DISCLAIMER: This information is not meant to take the place of previous advice given by a veterinarian that has seen your pet. Even if you follow these instructions there is no guarantee that the pet will survive.

You’re walking down the road, minding your business, when you hear a “meow”. Such a small sound but so full of need. You look around and find some kittens, maybe they are in a box, or they are just out in an area under some brush and you’ve decided you want to help.

The best way to help abandoned kittens is to get them to a veterinarian quickly. There is no knowing how long they have been alone with no food from mom, or if they are carrying any diseases. The younger they are, the more important it is to take them in quickly to a vet for treatment, as the youngest can get dehydrated quickly.

However, if there is no veterinarian open near you, you can attempt to help the kittens by keeping them warm, dry, and fed. Keeping kittens warm can be difficult, you don’t want to use a heating pad as those have “hot spots” and can potentially burn the kittens. Using a small fire resistant space heater may be appropriate or better is to just use a warm water bottle or warm towels from the dryer can help. Keep in mind that young animals have a very hard time regulating their own body temperature and rely on mom (or in this case you) to do it for them; this includes keeping them from getting too hot.

Making sure the kittens stay dry will include keeping them clean if they go to the bathroom on themselves, though this is not likely unless they are stimulated to do so.  You can gently clean their face and body with baby wipes or a warm damp soft cloth but don’t let them get too wet or they will get cold. You can also use those to stimulate them to go to the bathroom after eating, by gently rubbing their genitals until they pee and/or poop. It is my personal experience that cotton balls work best for this.

When feeding these kittens overnight what you feed will depend on their age. If their eyes are closed they will definitely need formula. If their eyes are open, usually canned kitten food will work, but they may still need formula too! Start by feeding a very small amount (less than 1 ounce of formula) to each kitten every 2 hours. This will allow them to absorb nutrients without being overfed which could potentially cause them to vomit. After feeding young kittens it is important to stimulate them to pee and poop (the instructions are in the above paragraph). Older kittens can be fed slightly larger amounts and even be free fed canned food and water. They may or may not need to be stimulated to go to the bathroom, but it never hurts to give it a try. Supplying older kittens with a very low sided litter box can also be effective.

Once you’ve gotten through the night and the vet hospital is open, you should proceed directly there. Kittens found on the street may look healthy, but they could be carrying potentially life-threatening diseases; not only for themselves but for other animals as well, so it is important to also keep your own pets away from the kittens you brought home. The only way to tell for sure if they are sick or not is to have them examined in person by a veterinarian.  

Author: Cheryl Miller, RVT, CVBL, FFCP (Veterinary), VCC

If you’d like to schedule an appointment or discuss how to care for your street kittens, please call or text us at (843) 966-3362. You can also schedule an appointment online. You can also schedule a virtual appointment directly with Cheryl here.