Hanes

The call on the morning of May 29 was from a woman anxious to bring SNUGGLE Pet Rescue a kitten found next to a swimming pool. Our Foster Care providers always ask that a photo be sent so we can begin to determine the age and the general condition of the kitten or puppy. When the image came through on the phone there was no doubt, we were about to get another preemie. After telling the lady to wrap the kitten in some type of cotton fabric to keep him warm, we instructed her to get him to us as quickly as possible. For this baby, not a minute could be wasted.

Our Foster Care provider jumped into action as soon as the preemie arrived tucked inside a black men’s t-shirt. Since kittens cannot fully regulate their body temperature until they are 8 weeks old getting their body temperature between 100 and 101 degrees is the top priority. Holding a kitten next to the skin on your chest, along with wrapping them in a baby sized blankets that has been warmed in the microwave helps warm them up.

While waiting for the kitten to warm up, a vitamin B-12 shot was given to increase the preemie’s appetite, stimulate brain function and help with possible diarrhea. Then he was weighed. A kitten’s birthweight is normally 3 to 4 ounces. This little guy weighed only 2.4. When he was finally warm enough a syringe was used to feed him, and he took 1.5 cc of formula. This was a very encouraging sign for someone so young. The feeding was followed by stimulating him to pee and poop.

Almost two hours later, everything had been done for our newest arrival, and he was put in his pet carrier. Then the Foster Care provider completed the intake paperwork and gave this tiny guy a name. Hanes, named after the t-shirt clothing manufacturer, lived for one day. We were hopeful he would be one of our survivors, but his little body just could not function like it was supposed to.