Friday, May 21, 2010

Bathing a 2 1/2 week kitten?

How do i do this without harming it.
Answers:
Mine were about three weeks old when I got them and I washed them with a warm wash cloth/no soap because I wasn't sure about what type of soap would be safe for them. They are now healthy 7 year old cats, by the way.
kittens and cats wash themselves.
get a wash pan, bucket, or bowl.
hold it by the scruff like mom does and use a rag with baby/infant soap- tear free
very gently wet the kitten. wash it with the rag then rinse it.
dry it carefully.
y is this kitten so dirty or in need of a bath at 2 wks... where is mom to bathe it herself?
Let the mother cat clean her baby. It is important for bonding. They are so fragile at that age.
You need to ask yourself if the kitten is in danger being dirty or is it just your personal opinion. The only time you should intervene at that age is if the kitten is in danger. For example, has been exposed/rolled in something toxic.
But if its just because the kitten is not as sparkly clean as you would like, let mom take care of it.
Do it in a small bowl and use very sensitive wash. It's better to do it now to get them used to water. Otherwise It will be damn near impossible to bathe them when they get older.
You don't bathe it, it is two weeks old, DUH!
Have it's momma do it!!!
Please do not give a 2 1/2 week old kitten a bath. S/he is way too young and could get sick and die. If the kitty is so dirty and needs to be cleaned, use a washcloth or wet cotton pads to spot clean the dirt--only do this if the kitty's mom is not available.
I would wait until s/he is at least 10 weeks old and then read this link:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
The answer to that is don't wash her. Why this question, where is her mother, she should be washing her, if you are hand rearing then a wipe over with a warm damp cotton wool will do the trick. If you wash a 2 1/2 week old kitten you will kill it. Simple as that, her body temp will hit rock bottom and she will die. Babies need to be kept warm. If you are hand rearing and are needing advice please do not hesitate to contact me.
please do not bath him.with a luke warm cloth wipe him only after his feed.his mother would have licked him clean. this way he will get attached to you and take you as his "mommy" trust me ours was 3 weeks old and is now 5 months and she is loved and a very happy kitten...home was never as great as this
No need to bathe the kitten - if it's Mum isn't around to care for it, then you can just "spot" clean it - but you shouldn't immerse it into water, as its body temperature won't be able to cope and the natural oils of its tender baby skin will be washed away. Keep the kitten as warm and dry as possible.
Below is a link to a very good website about handrearing tiny kittens. Have a read, but if it gets too daunting for you, please take the kitten to a Cat Rescue Centre or your local Vet. Thanks and Good Luck!!
I've bathed quite a few filthy abandoned young kittens.
If it's not too dirty you can bathe it with baby wipes. It might take a bunch of them to fully clean the kitten.
If the kitten is really dirty, I put a few inches of lukewarm water in the bathroom sink and use a mild shampoo. I am very gentle and cup the kitten in my hand while washing it. Be sure not to get water in the kittens eyes or mouth.
Then I rinse the kitten very well under lukewarm running water, and dry it with a few hand towels until totally dry. It is important that the kitten be completely dry because they can chill easily.
The kitten will need kitten formula every 4 hours. You can get it at the vet or pet supply store. Yes, 2:00 a.m. feedings for the next few weeks. I sleep with them next to my bed so I can hear if they wake up in the night.
He also will need to be stimulated to pee and poop. I use baby wipes for that.
Also the kitten will need a safe warm place to sleep. A box or cat carrier with clean towels works.
You should probably take the kitten to the vet for a quick check. S/he can explain about how to care for it.
Purrs,
The Cat Lady
If it were me, I would dampen a cotton ball with warm water and then carefully wipe him down. He will like this especially if you can simulate the motion of how a mother cat would groom its baby. After you are finished, if he is damp make sure to keep him plenty warm. Keep him wrapped in a towel, or even better set him on your belly with your shirt over him until he dries off. That way he will stay warm and cozy.
to bathe or clean a two and a half week old kitten use plain water and soft cotton balls wet the cotton balls and wring them and then stroke the kitten gently to clean it discarding each cotton ball as you use it only one time per stroke, be sure and stroke it's bottom to help it defecate and urinate their mother usually does all this with her tongue just as every part of that kitten is usually cleaned by a gentle mother's tongue now you use the cotton balls as the tongue and be very very gentle their bathing by their mother is usually a soothing bonding experience for both kitten and momma cat
it needs to be done in a quiet dark room a kitten that age needs darkness for developing eyes do it in candle light if possible speak in very soothing gentle tones to this baby and dry the kitten with dry cotton balls as gently as possible
try and locate a good foster mother for it if you can a cat foster mother check with the shelter; as sometimes litters are brought in with a mom cat and an extra kitten can be added by a professional who will rub the other cats scents onto the foster kitten, little bit of feces etcetra and supervised nursing until the foster kitten has drank enough milk for the scent of the milk to come out the other end that is how it works, they do know their own kittens easily but they can be fooled and sometimes it is nice to fool mother nature be sure the room you are using to bathe this kitten is very very warm and keep the kitten on top of a warm towel also a hot water bottle next to it will be essential you don't want to put it near a heating pad but it must be kept warm and it cannot have a lamp like chickens use its eyes must be protected from light until it is seven weeks old

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