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Tuesday, October 10, 2017

"How to Care for a Kitten " by Amber D



You walk outside of your house, turn and lock the door, ready to leave to work or school when you hear a faint meow from the plants in your front lawn. Closing your eyes, you think to yourself, “This cannot be happening right now,” and turn to look, only to find a newborn kitten all alone. You desperately look around for its mother but find nothing. What do you do? You weren’t thinking about adopting a kitten anytime soon but you know that without the care of a mother, the kitten will die. Making up your mind, you decide to save that poor kitten’s life, but where do you start?
Step 1: Go to work or school.
Now it may seem funny to go along with your day, but more than likely the mother cat is off hunting for food to feed herself for the kitten and typically wouldn’t be nearby when she sees humans around. If you return home from work or school and find the kitten in the same spot, its mother will most likely not return. Wait until it gets dark but if there is still no sign, it’s time to take the kitten in.
Step 2: Gather necessary materials.
This would imply a trip to the pet store such as PetCo or PetSmart. At the store you would need kitten formula and a baby bottle with different sized nipples. When you return home, you need to find a small box (a shoebox would work) and place a heating pad and a blanket inside. Pour the formula into the bottle and heat it up by placing the end of the bottle into boiling water. Test to see if the milk is too hot or cold by pouring a drop onto your hand. Warning: If it’s too hot for you, it will be too hot for the kitten so give the bottle time to cool.
Step 3: Take in the kitten and feed it.
With your shoebox, go outside to where the kitten is and carefully pick it up (not too hard because it was just born a few hours earlier) and place it in the box. Once the kitten is inside, it’s time to feed it since it hasn’t been fed for hours. Put the smallest sized nipple on the bottle and poke a small hole in the top. Take the kitten into the palm of your hand and lift its head up with your finger. Place the nipple in the kitten’s moth and it will eventually begin to suckle. As long as it drinks a small amount of the formula, the kitten will be fine.
Step 4: Make sure it uses the restroom.
Because it is a newborn, it does not need a litter box yet. The mother cat would typically start licking the kitten’s bottom until it uses the restroom but since no mother cat is around it is up to you to do this. You would need to get a cotton ball, dip it in the warm boiled water, and begin to rub the kitten’s bottom until it urinates. This has to be done after every feeding to ensure its
digestive and excretory systems are working properly. Warning: you may get some of its urine or stool on you so make sure to wash up after.
Step 5: Let the kitten sleep.
The kitten would be exhausted after the feeding process. Keep it in the box with the heating pad set on low so it feels as if it has the warmth of its mother. You can add some socks into the box so it feels as if it has the comfort of other siblings by it.
Step 6: Feed the kitten every two to three hours for the first week, three to four the next week and so on until it’s about six weeks.
Even if the kitten is sound asleep, you need to feed it every two to three hours. Yes, this implies waking up about three to four times a night to feed it and stimulate it to use the bathroom. After you feed it, repeat step four each time. As the weeks continue on, the feeding increments will become less until it’s about five to six weeks when you should begin teaching the kitten how to eat by itself. Throughout the weeks, change the nipple size so that the bottle is comfortable in the kitten’s mouth. Warning: If waking up every three hours is too much to handle, it is best to find a shelter that will take it in and provide much love and attention to it. I would recommend Priceless Pets in Claremont or Chino Hills.
Step 7: Teach the kitten how to eat and use the restroom by itself.
Around week five or six, it’s time to teach the kitten how to eat on its own. By this time, the kitten will be walking and meowing pretty frequently. Pour the milk into a small bowl and gently place the kitten’s head in the bowl near the formula. The kitten will feel uncomfortable at first but it will eventually learn to start licking the milk, adapting to the process by the end of the week. It is now time to purchase wet kitten food and begin to mix small amounts of it with the milk. Place the kitten’s head in the bowl again and it will eventually learn to eat the food. At the end of the week begin to mix dry food with the wet food, without any milk. As the days go on, increase the dry food amount and decrease the wet food amount until only dry food is left. This can take anywhere from a few days to a week but it will be eating the dry food on its own in no time. The kitten also needs to learn how to use the restroom. This is a long process beginning with purchasing a small litter box. Place the kitten in the box, take its front paws, and scratch the sand with them. Eventually the kitten will catch on and scratch the sand itself when using the restroom. The litter box should be cleaned every day and the sand should be changed frequently enough to prevent your house from smelling like cat droppings.
Step 8: Decide where the kitten will go from there, once it is eight weeks.
At week eight, the kitten is fully prepared to live on its own but because it has known only humans throughout its life, it’s best to leave it in a human family setting. You can decide to keep it because of the attachment you had made with it or you can find it a home if you do not believe
that you are able to care for it anymore. Just remember that wherever it ends up, it will need to receive all the love it deserves.
That’s all there is to it. It is an eight-week long, sleepless process but it is well worth it knowing that you had saved a kitten’s life. I was in this exact spot about a year and a half ago when I found a kitten in my backyard. People told my family and I over and over that it will never survive without its mother but by following these steps and putting love into the process, my kitten grew up to be a healthy and happy cat. Though she is not with my family anymore because of my sister’s allergies, we found her a happy home where she is being taken care of and given lots of love. I am positive that you will be able to raise a kitten if you happen to find one abandoned by its mother by following this process.
Day 1 Week 1 Week 4
Week 8 1 year

43 comments:

  1. Amber, I remember you telling me about your own experience raising a kitten and how much you fell in love. Through this guide I can feel your affection for the kitten and vividly see each step acted out in my mind. Wonderful writing. Its amazing how you're able to convey emotion through such an instructional tone.

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  2. Wow, this is really helpful advice! I remember when I was raising the kittens that my cat had a few years back, I definitely would have wanted this kind of advice lol. You really sound like a cat expert, I hope that you go on in the future to help many other animals!
    -Carianne Lefebvre

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  3. Awww Amber, I'm sorry you had to get rid of the kitten. Even though your story was a bit sad, it was still highly informative and very well written. The vocabulary was sophisticated while still being easy to understand, and you really didn't gloss over any details. Thanks to you, I am now ready to find my own kitten! (I actually couldn't because I have a dog, but still)

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  4. This was highly informative!!! I actually didn’t know so many of the things you’d need to do to raise a kitten. You seem extremely educated and is hope so considering you raised one yourself. This piece was extremely entertaining!!

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  5. I live in a household that abhors cats, so if I ever wanted to take care of a kitten I would not even know where to start. In this "How to" I not only understand how to properly take care of a kitten, but how to love and care for a kitten. Even though this piece is instructional, I felt the love and care that one must put into the little creature. Somethings described can be perceived as "disgusting", but the tone of this guide made those "gross" things into a labor of love.

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  6. I didn’t know about feeding the kittens so often and how much work you have to put into it. I was thinking about getting a kitten and naming it Cheerio haha and this really put things into perspective for me. I visualized all the things I would need to do and learn about so thank you

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  7. This how-to has amazing syntax. I love how this is kinda like a story too. This is easy to understand and follow along like how a how to should be. Your tone in this has a lot of emotion and compassion and also very informative. I will definitely will have to uses these steps next time i get a kitten. Thank you so much!

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  8. I love this! Although I don't own a cat, I love them. I love how you went into detail about what to do for each step. The steps were not vague. Anyone who gets a kitten can now know what to do if they are stuck. I wish you could have kept the kitten.

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  9. Amber I love this!! I am a huge animal lover myself, so I can relate to when you heard the meow and you had the "Oh no" moment. I have those all the time, I am constantly running finding animals and bringing them home, I think my moms favorite words are "Oh no Mariah, not again." So the fact that you made such an informative piece about how to take care of a kitten makes me super happy. Keep up the great work!!!!

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  10. Growing up in the barn of a house i’ve lived in, I can say that taking care of a kitten is not always the easiest task. While this post is informative, it also stays positive and cute, keeping my attention throughout.

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  11. I wish I had this tutorial in the past! I've found kittens at least 3 times on the side of my house, despite having three large dogs. The mother abandoned them and so I was left to take care of them until my neighbor could take them in. I had no idea what to do so this would've been very helpful!

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  12. As the reader, I can really see your relationship with your kitten (I'm guessing you have one). Even though this is an informative piece, it felt like a narrative to me, because I felt like I could see you raising the kitten yourself, just from the amount of compassion displayed through your careful instructions. Truly an amazing piece.
    - Ty Koslowski, Period 1

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  13. Great insight Amber! I have a cat myself.. which was a kitten when we first picked him up, and this relates to me so well on how I had to care for mine, although I wish I had seen this prior. Very informative, excellent job!

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  14. I'm so glad to have read this! I love how you were able to recount your own experience of raising a cat as an instructional passage and how vividly detailed it was; I almost feel as if I have raised a kitten myself and, maybe, someday, I will now that I have the knowledge to do so.

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  15. I really enjoyed your unique blog post! It's very well organized and well written. I didn't realize there were so many specific instructions involved in taking care of a kitten, but you explained very well and thoroughly.

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  16. This was a very informative step-by-step guide to raise a kitten. I appreciated how you included your experience because it solidified the reader's trust in you. I also like how you considered everyone's different situations, many people cannot keep the kittens they find. Blogs that don't acknowledge that might make the reader feel bad for giving the kitten to someone else or pressure them to take on a responsibility they cannot handle. Great job!
    -Elizabeth Rivera

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  17. This was great! I was smiling throughout this whole story and I think this was due to the great use of imagery. I was picturing this whole process in my head while reading. It was a very informative piece and I think you did a great job at writing it!

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  18. WOW, this was very helpful because there's many stray kittens that come into your neighborhood and now you will know how to care for them. There were many things I didn't know and I liked how you showed your care for kittens through your writing.

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  19. I didn't know that a kitten was so much work! Your article was very well mixed with personal experience and factual tips. I like the way that you break up the instructions into steps, it makes the task of raising a kitten a little less daunting. The next time i find a kitten i'm sure i will know how to take care of it. Great job!

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  20. Amazing advice! While reading I could feel your nurturing heart and love for animals. Your use of ethos at the end when discussing your own experience was a great touch to reassure your community on what to do under these circumstances. With these simple steps you have encouraged others to take action and to nurture those abandoned kittens behind their house. I will definitely refer back to this piece if ever in the same position.
    - Sabrina Gonzalez period 1

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  21. If I ever encounter a kitten in this situation, I’ll be sure to use your guide. I liked how it was so detailed and included care up to 8 weeks. I also liked how you included a little bit of narrative in the beginning and your own personal story at the end. Great job, and thank you for sharing this!

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  22. Your piece reminded me of when I raised my kitten a few years ago, this makes me want to raise one again! You captured my attention with the sincerity and gentleness of taking care of a kitten and all of the attention it needs to live on its own. This piece was very heartwarming, informative, and cute!

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  23. You did an amazing job in putting in a lot of detail and descriptions into the steps. It is wonderful that you provided options for people who weren't ready to take care of a cat. Another, thing that I liked was you told your audience to wait a while to make sure the mother wasn't coming back. Knowing myself I would automatically take in the kitten and not even think twice if the mother is coming back. Overall, you did an amazing job!

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  24. Love this instructional piece! I never knew there we so many steps to taking care of a kitten. What you wrote was very detailed but simple so it's easy to follow. Also, the way you started and ended with a story really ties up this piece nicely. Well done!

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  25. I was thinking about getting a kitten instead of a puppy when I got my dog, Duke, because I thought cats were lower maintenance but I was clearly in the wrong here. Your piece was very informative and kept me interested throughout the whole paper. I like the personal touch at the end of the paper as it made a great concluding statement(s).

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  26. Amber, despite this being an instructional and helpful piece, I could honestly feel the emotion and love that you put into raising your kitten. I've always wondered what it would be like to raise a kitten, but a motherless kitten is so much more difficult. I have so much respect for you for saving this little kitten's life, as well as helping instruct others on how to do so. After reading this, I feel like I would know what to do in the event that a small kitten found its way into my life.

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  27. This sounds like such a useful guide for kitten care. I've been looking in to how to foster animals in the future and the simple yet informative nature of this guide is great for preparing for a newborn kitten. It was easy to follow and felt very personal as well. The details definitely include things I would not have known otherwise.
    -Elaine Molina

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  28. Aaaww Amber this is so adorable!! Just the way your "How To" was written seemed so much like you and your personality was put into how you wrote the demonstration of how to care for a kitten. I've recently witnessed other writings you have created and now being able to see this one brings me so much joy!! I feel very lucky to see the contrasting beautiful differences between your two well-rounded writing pieces.

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  29. This is a well written guide that is not just informative, but has an emotional aspect for the effort in the nurturing of a little kitten. Great syntax!

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  30. This piece is very different which is why I was so intrigued ,it was quite educational and very interesting for any reader who plan on adopting a kitten or stuck in the same situation,this piece was as well very organized and simple to follow along and easy to understand,great job with the structure and overall piece .

    Valeria Perez
    Period:1

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  31. Oh my goodness this is the cutest thing ever! You did a great job giving the audience helpful tips and it is clear to see you have had prior experience with raising a kitten.

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  32. Very useful and informational piece for people who wouldn't know how to specifically take care of a little kitten, if i ever decide to adopt a little kitty i will definitely have your guide in mind due to the in deptht detail of this guide.

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  33. I really enjoyed this because my mom is constantly taking in stray cats, and this has caused us to see how little people know about taking care of animals, and it’s nice knowing that there are people out there like you who know very in depth the proper care for a kitten.

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  34. wow I really enjoyed reading this, i never thought anout having a kitten or a ca. I don’t why it just never crossed my mind but after reading about how to take care of a kitten I know i will be prepared if i ever get one.-Bonnie rivera

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  35. Wow i really enjoyed this piece. I’ve never thought about having a kitten but I know that after reading this i will be able to take care of one if i ever have the chance to.

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  36. After reading this I really want to wake up tomorrow morning and find a kitten to take care of. This was really a great read and it is obvious that you are very well informed on your subject and thank you for teaching me the ins and outs of taking care of a kitten :)

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  37. I wish I had read this post before we found a kitten meowing at our front porch! My brothers and I were so lost in trying to figure out how to care for the kitten and what we should even do with it. Your post is so greatly detailed that I am positive that anyone who reads this post, will know exactly how to care for the kitten. Overall, this was a great post and I am glad you decided to share it with everyone!

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  38. Being an owner of a kitten, I learned so much in this article that I will defenitely be implementing into my everyday kitten care routine! This was a very well written and easily comprehensible instructional guide. Thank You!

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  39. This is so adorable!! Tell me why this happened to me one time. My experience is kind of different in a sense. I didn't go along my day as you said in step one, I immediately took the kitten inside. I will have to say good job. Your choice of topic says a lot about you! I really enjoyed read the different steps of raising and taking care of a kitten and would like to hear more about it!

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  40. I never knew how much it took to raise a kitten without its mom. From all the steps you've described here, it sounds like a tedious process that pays off in the end. Though I know this is a how-to guide, I wish you would expand upon your own experience because I'm always eager to read personal stories. Other than that, I saw no problems with your great(!) guide. Well done.

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  41. This piece really opened my eyes to the responsibilities of not only taking care of a kitten but much more. Its not about what is on the service. There is more than what meets the eye. I really enjoyed this. Great job!

    Kaitlyn Rueda

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  42. Amber, this how to was truly great. To me, it didn't even feel like a how to, it felt more like a personal story between you and the kitten you might have had. this piece was amazing. keep up the great work!!

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  43. Amber you made me cry. Love this. This is the best heart touching “How to” I️ have read

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