You are walking down the street and come across a litter of abandoned kittens. What to do in this situation? Finding a kitten dumped in the middle of the street is unfortunately something that can happen at any time. It is very sad to see that this still exists, but finding abandoned kittens is not that rare. In many cases, it is not just a kitten, but a litter of kittensMany people are in doubt as to how to act in this scenario. After all, how to take care of abandoned kittens? What should be the immediate measures? What to give to abandoned kittens to eat? Patas da Casa explains what should be done when you see an abandoned litter of cats - and even tells a real story of who went through this situation. Check it out!

How many kittens are born in the first litter? The amount of kittens can be surprising!

A video by Instagram user Robert Brantley went viral in June 2022 showing a curious situation. He was driving on a road when he saw an abandoned kitten. Robert decided to get out of his car and pick up the kitten, but then he got a big surprise. It wasn't just a kitten: it was a whole litter! He just picked up the first one and all its siblings came outthen close to the man and did not let go.

This cute and funny situation is not that uncommon. Finding a litter of kittens on the street can happen often, since in cat gestation several kittens are born at once. But after all, how many kittens are born in the first litter? In general, the kitten usually has up to 6 kittens per gestation, but this number can vary. It is normal that the result of how many kittens are born in the firstUnfortunately, there are people who, when they see this large number of litters, choose to abandon the animals rather than offer them a home or give them up for adoption.

How to care for an abandoned kitten: what to do immediately?

I have found a litter of kittens: what now? The first step is to understand whether the kittens are really abandoned or just waiting for their mother who has gone to get food. Ideally, you should wait about 2 to 3 hours to confirm that the mother will return. If she does not appear, you can consider that the litter of kittens is abandoned. A kitten cannot yet balance its body temperature on its own. BySo the first step in caring for an abandoned kitten is to keep it warm. Put the kitten in a carrier or a simple cardboard box with blankets inside to warm it up. It is also worth putting a hot water bottle wrapped in a cloth, but be careful not to make it too hot, as this can end up burning its skin. In case the kitten is dirty,you can clean it only with a damp tissue or cloth - do not bathe a kitten.

If you find an abandoned kitten, it is essential to take it to the vet.

After making all the kittens comfortable, the next step in how to care for an abandoned kitten is the most fundamental: taking them to the vet. When we find a kitten on the street we have no way of knowing if it is sick or not. It is very important to perform tests to detect if the kittens are carriers of diseases such as FIV, FeLV and even zoonoses (diseases that can passA very important point is not to let the kitten have contact with other pets before the examinations, as it may have contagious diseases. In most cases of abandoned cat litter, the kittens are not vaccinated and dewormed. However, both vaccination and deworming can only be applied to healthy animals, so wait for the results to see what you think.health status of the animal and when everything is right, start the vaccination and deworming schedules correctly.

What to give abandoned kitten cat to eat?

Feeding is another issue that deserves attention. What to give an abandoned kitten to eat since the mother is not there to offer the mother's milk? The first solution is to find a nursing mother, that is, a kitten that has just given birth and is producing milk to offer it to the animal. If this is not possible, the specific milk for cats found in pet shops is a good idea for the kitten.In the first few days, always keep an eye on his eating habits (lack of appetite can be a sign of illness) and monitor his weight (he should gradually gain weight). It is worth mentioning that cats cannot drink cow's milk under any circumstances.

During the process of how to care for an abandoned kitten you will have to play the role of a mother

Ideally, a kitten should only be separated from its mother after two months of age (an essential period for the animal to feed on its mother's milk and learn to stay on its own). As the abandoned kitten has been separated before its time, the guardian is the one who will have to play the role of mother. To do this, it is important to provide a warm environment for the kittens (such as a cardboard box with a blanket), becausethey will not have their mother's tummy to snuggle up to. In addition, the kitten does not yet know how to do its business on its own - it is the mother who stimulates them by licking the genital area. With maternal absence, you should rub a damp towel under the cat's tail after feeding so that it receives this stimulus and then learns to do it on its own.

I found a litter of kittens: do I adopt or give them away?

After following all the procedures on how to take care of abandoned kittens, it is important to think about the future of the pet. Will you adopt the kittens or give them up for adoption? It is very common that after finding a lost litter the person ends up getting attached to the kittens and wants to adopt them - and that's great! Rescuing abandoned cats is the best way out for felines and will still be a huge joy for them.In this case, you should prepare the house for the arrival of the new cats. However, adoption is not always possible due to various factors. In this case, the best thing to do is to give the kittens up for adoption. Responsible adoption must follow certain criteria. The recommended thing is to first look for people you know who want to adopt and who you know would take good care of the animals. If you can't find someone,it is worth taking the litter of kittens to a reliable NGO or animal protection association so that the kittens can find a home.

Meet the story of Josy, who found a litter of abandoned cats and took them into care

Just like what happened to Robert, there are many stories out there of people who found an abandoned litter. In 2019, Josy Araújo went through such a situation. While walking her dogs to the pet shop, she came across a litter of abandoned cats inside a cardboard box. There were five of them at once! The scene moved Josy, who decided to take care of the pets with great affection. "I hadAnger at those who abandoned them, fear that they wouldn't survive, sadness... but I didn't think twice. I just wanted to get home and save everyone," she said.

Filled with mixed feelings, Josy took each kitten home and cared for them as if they were already her own. She looked for what to give abandoned kittens to eat, took them to the vet and took care of their health. Initially, Josy tried to find someone to adopt them, but she couldn't - and that's a good thing, because she got so attached to the kittens that she couldn't let go!Today, the puppies Amelia, Dorothy, Chris, Oliver and Nelson are healthy, neutered and receiving a lot of love. "When I see them all grown up and healthy, I feel very proud that I managed to save them all," she says.