10/03/2026
💗 Temporary Intake — sweet girl 💗
Yesterday afternoon, our partner shelter reached out to YouMatter Newborn Kitten Rescue for help with this precious little girl.
This litter was brought into the shelter a few days ago as orphaned kittens. Their mom was not with them, so they are currently being cared for by a foster.
This little girl is approximately 8–9 days old and the runt of her litter. She had not been thriving or latching well, so she was rushed to us for stabilization, intensive care, and close monitoring.
When she arrived, her heart rate was a little elevated and her belly was quite distended. I expressed her bladder right away, and she was able to urinate quite a bit. Thankfully, she also latched for me almost immediately with the help of a special ni**le. ❤️
After a long night of frequent feedings, care, and monitoring, she is doing very well this morning. She is safe, eating, and getting stronger. 🐾💕
This is a temporary intake. Our goal is to give her the extra support she needs and return her to her litter and foster home as soon as she is thriving a little more.
Why do the runt kittens sometimes struggle?
Being the smallest doesn’t automatically mean a kitten will have problems, but runt kittens can have a harder time competing with their littermates for nursing time and may have less energy to latch and nurse effectively. When a newborn isn’t getting enough nutrition, they can become weaker quickly, creating a cycle where they have even less energy to eat.
That’s why early intervention is so important with these tiny babies. Sometimes a little extra support, warmth, frequent feedings, and careful monitoring can make all the difference.
And one important reminder for anyone who finds a litter of healthy kittens: please leave them with their mom whenever it is safe to do so. Mom is almost always better equipped to care for her babies than we are. She provides warmth, nutrition, stimulation, and protection that no human can completely replace. ❤️
For this little girl, unfortunately, mom was not there. But she has a team caring for her now, and we’re going to give her every chance to grow stronger and get back to her litter.
Please keep this tiny runt in your thoughts. 🐾💕
