Kittens from one day to three weeks old need a lot of attention and care. Those who have been abandoned by their mother are virtually helpless and cannot fend for themselves. They cannot pass urine and feces without stimulation from the mother. If you have rescued cats that have not reached three weeks of age, you need to know how to help them meet their physiological needs. Newborns must be stimulated after each meal to pass stool. Read on to learn how to do it.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Using Massage to Stimulate Stool
Step 1. Position the animal to stimulate it
After feeding, hold the cat in your non-dominant hand, it should lie on its back and its butt should be facing you. The grip should be gentle, but firm enough not to let the animal fall. Remember to do this in a warm room, as kittens can be very sick or even die if they get cold.
Step 2. Place a warm, damp towel over your dominant hand
You will use it to stimulate the kitten's belly and anal region, so that she can expel feces. The mother cat always performs a thorough bath of her kittens with her tongue after each feed. You should use a light colored towel so that you can see if the animal has peed or not.
- Use a cloth intended only for this purpose. Don't get one that you will later want to use in the kitchen or to wash your face.
- Alternatively, you can take a cotton ball or gauze pad (always moistened with warm water) to help your cat defecate.
Step 3. Place the cloth-covered hand on the cat's bottom
Using your thumb and other fingers, gently massage the anal area through the cloth. Your thumb should do most of the work, moving like a mother cat's tongue when she licks her kittens' butt.
Step 4. Check the cloth from time to time to see if the animal has fulfilled its needs
If nothing happens, continue the massage. When the cat pees, you should feel more heat on the massaging hand. Continue until the urine stream stops and then check to see if the cat has defecated.
This process shouldn't take more than 60 seconds. If your cat is not urinating and defecating after feeding, you should contact your veterinarian
Step 5. Move the cloth over your hand so that a clean area is over your thumb
Continue to massage and move the towel as long as necessary; you have to do this so as not to transfer the feces that are on the fabric onto the cat's fur. If you are using a cotton ball or gauze, discard the soiled material and continue the massage with a clean replacement.
Remember that cats produce soft stools as long as they are fed formula milk. The droppings will become solid after weaning
Part 2 of 2: Clean up
Step 1. Once the bodily functions are done, wipe his butt
At the end of the massage, scrub the anal area with the cloth to make sure you get rid of all traces of dirt. At the end use a dry cloth or other towel and try to dry the cat as much as possible. This way, you avoid skin rashes or infections.
Step 2. Return the puppy to its nest with its siblings or to the crate you keep it in
Repeat the massage to all the kittens you are caring for. Remember to use a clean cloth for each specimen.
Step 3. Clean the material
If you used cotton balls or gauze, simply throw them away. If you have chosen towels, wash them carefully after the treatment. The best thing to do is put them in the washing machine with detergent and bleach, setting a high temperature cycle.
Do not use dirty towels for next massage. If you recycle the dirty clothes you could transfer infections to the puppy, putting his health in serious danger.
Step 4. After massaging the anal area, wash your hands thoroughly
Even if you have placed the cloth between your fingers and the cat's bottom, this does not mean that the urine and feces have not come into contact with your skin. Wash them with antibacterial soap and warm water after each procedure.
Advice
- Make an appointment with your vet within 24 hours of bringing your kitten home. It is important that the animal is examined by the doctor as soon as possible, to be sure that it is in good health, that it is subjected to vaccinations and that it takes all the medicines necessary to make it feel good. The vet will also answer all your questions about your cat's care and needs, including how to get him to defecate.
- Massage the cat's anal area after each meal, which means every 2-3 hours, day and night, seven days a week and up to the third week of life. Some specimens may whine and whine as you do this, but don't mind it, because this is something that needs to be done.
- Kittens who are about 4 weeks old can be trained to use the litter box. Put your feline friend in his after every meal to help him understand what it's for.
- The best towels to use are white, beige or pink ones; furthermore, they should have a moderately rough texture and not smooth, in order to perfectly reproduce the sensation of the wrinkled tongue of a mother cat licking the belly of the puppies.
Warnings
- Don't be rude or aggressive with the kitten. After all, he is little more than a newborn and must be handled with delicacy and kindness. Any massage that is too firm or violent could cause fractures or much worse damage.
- Don't grab him too tightly, or you could crush him, cause internal injuries, and even kill him. When you touch kittens you need to have a firm but delicate hand!
- When you massage your cat, you don't even have to keep a loose grip; if the puppy falls, it could be seriously damaged. The hand must be tight enough not to let go, no matter how hard he squirms.
