Around-the-clock Kitten Care

The warmer weather might mean summer holidays for some but at The Mayhew it means kitten season is well and truly under way, bringing with it a need for around-the-clock care. Spring and summer are the busiest times of year for kittens at The Mayhew, with literally hundreds of little ones coming in through our doors.

In just one year, an unspayed female cat can produce twelve kittens. Within six years, however, this one mother cat can result in nearly 11,000 grand-kittens and great-grand-kittens. And it doesn’t stop there. Every single year, hundreds of thousands more are born in the UK – many more than could ever possibly find good homes.

Which is why, every year, The Mayhew is inundated with litters. Some are signed over to The Mayhew by owners of unneutered cats. Others, like the Shoebox Kittens, escape an untimely death after being callously dumped on the streets.

Earlier this year, a passer-by stopped in a car park. He had heard mewling coming from a shoebox. When he investigated further, he discovered five tiny kittens huddled against one another for warmth. They were less than a week old and their eyes were not even open yet. Luckily for the kittens, the passer-by brought them into The Mayhew.

One of them, unfortunately, was found to have severely crushed back legs, as if someone had trodden on them, and sadly did not survive. The other four kittens were, however, healthy, if very hungry and cold.

Our Veterinary Team immediately put the kittens into a warm cabin and began to feed them by hand, every two hours, around-the-clock. Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Indiana, as they were named, all grew into boisterous, playful kittens. When they were weaned and old enough, the four Shoebox Kittens were all rehomed into loving new homes where they will enjoy the luxuries that every cat deserves.

Caring for young kittens requires considerable time and effort. The Shoebox Kittens, as hand rears, were particularly needy, but even kittens that come in with their mothers need special attention. Coco and her four kittens were handed over to The Mayhew by an elderly owner who felt she could not cope with the litter. Coco had given birth in the garden and our Animal Welfare Officers went to collect her and her brood. Now in The Mayhew, Coco has been given a large cat cabin with special extras such as a very large bed to help her raise her kittens comfortably. Our staff check on the cat family day and night to ensure that all is well and that Coco is managing her role as mum. When they are old enough, the kittens will all be neutered and vaccinated, deflead and microchipped and found good new homes.

These are merely two kitten litter stories amongst many. Since kitten season began at The Mayhew this year, we have taken over forty into our care – and the season is not yet over. Each and every one of these kittens benefits from the extremely high level of attention and experience the staff at The Mayhew offer them. It is time-consuming and often tiring work but no kitten misses out on receiving 100% round the clock observation and treatment.

At The Mayhew, we have a vision of a world where all companion animals are wanted. As a result, we work night and day to do everything we can for the animals that come into our care, no matter how much it takes. We will always strive to be there to help animals and their carers but we are a small charity without government or lottery aid and it is only due to the generosity of our supporters that we are able to continue. Please help us to tackle the animal welfare crisis from every possible angle and assist us in continuing our vital work.

 

 

Please click here to make a secure online donation, or alternatively
you can post a donation to:

The Mayhew Animal Home
Around-the-clock Kitten Care Appeal
Trenmar Gardens
London NW10 6BJ
United Kingdom