So I'm Hand-Rearing a Kitten

Yes, you read it right. I'm hand-rearing a kitten.

At present she's about 2 weeks old, full of meows and is all claws as she tries to suckle at me in vain. I found her abandoned early one morning as I walked to buy breakfast and couldn't find any sign of her mother or any siblings. I can only assume she was left there, unwanted by a human who hadn't had the sense to neuter their 'pet'.

I took her to International Animal Rescue and was told that, if they took her in, they would put her down because they just didn't have the time or capacity to look after her needs. This was encouraged by one volunteer in particular, who assured me that it was the best thing to do and that she didn't stand a chance. Her opinion was that she may not survive the hand-rearing and if she did we probably wouldn't be able to find her a home. She may well be right but I am not in any position to play God with another healthy creature's life. I could not allow her to be euthanised, knowing that I had the time and capacity to care for her needs. This particular volunteer is now ignoring me to the point where she she won't acknowledge my existence or respond to my hello/goodbye, which is rather annoying. I'm getting quite tired of being bullied in my places of work, but I feel that I did the right thing for Squidge and for me.

I'll keep you updated on her progress. She's already starting to pee and poo on her own (usually you have to massage their belly) and she's going from strength to strength. Hopefully when my camera is fixed I'll have some pictures to show you. Until then, any tips from people who have hand-reared animals would be greatly welcomed.

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