Kitten Update: 1 Week Old!

 

Welcome back to the blog and the next instalment of our #EightPreciousWeeks campaign!

This week, we wanted to tell you a bit more about Precious, the mother of our new kittens Onyx, Sapphire, Ruby, and Topaz. Precious is a lovely cat who came to us a heavily pregnant stray. She had a difficult experience during the birth and ended up delivering five kittens via C-section. Unfortunately, one of the kittens didn’t survive, which just shows how birth is not always straightforward… even for cats. Precious also had a post-op infection and was put on antibiotics and pain relief for a little while. 

Luckily, she got better quickly, but this just highlights the importance of getting cats neutered, and the potential cost of unexpected vet bills which owners should be aware of!

 

Precious and her kittens

 

Happily, both Precious and her four kittens are now doing well, and have all had their health checks. Precious’ C-section wound is healing and all of the kittens are happy and healthy... their eyes have opened up, their tiny claws are visible, and they are wiggling around making that adorable mewing noise that kittens make! One surprise came when we found out that Sapphire had been sexed wrongly and is male, not female! We still love the name Sapphire for him though, we think it suits him well.

 Just like Precious’ litter, every kitten should be able to spend their first eight weeks of life in the care of their mother. It’s only then that they’re healthy and independent enough to be separated from her and go to a new home. Unfortunately, some kittens are separated from their mums too soon, by unscrupulous sellers who want to make a quick profit. They take advantage of people who don’t know that the kitten is too young to be sold and don't know the warning signs to look out for. 

Topaz

 

This is not only upsetting, but it can be life-threatening for the kittens; it can also lead to health problems if the kittens have not had the full benefit of their mother’s milk (which, as we learned in the last blog post, is full of important antibodies). The time and cost of caring for a sick kitten also make it more likely that they are relinquished to charities like Cats Protection, or even abandoned.

With the rise in cats being sold online, this is an issue we are passionate about tackling, and that’s why our Eight Precious Weeks campaign is so important!

Together with your help, we can raise awareness and vital funds for our Cats Protection Adoption Centre, so that we can continue to provide amazing care to cats and kittens.

So, would you know how to spot a kitten who is younger than eight weeks? 

Take our Kitten Care Quiz to test your knowledge and learn the kitten mis-selling signs!

Also, don’t forget to enter our Christmas Raffle to be in with the chance of winning an amazing hamper worth over £70.00! Your ticket donations will help us raise the much-needed funds we need to help the important work we do for cats and kittens.

Get your tickets here: RAFFLE TICKETS

 

-Cats Protection Bridgend Team

 

New Arrivals & Our 8 Precious Weeks Launch

 

Have you heard the news? 

We’re delighted to say that our very own Precious has given birth to 4 beautiful kittens! Mother and kittens are doing well, in fact, the kittens have just had their all-important first vet check at five days old.

After some brilliant suggestions from our Facebook community, we can announce that the new arrivals have been named as:

Onyx

Sapphire

Ruby

Topaz

 

We can't wait to share the progress of these cute kittens over the next 8 weeks, and we’ll be checking in with them regularly and posting photos and updates as they start to hit their development milestones!

 

This coincides with the launch of our Christmas Campaign, ‘8 Precious Weeks’, which highlights just how important the first 8 weeks of a kitten's life are, and how essential it is for them to be with mum during this time – just like our kittens will be cuddling up with Precious...

 

Precious keeping her kittens warm, fed and protected

 

 

Of course, we all know that kittens are cute and fluffy, but did you know that they are also very fragile when they are born? They typically weigh between 90 and 110g at birth, and rely on their mum for intense care during their first weeks of life, especially as they’re unable to see or hear when born. They also can’t regulate their own body heat, so it's mum's job to provide her kittens with warmth, protection, and most importantly nutrition. Kittens need to feed soon after birth, ideally within the first 2 hours. This is because mum's milk contains antibodies which helps to build the kittens’ immune systems and protect them from disease. Newborn kittens are also hungry little things, and need to feed every 2 to 3 hours! Another reason why it's essential they stay with Mum during this time - in fact, kittens should not be separated from her until at least 8 weeks old. 

 

The first 8 weeks of a kitten’s life are essential in laying the foundation for a healthy and happy adult cat, and over our ‘8 Precious Weeks’ campaign we will be sharing the progress of our 4 new arrivals, along with facts and advice on kitten development, health, and socialisation. 

 

We will also be sharing the great work that Cats Protection does to continually help cats and kittens all over the country, and ways that you can get involved in our competitions and fundraising. 

 

We hope you join us on this exciting journey, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates!

-Cats Protection Bridgend Team

For more advice on kitten care, please visit:

https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/pregnancy-and-kitten-care/care-of-newborn-kittens