Something to Look Forward To

One of the joys of being a foster care provider to kittens is when they start to pee and poop on their own. It's like when human babies are finally out of diapers.

Our foster mom to Sunny and Tsunami opened what she called, The Kitten Salon, this morning. Her two young charges decided today was the day they were going to "do their business" on their own. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. What they have not realized yet is that after being all done you don't sit in the poop. Hence the need for the Kitten Salon.

To clean the kittens Dawn Dishwashing Soap is used. This is the safest and most effective choice. The water should be warm and not hot. Definitely not cold water because you don't want kittens getting too cold, since they do not develop the ability to regulate their own body temperature until they are 2 to 3 weeks old.

When you bathe young kittens or puppies do not immerse them in water. The best place for their bath is the kitten sink, using a sprayer to get them wet and rinse them. If you don't have a sprayer, use a cup to pour water over them. Always be careful to avoid their face. If their faces are dirty, use a warm washcloth to clean them.

After their bath towel dry them really well. If they still are damp, you can use a blow dryer on the very lowest setting and hold it far enough away from the kitten that you don't run the risk of getting their skin too hot. If you are using a blow dryer for the first time, don't immediately direct it towards the kitten. Turn it on for a couple minutes so they can start getting used to the sound. Also, test the temperature and distance on your own arm first. If a kitten is too freaked out, then continue to towel dry them making sure you change out the wet towel for a dry one.