AAHHH!! A KITTEN!! DO I TAKE IT HOME?!

Hand-rearing kittens, especially nursing ones, requires a great deal of knowledge and commitment. It is no easy task, and a large proportion of kittens taken in by well-meaning people dies. Most people cannot handle and are not willing to do what it takes to raise a baby cat: bottle feeding every 2-4 hours for a month, running to the vet, cleaning the baby... When you take a tiny kitten off the streets, don't expect to find someone to save him from you. There are very few people who know how to do it, and way too many kittens. The onus is on YOU to raise the new baby and then find it a good home. Small kittens who end up in shelters, depending on the specific shelter's policy, either have a few hours to find a foster volunteer and get out alive, or are euthanized upon entry (the much more common route)...

A nursing kitten can only survive in less-than-ideal conditions for a few hours, so emergency rescue protocol needs to be in place when one is taken from the streets, or the story will end tragically!

Mother cats often spend hours away from their kittens while foraging for food. While mom is gone, the kittens might cry--not necessarily because they are hungry or in danger, but just because they miss mom and it is fun for them to cry. Human ears cannot differentiate a desperate cry from a normal mom-where-are-you one.

A single, crying baby is more likely to be alone and at risk than is a whole group of babies together in a nest. Sometimes a mom will separate a single baby from a group, and might abandon it or simply care for it in its separate location. She will very rarely give up on a whole litter, though. Sometimes people find separated babies while mom is in the process of transporting the litter to a new nest. The best thing to do if you find any kittens that are not obviously injured, sick, or in danger is to step back and wait for mom to come back, if she plans on returning. This could be a lapse of a few hours!!! Do not be tempted to interfere with the babies by moving them, unless it is from an exposed, unsafe location to a very nearby (a few meters) one which is safe from feet, dogs, cars, and bikes.

Below is a video of two 2-day-old kittens who were known to have been abandoned by their mom. Notice their insistent crying--that only happens when nursing babies are desperate for food. Nursing kittens who are being tended to are almost completely silent and sleep all day and night.

(Don't worry..the babies came to TPR and were fine.)

Signs of (possibly) abandoned and ill kittens include dirty, wet, missing or crusty fur; dirty, crusty, pus-filled, or sealed eyes; mucus, wheezing, sneezing; diarrhea; thin body--kittens should be chubby; crying that lasts more than a few hours; weak crying; hypothermia (cold to the touch--kittens should be warmer than people); panting or gaping; inability to sit/stand/walk (depending on developmental age); excessive/obvious hunger or thirst; exposed, unsafe location (road, sidewalk, etc); shaking/shivering; injury; missing limbs/tail; apathy; any other obvious indicator or disease and/or distress. A kitten that is KNOWN to be in a poor physical state should be immediately warmed (putting it in your shirt or under your arm is great) and brought to a veterinarian, as there is little time to spare once they become compromised. Only a veterinarian can tell what condition a kitten is and if/how it can be saved. Don't post on FB and wait for advice!! You'll wind up with a dead kitten. PLEASE NOTE: The costs of the veterinary visit and treatment will be your responsibility! Be prepared to take responsibility not only for the veterinary fees, but for the kitten itself once released! There is very little chance any one else will take this kitten from you...