{"id":69,"date":"2019-05-09T13:39:07","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T20:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=999949391"},"modified":"2019-05-09T13:39:07","modified_gmt":"2019-05-09T20:39:07","slug":"turn-off-the-faucets-and-dont-throw-the-kitten-out-with-the-bathwater-what-regular-people-can-do-to-help-during-kitten-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/turn-off-the-faucets-and-dont-throw-the-kitten-out-with-the-bathwater-what-regular-people-can-do-to-help-during-kitten-season","title":{"rendered":"Turn off the faucets, and don\u2019t throw the kitten out with the bathwater: What regular people can do to help during kitten season"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Lifeboats at the ready! Very little that’s jolly about kitten season,<\/a>” published May 7, gave an overview of what kitten season entails\u2014weak pun, if at all intended\u2014and what people within the animal community are doing to mitigate it. Any metaphor that conjures up a storm is an accurate one for how community members, organizations and the shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services<\/a> deal with the flood of kittens born during kitten season, a time roughly between early spring and late autumn (a few weeks longer on either end in warmer climates like ours). Unfixed cats roaming the community and brought in to the shelter have a lot better chance of getting out of there thanks to the Return-to-Field program; cat people running around with traps and stinky sardines devote themselves to staying up for hours to capture the little furry guys and get them fixed, vetted and returned, never to drop another kitten; and now, there\u2019s a brand-new kitten nursery<\/a> that\u2019ll take orphaned or supposedly orphaned newborns from the shelter\u2014sometimes nursing mothers as well\u2014and get as many of the fragile little creatures thriving and adoptable.<\/p>\n

But the sad reality of kitten season is that at best, although euthanasia numbers for cats brought in to the shelter drop every year, they\u2019re still larger than those of dogs. Most of the cats brought in to the shelter and face possible euthanasia are the newborns, even healthy ones; even with all the resources, there are more newborn kittens brought to shelters than there are trained or willing bottle feeders, trappers and free spay\/neuter procedures.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of people inside and outside Long Beach who don\u2019t want any healthy kittens euthanized. There are a few things we all can do to lower the rate further, if not eliminate it altogether.<\/p>\n

Learn to do TNR (trap, neuter, return)<\/h4>\n

Learn how to trap roaming cats on Stray Cat Alliance\u2019s website<\/a>. There\u2019s an entire section called Trapping 101<\/a> that includes baiting, tools, carriers and everything you need to safely trap a kitty. The instructive video https:\/\/youtu.be\/m7CD2O_YeVk?t=12<\/a> is invaluable. Long Beach Animal Care Services, located at 7700 E. Spring St., will rent you a trap with a $100 refundable deposit and if you find that trapping scratches an itch you didn\u2019t know you had, you can buy your own. Harbour Freight<\/a> has them for around $25; Stray Cat Alliance recommends Tru Catch<\/a>. Their traps are more costly, but they\u2019re geared to the needs of a dedicated trapper. And the cat. There\u2019s even a fat-cat trap.<\/p>\n

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Stray Cat Alliance recommends the Tru Catch trap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the cat has been fixed, the vet will notch the tip of the left ear before returning him or her to the field or colony. If you come across a cat that has a small part of the ear tip missing and it looks like a deliberate cut and not a shred from a fight, you\u2019ll know that the cat\u2019s already been fixed and is tended to. No reason not to give the cat a treat, which you surely tote around with you.<\/p>\n

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If a cat has a notched ear, he or she has already been trapped and fixed. Remember\u2014notch in the ear, no notches on the belt. Stock photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Anna Wong, field director for the shelter\u2019s RTF program (Return to Field)<\/a>, adds some strong words of advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not <\/em>trap without a plan!\u201d she exhorted. \u201cIt really is a science.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holy cats\u2014I found (a) a bunch of kittens (b) a nursing mom. What do I do now?<\/h4>\n

This is the hard part. If you take them to a shelter right away, that\u2019s the easiest thing to do but not the right one. If you try to find fosters or bottle feeders, that\u2019s a little more difficult, but if it works out, it\u2019s great for the cats. If you take it on yourself, that\u2019s a huge responsibility and it\u2019s not an easy job. It\u2019s also unbelievably rewarding, according to everyone I know who\u2019s gone the distance with their first litter.<\/p>\n

If you should find newborn kittens, here are a few guidelines. Read them now, so you\u2019ll have a plan of action.<\/p>\n

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  1. Wait and watch:<\/strong> Momcats have to feed themselves, and they go off to search for food. At intervals, they move their kittens one by one in some instinctive manner to protect them from predators who may find them. They don\u2019t take into consideration a well-meaning human who thinks that they\u2019re orphaned and brings them to a shelter or trys to care for them themselves. Please, don\u2019t do this.<\/strong> Last year, when I was at the shelter, a couple brought in two newborns they\u2019d taken while the mother was away and refused to return them. One of the shelter staff cleaned them off, and we whisked them to Seal Beach Animal Care Center where volunteer bottle feeders tried to save them. They didn\u2019t make it. The best thing for baby kittens is mother\u2019s milk, and if it\u2019s denied, the kittens may not live. That\u2019s the most heartbreaking thing about neonatal rescue. Wait from a distance of about 35 feet for several hours until it\u2019s clear that mom isn\u2019t coming back.<\/li>\n
  2. If Momcat returns:<\/strong> If the kittens are nursing, leave mom completely alone. Provide food and shelter, but not in the same place\u2014we\u2019ve been warned about leaving food outside because predators may sniff it out, and they\u2019ll eat it and have the cats for dessert. Leave the food in a sheltered area, if possible. If you follow instructions, the cats will be nourished and you may be able to tell if Momcat is social.<\/li>\n
  3. If Momcat is friendly:<\/strong> She\u2019s probably been dumped or abandoned by people who didn\u2019t bother to have her spayed. (Unaltered male cats add to the problem, so thank a trapper if you see one with a notched ear. Remember: notched ears prevent notches in the belt.) She may be glad to see you and is likely adoptable, maybe even by you. Don\u2019t touch the kittens yet, though. Wait six to eight weeks for the kittens to be weaned and then contact some of the rescues listed in the Ongoing section of the Pet Projects weekly adoption column<\/a>, in particular The Little Lion Foundation. Please don\u2019t give the kittens to just anyone. You want to be sure that the kittens will be fixed and that the home will be a forever one. Make every effort to find fosters or bottle feeders before you resort to the shelter\u2014The Little Lion Foundation<\/a> is an excellent resource. Remember that rescues may be full up to the top and unable to take on the kittens. If you have exhausted every option, take the family to Long Beach Animal Care Services, ask for the intake number for the kittens, and send a message with your story and intake number to the Facebook page Saving Long Beach Shelter Cats<\/a>. Be sure that you share it all on your own social-media feed. If you do decide to keep Momcat, get her to a vet to get fixed, and do it right after the kittens are weaned, 6 to 8 weeks old. The shelter offers vouchers worth $40 off a procedure, and Fix Long Beach<\/a> will set you up with inexpensive shots and free spay.<\/li>\n
  4. If Momcat isn\u2019t social: <\/strong>Continue with the food and shelter and wait the six to eight weeks. Meanwhile, get ready to trap. Remember\u2014have a plan. Seek out a landing place for the kittens, be it rescue (preferable) or shelter; trap the mom; and get her fixed and vaxxed. You can gently place the kittens in the trap, bait it, and place it in the mother cat\u2019s vicinity. She\u2019ll likely walk right in. For the next step\u2014return-to-field and adoption\u2014contact the shelter\u2019s Return to Field Program at anna@straycatalliance.org<\/a> for further assistance and follow the directions in the previous section of the article for adoption of the kittens. You may wind up with the mother cat living in your backyard, but when she\u2019s fixed\u2014when, not if\u2014she won\u2019t be peppering the property with any more peewees.<\/li>\n
  5. If Mom doesn\u2019t return:<\/strong> Remove the kittens immediately. They\u2019ll need to be fed. If you opt to bottle-feed the kittens, be aware that this will require you to give them their meals every three hours; if you do, see the next section. If you feel it\u2019s too much for you\u2014it\u2019s hugely rewarding, but it is a job and not for everyone\u2014keep the babies warm and go to the shelter with them as soon as possible and get the intake numbers for posting on your pages. As stated before, the shelter is a last resort, but the staff will contact the right people to see if the kittens can be taken in, Meanwhile, social the kittens on Saving Long Beach Shelter Cats.<\/li>\n
  6. If you decide to care for the newborns:<\/strong> You\u2019re a hero. This is no easy job, but once you get on the bicycle, you\u2019ll enjoy the ride and might want to take another. First, you\u2019ll need to make the kittens warm, using blankets and a heating disk, which is crucial to a newborn\u2019s survival. They\u2019ll need food\u2014cow\u2019s milk is a no-no. Get the milk-replacement fluid\u2014thanks to a growing kitten-consciousness culture, it\u2019s available at most of the major pet-supply stores (call first), or you can order it online. Powder is preferable to the liquid among bottle feeders because of shelf life. Goat\u2019s milk is a good substitute for the milk replacement if you can\u2019t find any, but unless you own goats, finding their milk may be more of a challenge. You\u2019ll need bottles and nipples\u2014you have to precut the nipples. All the kittens\u2019 meals must be served warm, and the kitten must be warm as well even while feeding. You\u2019ll need to bottle-feed the kittens every two hours, including at night, for the first week of their lives, gradually spacing the times out afterward, so expect to not get a full night\u2019s sleep for a few weeks unless you have a nurse\u2019s aide who\u2019ll alternate feeding. The kitten also will need help going to the bathroom, which involves massaging the anus and genitals with a warm tissue. (You\u2019ll get used to it.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    This handy chart is a guide to feeding intervals for newborn kittens.. Check the last column of the chart to determine each kitten’s age. Yes, you’ll need a little scale, too! Photo courtesy of The Kitten Lady.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    <\/h4>\n

    Almost-final word<\/h4>\n

    The best way to prevent a kitten storm is by spaying and neutering your own cat and not letting him or her roam. If you\u2019re reading this, no doubt you\u2019ve done it long ago, but if you know anyone who needs help, please have them contact Fix Long Beach<\/a>. You\u2019ll stem the storm at the source. Bottle-feed if you can, recruit a little help, volunteer, donate, and share those photos you see on social media. Dealing with the flood of newborn kittens is like bailing out the Long Beach Arena\u2014there\u2019s a steady drip, it\u2019ll take a long time, but eventually, you\u2019ll be able to walk on the bottom and just get your feet damp. The more buckets in place, the better.<\/p>\n

    Contact those who sail this ship every year<\/h4>\n

    For help with trapping, bottle-feeding, volunteering or donating, click on any of these links. If you know of any other resources, please add them in Facebook comments.<\/p>\n