Bottle baby 101: Building a Nursery
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This document provides guidance for starting a bottle baby rescue program. It outlines key roles and volunteers needed, facilities and supplies, care basics for newborn kittens including feeding schedules and weight tracking, common medical issues, and strategies for recruiting and retaining volunteers. The overall message is that saving just a few litters of bottle babies can significantly improve shelter save rates, and with the right approach a small program can grow over time to rescue thousands of kittens.
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Bottle baby 101: Building a Nursery
- 1. Bottle Baby 101 Building a Nursery
- 2. • Why Bottle Babies? • How APA got started • Facilities & Supplies • Which Ones to Rescue • Key Volunteer Roles • Recruiting (& keeping) Volunteers & Fosters • Training & Importance of Disease Control • Step by Step Care Basics • Lessons Learned
- 3. • Thousands of baby kittens die in shelters every year • Saving just a few litters can improve save rates • Consider pregnant cats or families • Start small, learn, then grow
- 4. Unweaned kittens, usually between 0 and 4 weeks old. The youngest require attention every two hours.
- 5. • At birth weigh 90-110g, double weigh in first week • 7-10 days eyes open • Eyes stay blue until about 6-7 weeks • 3 weeks become mobile • 3.5 weeks, ears start to stand up • 4 weeks start playing & develop teeth • 4-5 weeks eat gruel • 5-6 weeks eat kibble
- 6. • Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation strategy (Kendalia, TX) • Problem Solving without Euthanizing
- 7. • Trailer on South Congress (Craigslist $3000) • Blog post to raise awareness/funds • Feet on the street in area led to $10K donation • Volunteers
- 8. • Room, office, closet, bathroom • Must haves • Fresh Water • Refrigerator • Microwave • Medical Nearby • Nice to haves • Dishwasher • Washer/Dryer • Running Water/Sink
- 9. • Snuggle Safes • Rice socks • Heating pads • Blankets/towels • Cages • Dishes (spill proof) • Baby wipe warmer • Litter boxes • Ziploc bags • Storage tubs • SCALE
- 10. • Smocks for each kennel • Gloves • Closed toe shoes • Hair tied back
- 11. • KMR (or single brand) • Bottles/Nipples/Syringes • Cat litter/newspaper • Cotton balls • Hand sanitizer • Disinfectant (non-irritating) • Bleach (RW) • Towels (small and paper) • Canned kitten food (one brand) • Dry kitten food: (Royal Canin Baby Cat Kibble preferred) • Gloves, smocks • Pet Paint • Esbilac (puppy formula) & Puppy bottles/nipples – You never know!
- 12. • As you’re getting Nursery set up, start saving some kittens to foster • Consider more stable kittens – 4-6 weeks • Eating on their own • More attractive to volunteers & fosters • Easier to fill volunteer shifts • Consider Healthy • Nursing Moms/older babies, lactating moms • A note about ferals…
- 13. • Easy to Adopt/Unique • Longhair • Maine Coon • Siamese • Polydactyl • Colorful litters
- 15. • Cat Program Rescue Manager • Oversees anything to do with rescuing cats over 6 weeks old and once our babies turn 6 weeks old. • Cat Adoption Manager • Oversees adoption processes, adoption centers and where our kittens go when they are old enough to find forever homes
- 16. • Don’t lose sight of either one • Get people involved EARLY in your process • Give them roles & responsibilities
- 17. • Positive messaging • Social media • Signs • Orientation (take a kitten) • Fun • Stand firm on age requirements • Keeping volunteers • Train them well • Field trips • Give them ownership • Manage expectations • Partner up! • Expect turnover • Help them • Give them specific roles
- 18. • Site Protocols • Logistics • How to get in • Parking • Lights • Help • Supplies • What/Where • Help • General Sanitation • Cleaning procedures • Cross-contamination • Smock per litter • Organization helps • Feeding • Recipes • Warm food/warm kitten • Weigh before/after • Keep kittens dry • Stimulation • Medical Protocols • Common Illnesses — URI — Diarrhea — Ringworm — Fading Kitten Syndrome — Other (panleuk, calici) • Medications/Dosage • Communication • Log book • Charting • Emails • Emergencies • What to watch for • What to do • Outcome • Vaccinations/Testing/Parasite Control
- 19. • Pick up from Shelter within 2 hours by volunteer • Name them (Hurricane Naming System) • Test for FeLV • If positive, retested with serum • If still positive, set up in separate area/foster • If negative, proceed in nursery • Treat for fleas, worms (Capstar, Strongid) • Pen G Injection • Set up charts • Feed - charted • Set up in kennel, added to white board
- 21. • Bottle Baby Care includes many steps: sterilize, warm, feed, medicate, stimulate, clean, warm, sterilize • Feeding basics: — mix formula & warm it up (one bottle/one litter) — record kitten’s weight — wrap like burrito, hold upright, and give bottle — bottle nipple must be loose to release vacuum — if no luck with bottle, try oral syringe — record amount consumed (weigh again) • Consider "topping off" young kittens with a second feeding • Give meds if applicable • Stimulate kitten with cotton ball & record output (consistency/color) • Wipe kitten with baby wipe • If you ever bathe a kitten under 5 weeks old, you should completely dry them with a warm towel before putting them back in crate. NEVER BLOWDRY! • Check heat source and put kitten back in SECURE crate or carrier
- 22. • Single most important care you can provide • Cannot maintain own body temperature • Mother cat 103°F • Snuggle Safe disc (or heating pad w/o auto-shut off) • Never place kittens directly on heating source • “Nests” get damp, so always clean bedding for warmth • Carrier or crate, covered with a blanket in a non-drafty area • Isolated from other animals • Kittens must be kept warm when eating
- 23. • Feeding Intervals • Bottle baby kittens need to be fed every 2-3 hours (3-4 hours overnight) • Syringe gruel babies (older kittens who need help eating on their own) need to fed every 4-5 hours (6-7 hours overnight) • Gruel babies (kittens who are eating on their own) just need to be fed every 5-6 hours (7-8 hours overnight) • Food Progression • 0 to 3 weeks – formula from bottle or oral syringe if not suckling • 4-5 weeks – transition to gruel (mixture of formula/water & wet kitten food) • 6-8 weeks – supplement wet kitten food with kibble (e.g., Royal Canin BabyCat) x
- 24. • 1st week 3.7 cc’s per ounce of body weight • 2nd week 4.9 cc’s per ounce of body weight • 3rd week 5.7 cc’s per ounce of body weight • 4th week 6.3 cc’s per ounce of body weight As long as the kitten does not cry excessively, gains weight, and feels firm to the touch, the diet is meeting his/her nutritional needs.
- 25. • At birth - 3.0 to 4 oz. (90-110g) • 2 weeks - 7.0 to 11.0 oz. (200-300g) • dewormed • 3-4 weeks - 11.7 to 15.0 oz. (350-450g) • dewormed • 5-7 weeks - 1 to 1.5 lbs. (450-700g) • 6 wks, 1st vaccinations & begin advertising • 8 weeks - 1.7 to 2 lbs. (800-900g) • 8 wks AND 2 lbs. schedule for S/N It is critical that babies are weighed at every meal. Weighing before & after can also tell you if they are actually eating. Over time will indicate trends.
- 26. • Sometimes kittens just fade • Stop growing • Lose weight • Stop nursing/eating • Can’t stay upright • Cry continuously • Chronic Illness can also pose problems (e.g., persistent diarrhea even after treatment) • If kitten becomes lethargic/gasping for air: • Wrap kitten in heating source/pad, protected with a blanket, like a burrito • Make a sugar water mixture (or diluted Karo syrup) and carefully force feed with dropper or oral syringe • Call On-Call Person For more details on medical emergencies with examples, refer to the Austin Pets Alive! Bottle Baby Manual: http://austinpetsalive.wiki.zoho.com/Bottle-Baby-Manual.html
- 27. • If a bottle baby accidentally gets formula into their lungs while feeding: • Firmly pat kitten’s back until you hear a cough • If no coughing, turn baby upside down (tail over head) and shake GENTLY, then pat back again Because any fluids in the lungs can lead to infection, it may be necessary to start the kitten on Amoxicillin but consult Med Techs.
- 28. • At about 4-5 weeks, introduce “gruel” • Gruel is a mixture of wet kitten food & KMR or water • Serve on a flat saucer • Shallow litter box • Use shredded newspaper or non-clumping cat litter • Kittens will be messy • Kittens will also start learning to clean themselves • Expect accidents!
- 29. • YouTube video on how to feed and care for bottle babies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lifzi3oOVo4&feature=rel mfu
- 30. • YouTube video on how to feed and care for gruel babies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFNcs3mCCUQ
- 31. • YouTube video on how to prepare for a Nursing Mom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2pK3svQ3wE
- 32. • Never easy • Can be very emotional • Set expectations early • Verify with medical team • Wrap in paper towel • Place in labeled Ziploc bag • Place in freezer
- 33. • Feeding shifts- 95% + Volunteers! • Google Calendar/Google Group • Feeder board/log book • Lock box so it can be accessed 24/7 • You cannot over- communicate
- 34. • Volunteers • Send Welcome Email with videos • Send occasional Thank You emails • Schedule events • Update with progress report • Shadowing is very important • Set realistic expectations • Fosters • Just as important as any other team member • Need support/mentoring • Proximity to medical is important • Kittens • You can’t save them all • Weigh before/after eating • Vaccinate at 1lb • Monitor overall trends • Sometimes you’ll need to triage between a fading kitten and others who need to eat • Core Team • Communicate with each other on operations • Communicate with Medical – report concerns • Have a Disaster Preparedness plan (virus outbreak) • Set capacity based on volunteers/ staff that you have to feed • Be able to say no to volunteers or fosters • Get creative! • Be prepared to grow
- 35. 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Number of Lives Saved 100%
- 36. Never Give Up!
Editor's Notes
- After success of the Airstream for Med Clinic, looked for another trailer on CLWord of mouth, blog posts, and even a news story about a severely injured dog led to donors/volunteersReceived donations from donors to purchaseVolunteer walked up & down SoCo telling businesses what we were doing, led to a $10K donationVolunteers gutted the trailer & put in counters1/2 of trailer was a cat adoption site – drew in traffic, increased awareness, donation jarsAt most, we could hold about 8 cages/crates. Once we expanded to the entire trailer, we could hold about 20.
- The size of your room will dictate most everything else (supplies, # to save, which to save, volunteers, need for fosters)In our trailer, we used bottled water and washing basins. Then we dumped them outside (smelly)If you have a nearby restroom or kitchen you can use, just be aware of who else is using it before you make the decision to call it “yours”The main point here is that you will need ACCESS to these things.
- Get creative with your supplies. Hamster cages take up less space, but can be harder to clean in between the wiresThe cardboard trays that come with cases of canned food can easily turn into disposable litterboxesUse what you get donated or have on hand & gradually replace when you raise fundsPostal or kitchen scales work great to weigh kittens up to 8 weeks old. Use a bowl taped to the scale to keep kittens from jumping or rolling offSo, consider where you’ll store this
- Be sure to account for dirty laundry & varying sizes for shirts/smocks. Varying glove sizes & latex/non-latex
- Formula – choose one brand and ONLY use that brand. Diarrhea or digestive upset occurs with food changes and that can be deadlyHave a variety of Bottles/Nipples/Syringes. We prefer PetAg bottles, but use what you can get donated (and be specific when you’re asking). Non-Clumping cat litter is best, or use shredded newspaperHave hand sanitizer EVERYWHEREWhen kittens transition to gruel or kibble, use ONE BRAND. We have used Nutro Max Cat kitten, Castor & Pollux and Royal Canin babycat kibble (it’s very small)
- As you are getting started with collecting supplies & setting up your facility, recruit & identify some kitten fosters. Look for people with experience. Follow your standard foster screening process. Get some successes under your belt and gain experience - this means fewer mistakes later. This also helps build your foster network, which you will needIt’s hard to turn away kittens who are sick but you have to weigh your resources & knowledge with what you can realistically saveNursing moms who are healthy with healthy babies are easy to foster. Moms do all the work! Plus, you can add healthy singleton babies to mom. Or moms who are still lactating with no babies can be a surrogate.
- If you know you’ll need to be selective because of resource limitations, at least as you get started, these are the ones that have proven to be highly desirable and easy to adopt.
- In the beginning, people will wear multiple hats and perform multiple duties. No one really reports to anyone, but the Team Lead can work with other department leads if there are issues that require resolution Rescue Coordinator:Based on the guidelines you’ve set on who you will pull, this person evaluates & makes the callReceiving alerts from the shelter in terms of what they haveMay eval directly or communicate with other rescue coordinators already thereCommunicates with Nursery Lead to determine if there’s roomMakes commitment to pullTransport Coordinator:Might transport directly or plea for transport – leverage any existing transport teams that are in placeClear, concise instructions on where to go, what to get, where to takeFoster Coordinator:Works daily to get kittens into homesAssesses who is there with the Nursery LeadBased on who is most critical to move (or easy to place, puts out a plea to the foster home)Schedules transfers & foster pickup timesMay do transfers directly or work with trainers when new fostersTrainers:Schedules trainingFollows up with interested volunteer feedersWorks with new volunteers to ready them for nursery dutyCovers defined protocolsSchedules/monitors “shadowing”Marketing/Outreach:Takes photos!Facebook/InstagramBlogsVolunteer recruitment (orientation)
- External to the BB program.Once you know which you’ll save, work with these folks to determine how you’ll interact & coordinate/communicate
- Work with the shelter regarding a heat source. Sometimes they can fill a glove with warm water as a temp heating sourceWe developed this procedure over time, but if we were to start all over again, this is how we would operate
- Daily care sheet on each kitten (adapted from the Wildlife Center)
- Kittens will naturally wean for the most part, but will need assistance a lot of the time fully transitioning. It’s best to schedule by what they are actually eating vs. what age they are/should be eating, because those aren’t necessarily the same.
- When we started, Dr. Jefferson was the only non-volunteer feederWe had one person monitor the calendar & send out emails indicating which shifts needed coverage