On Memorial Day (so, I guess, not technically June…), John was driving to work and saw a little lump on the highway. A truck was coming. He pulled over, ran out and grabbed her, and that’s how we ended up with a kitten in our bathroom.
She’s smaller than my shoe.
So, I started thinking about this little kitten – I named her Petunia, John calls her Petey – and how finding an orphaned kitten fits in with Adopt-a-Cat month.
First, though, stop for a sec and read this super helpful guide: What to Do (and NOT Do) If You Find a Newborn Kitten.
OK, so you’ve spotted a kitten (it is kitten season, after all) and you followed the steps outlined in the article. You’ve determined that there’s no mama cat coming. Well, then, pick up your new kitten! 🙂
Petey was about four weeks old. We were in over our heads but committed to taking care of her. That decision is not for everyone, and no one should ever feel bad about not jumping on board to care for an orphaned cat. If you choose to care for the kitten, skip ahead a bit.
If you can’t, which – again – is totally a guilt-free decision, you should take a few steps.
- First, find out if there is a cat rescue in your area. Many of these organizations have extensive fostering networks, which is what is required for a newborn kitten.
- Call your vet’s office and get recommendations for rescues and shelters. Heck, your vet may have a cat foster family in his or her network already.
- If there are no other options nearby, call your local shelter. Explain the situation. Be prepared to keep the kitten for a day or two until they can line someone up.
If you do decide to keep the kitten, whether as a foster family who then finds her a home or as a forever pet, the first thing you need to do: Drive straight to your vet. This is crucial, but it’s especially important if you have other animals in the home.
Petey had fleas and worms. She also had a rotten tooth that had to be pulled, and we had to get her on antibiotics because she had some gross rotting tissue in her tiny mouth. She’s quarentined in our bathroom until she can be tested for FIV and feline leukemia. In the meantime, she’s getting dewormed and we’re giving her a nightly flea bath. I researched intensely that first day.
If you find yourself in this position, I recommend this Guide to Raising Orphaned Kittens. Our vet gave me suggestions for feeding her and said that if we’re careful we can introduce her to the dogs. We’ve been doing that (more on that in another post!) in an attempt to socialize her to dogs. Whether we keep her or not, it can only help!
Picking up an orphaned kitten is certainly a nontraditional way to honor Adopt-a-Cat month, but orphans need families, too! I hope these tips and resources help if you find yourself in this situation.
Tell me: Have you ever encountered orphaned kittens? How did you proceed?
(BTW: Everyone keeps asking if we’re going to keep Petey. All I can say at this point is… it depends. It depends on if we can find Molly a forever home. It depends on if she has any of those transmittable cat diseases. It depends on if Newt is comfortable with another cat in the home. It depends on if a super awesome adopter crosses our paths before we figure out all those other decisions. It just depends. But be sure I’ll keep you posted.)
This post is sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Adopt-a-Cat month, but OhMyDog! only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.
Nicely done, Maggie. 🙂 Thank you to you and John for taking little Petey in. (Love that name!) I didn’t know about her mouth issues; she is a VERY lucky girl to have crossed your paths.
Thank you so much for all your advice!! Her gums seem to be clearing up nicely. John’s taking her in for a recheck next Tuesday, and we’re hoping they can do the blood tests then. Thank you for all your help!
We found a feral with 4 babies next door and brought her into an outbuilding so she could raise her babies. We had both mom and surviving babies (2) spayed/neutered and found homes for the babies. Mom let us pet her but not pick her up but at least we socialized the kids. Mom lived 10 years visiting us (and never having kids again!) but we could never get her tame enough. Miss her everyday.
Wow! Becky, good for you and for all you did for those little angels!
Raaah! I keeell you, shoe! Raaah!
HAA! 😀
It sounds like there is a lot more to it than some people might think, so these are great things to know. It’s definitely a non-traditional way to adopt (or foster) a cat, but Petey sure is lucky she was found by John. I hope her health turns out to be OK, and that she ends up in a happy home, whether it be yours or someone else’s!
Thanks, Jan! I am definitely in over my head still, but there are so many resources and experts out there willing to help! Thank goodness!!! Otherwise, I might be working on “sit” with her or something! 😉
You do follow directions very well! He looks like a cutie even thought I would bark at him. BTW, we got our book today, thank you!!
Your pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Oh, yay! So glad it arrived!!
Well done and great post! Such a cutie. Wish we could adopt another cat but our two cats are fighting now agh!
Oh, dear. That must be so stressful. I really worry about that with Petey and Newt. I guess we’ll see how it goes? And just cross our fingers!
Aw, your husband is a hero! 🙂 Hope everything works out well with Petey – good for you guys for taking her under your wing!
Reading this post makes me realize I have NO IDEA what to do were I to find an orphaned kitten and we have 2 cats.
So thank you for this. I would immediately call one of my girlfriends – so many are in rescue – and ask for their help in getting the kitten care and finding him/her a new home.
Thank you.
I love the advice in this story. It IS kitten season so the likelihood of finding an abandoned newborn or young kitten is high. My rescue group just posted a story similar to this with one extra piece of advice.
Our cat coordinator cautions rescuers to wait before taking the kitten away. More than likely the mama cat is somewhere nearby and might have been scared away by your presence.
My group suggests to see if the kittens eyes are open and if not, leave food for the mother cat to find so she can feed her babies. The babies have a better chance of survival those first few weeks with her.
Keep an eye on the family’s location and rescue them when they are a little older.
Those are my thoughts on the subject.