Too many kittens and cats, not enough formula and litter
Saturday, June 13th, 2009Well, here we are again. It is kitten season, and we are scrambling to take care of both ends of the critters. We are in desperate need of kitten formula (KMR, Nutrience, etc.) and clumping cat litter. We also need dollars to cover the vet bills associated with kitten care. Another kitten pen would be a big help, too.
So far this month we have rescued 24 kittens under 8 weeks of age. All of these babies need at least some kitten formula to help them transition to cat food. They are all weaned, but cannot yet handle a straight canned food and kibble diet. If they were still with their mothers, they would continue to nurse until she went into heat, when they are about 4 months old. They don’t need kitten formula for that long, but they do need some mixed into their canned food twice per day. This is called kitten “glop”. It helps them transition to more solid foods without getting upset tummies and the poops.
Of course, when you put food in the front end, you have to expect something to come out the back end. The kittens use non-clumping litter, and the kitten boxes must be completely changed twice per day. We are currently going through about 50 lbs of non-clumping litter per week.
The 15 adult cats are going through over 200 lbs of clumping litter per week. Last Saturday we brought in 300 lbs, and we are now down to our last 5o lb box. That’s 250 lbs used in 1 week.
Another 11 kittens are waiting to come into care. Unfortunately, all of our kitten pens are full, and will probably stay that way for another 2 weeks. We have space for another kitten pen, but not the money to buy one.
It seems as though we go from one crisis to the next, with never a break in between, and the solution is always money.
