So, You Found A Kitten....Now What???
	The first rule when you find what appears to be an abandoned kitten is to leave it alone temporarily. Many times the Mama cat is in the process of moving her babies from one location to another and was simply interrupted or scared away. If the kitten is left alone, the Mama typically will come back to get it.

Providing Warmth

If, however, you know the Mama cat is no longer able to care for the kitten(s), by all means, take the kitten(s) into your care. Once you have the kitten in a safe place, you need to provide an external source for heat. I've found that the cheapest heating pads that are sold at Walgreens work the best. They have a control that leaves the heating pad on at all times instead of the safety feature of automatic shutoff. The kitten will need to be kept warm at all times. Depending on how cool the kitten is to the touch when you first find it, that will determine what setting you need to put the heating pad at to begin with. Usually, I start out with the heating pad on Medium Heat and then turn it down to Low Heat once the kitten is sufficiently warmed up. DO NOT FEED A KITTEN THAT IS COLD TO THE TOUCH. Until the kitten's body is warm, the kitten will not be able to adequately digest any formula and it will cause problems that can lead to death.

Formula & Feeding

If you are unable to get to a Vet's Clinic or a Feed Store to buy Kitten Formula...Here is an Emergency Only recipe to tide the kitten over until you can buy the appropriate formula: 1 can Evaporated Milk (any brand will work) 1 can Water 1 Egg Yolk 1 Teaspoon Light Karo Syrup Mix well and heat just like you would for a human infant. NEVER FEED COLD FORMULA TO AN INFANT KITTEN!!! The cheapest place to buy a Pet Nursing Bottle is at Wal-Mart. I believe they are about 99 cents. Cut a small 'X' in the top of the nipple and tip the bottle upside down. The flow from the nipple (without squeezing the bottle at all) should be a drip. If you have to squeeze the bottle in order for the formula to come out of the nipple, that's okay. It's just more work for you. Your hand will get tired faster. If you attempt to give a WARM kitten some WARM formula and it won't take the bottle and suckle, you will need to try using a syringe. Most Vet Clinics will give you one if you don't have one. An eyedropper can also be used. If, after trying all of these instruments to feed a kitten and it still won't nurse, you will need to say a prayer and just hold the baby as it passes away. Many times kittens will be too weak to survive regardless of what you do or how hard you try to save them. When it gets to that point, simply hold the baby (if you are emotionally strong enough to do so) and let it know that you love it and that it's okay for it to let go. If you need any help or advice during your adventure of trying to raise a kitten that you've found, you are more than welcome to call me. I do NOT know everything and I have NOT seen or heard everything there is to see or hear. I am NOT an expert. I have been doing this type of rescue for 22 years. I've learned a lot. But, there's still a lot left for me to learn. I will, however, gladly encourage you and provide you with whatever I am able to provide. If you feel that you are not up to the challenge of raising the kitten(s), that is what I'm here for. Contact me and I will take the burden from you if I have space available.