright against your chest while feeding (they like your heartbeat) as long as the kitten is NOT on its back while drinking. After that you need to do all the things the mother would otherwise do: stimulate them to pee and poop, clean them, feed them every few hours, and basically stay close to them.
Best case scenario, you trap the mother with the babies while young and take them to be fostered together, but you MUST trap them all together or it’s dangerous and your efforts are worthless. If not, wait till they are old enough, then trap them. Make sure to get the mother spayed as soon as possible (Once they’re weaned. Most shelters will do this for you. Check first.) and the kittens should be fixed as soon as they are both 8 weeks old and weigh 2 pounds.
If you see baby animals and are concerned, call your nearest shelter or vet to ask questions BEFORE you touch, disturb, or especially separate them.
ALWAYS assume the mother is coming back.
I have been raising and fostering kittens for half my life and I assure you that it is easier to socialize a kitten over 6 or 8 weeks old than it is to bottle raise babies and be heartbroken when you lose them over something that would have been perfectly preventable if they’d just been left alone with their mother. In fact, it is easier to socialize a fully grown feral cat than it is to try to save babies who some idiot has given cows milk to after snatching them away from their mother at under a week old.
More than that, please support No Kill Shelters. They’re always looking for volunteers and other help and always have the best pets for you to adopt into your family. Also be sure to spay and neuter your pets. Thanks.
