Written by Kaitlin Becraft
On a cool day in April, with eyes and ears still closed, a tiny kitten made his way into the world. With no mother in sight and time being of the essence, the orphaned infant was delivered to SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center. When the veterinary staff checked him over, they realized the baby still had his umbilical cord attached. Based on this, his size, and the closure of his eyes and ears, it was determined that he was likely born that same day. After his vet check, the next step in giving him a fighting chance was finding a foster. A member of SICSA’s staff stepped up and welcomed the kitten into her home immediately. Beyond shelter and love, the foster also provided a name: Taco.
At his age, Taco needed help with everything. Every few hours, his foster mom used a plastic syringe to feed him kitten milk replacement, helped stimulate deification and urination, cleaned him, and kept him warm. In every way possible, she became a surrogate mother to Taco. With her attentive care and compassion, Taco continued growing stronger with each passing day. Now, with eyes open, he reaches for his bottle during feedings. He has continued to gain
weight and find his (quite loud) voice to demand milk replacement, or to tell his mom to stop cleaning him. With the resources available through SICSA’s Foster Program, Taco will have everything he needs to continue on his path toward adoption.
Keeping kittens like Taco alive is a community effort. The best place for babies like him to be is with their mothers. They know how to keep their kiddos alive and show them the ropes of being a cat. If you see tiny kittens like Taco, the first thing to do is wait and watch to make sure their mom hasn’t abandoned them. If it feels as though it’s been a while since you’ve seen mom, put a ring of flour around the area where the kittens are and check for footprints. If the kittens have indeed been orphaned, or if they’re injured, then it’s time to intervene.
If the kittens are injured or ill, they should receive immediate medical care at a clinic equipped for emergencies, like MedVet Dayton. If they are not ill or injured, you can call SICSA at 937-294-6505 ext. 49 for additional instructions or supply assistance.
Taco is one of many kittens that will need a helping hand to survive past spring, kittens that will need people like you. You can join kitten-saving heroes like Taco’s foster mom by applying to foster with SICSA here. You can also support kittens and mother cats in need by donating the items required to help them thrive through SICSA’s Amazon Wish List here. You can also lend a hand just by sharing SICSA’s adoptable pets on Facebook so we can have more space to take in new kittens. If you find kittens that need homes (after waiting and watching to ensure you aren’t taking them from their mother), you can foster them and find adopters for them on social media, or through friends and family. Any effort offered is deeply appreciated by the kittens and the entire community of people that love them.
Thank you to our incredible sponsor Midwestern Wealth Management for helping SICSA save lives this Kitten Season!