Bideawee's Feral Cat Initiative

06/03/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 Dehydration in kittens is a life-threatening emergency, and it's very common in orphans who've been deprived of mother's milk for an extended time. But do you know how to tell when a very young kitten is dehydrated? Many folks know the "scruff test" — if you tent a cat's skin between the shoulder blades and it doesn't flatten immediately when released, the cat is dehydrated. However, that test is not reliable for nursing babies.

To check a newborn kitten for dehydration — especially under 2 weeks old — hold her upright to see the lower belly between her thighs. If the skin is puckered, wrinkled, and pale instead of smooth, plump, and pink, she is dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration in kittens include dark urine, pale and dry gums, sunken eyes and cheeks, lethargy, and not eating well.

What to do: Bottle-feeding or nursing on the mom will treat mild dehydration. But if the case is severe and/or the kitten isn't nursing well, see a veterinarian for subcutaneous (sub-Q) fluid treatment.

Learn more in our on-demand webinar, "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens":
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

And for in-depth info on raising kittens:
Kitten Lady: https://kittenlady.org/kitten-care
National Kitten Coalition: https://kittencoalition.org

05/27/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 Orphaned newborn kittens are extremely vulnerable. Without their mom to keep them warm, kittens can die of hypothermia (low body temperature). Newborns can survive for many hours without milk, but they can't survive for very long without warmth. Checking for hypothermia is the first thing you should do when rescuing orphans. Never feed a cold kitten! They can't digest formula if their body temperature is low.

If a kitten's ears and paw pads feel cold, start warming him up ASAP — but gradually. Snuggle him in a blanket on top of a gentle heat source that covered with 2 layers of no-loop towels. Rub his back gently for about 20 minutes, checking his ears and paw pads as he warms up.

Your heat source should mimic a mother cat. Her body is the kittens' natural heat source — about 102°F — and kittens snuggle in her insulating fur. The best artificial heat source is an electric heating pad set on low, which stays at a steady temperature. Other options include microwaveable pet heating pads, a hot water bottle, or hand-warmers secured in a sock. The heat source should only take up half of the space in the nest, allowing kittens to crawl away from it when they're warm enough.

In an emergency, you can start warming a kitten right away with your own body heat. Put him inside your shirt against your skin with his face exposed to air. Add a blanket or zip your jacket for extra insulation, if needed. As soon as you can, move him to a warmer heat source.

Learn more in our free "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

And for in-depth info on raising kittens:
Kitten Lady: https://kittenlady.org/kitten-care
National Kitten Coalition: https://kittencoalition.org

05/20/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 Knowing an orphaned kitten's age will help you make faster life-saving decisions for them. Newborn kittens' abilities and needs change quickly over the first weeks of life, and the changes aren't all obvious. Eye color is one easy-to-spot way to tell a nursing kitten from one who's fully weaned and getting ready to live independently.

Kittens are born with their eyes closed. Their eyes slowly open around 8–12 days of age, and all kittens have blue eyes for most of their babyhood.

At 7 weeks of age, a kitten's eyes gradually change from blue to their adult color. This is also the age when most kittens are fully weaned. If you see a little kitten with green, yellow, orange, or gray eyes, they're at least 7 weeks old. Their eyesight matures at about 8 weeks.

Kittens' muscle coordination also matures around 8 weeks of age. Their play becomes more daring as they master feats of leaping and pouncing. Play among littermates hones their hunting skills and their social skills with other cats. At 8 weeks of age, kittens are equipped to live independently of their mom, though they may stay near her for longer in the wild. Feral kittens who are 7–8 weeks old can be humanely trapped and brought indoors for easy socialization and adoption.

Learn more in our free "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

And for in-depth info on raising kittens:
Kitten Lady: https://kittenlady.org/kitten-care
National Kitten Coalition: https://kittencoalition.org

05/13/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 Knowing an orphaned kitten's age will help you understand their needs so you can make faster life-saving decisions for them. A kitten's teeth are a great guide to telling age in the first 6 weeks of life — if you know what you're looking at.

Kittens have no teeth from birth to 3 weeks of age, when the incisors emerge in the front of the mouth. These teeth are not for eating; 3-week-olds get all their nourishment from nursing. But they gain new abilities at this age. The incisors allow them to start grooming themselves. Kittens also begin to toilet unprompted, and they take their first wobbly steps.

At 4 weeks, kittens' canines (fangs) come in. They still don't eat solid food, but fangs signify a kitten's emerging ability to hunt. They also begin to retract their claws, and they walk more steadily. They begin to practice hunting skills in the form of play-wrestling with their littermates.

At 5 weeks, the premolars begin to emerge. They're large teeth just behind the fangs. Premolars are for eating meat, so a healthy kitten with premolars is ready to begin the gradual process of weaning. They'll keep honing their hunting skills through vigorous play sessions as their eyesight and muscle coordination continue to mature. Kittens have all 26 of their milk teeth by 6 weeks of age.

Learn more in our free "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

And for in-depth info on raising kittens:
Kitten Lady: https://kittenlady.org/kitten-care
National Kitten Coalition: https://kittencoalition.org

05/06/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 Knowing an orphaned kitten's age will help you make faster life-saving decisions for them. Newborn kittens' abilities and needs change quickly over the first weeks of life, and the changes aren't all obvious. But one conspicuous marker that can pinpoint a newborn's age is the presence of the umbilical cord.

At birth, a kitten's umbilical cord is still attached. Their umbilical cord is still wet for the first 24 hours after birth, then it dries and falls off on its own around Day 4 or 5.

Never try to remove a kitten's umbilical cord!

Other markers of the first week of life: kittens can't see, hear, or keep themselves warm. Virtually all they can do for themselves is wriggle toward their mom's body for warmth and food, and cry out in distress when they're hungry or cold.

Learn more in our free "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV or link in bio
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH or link in bio

And for in-depth info on raising kittens:
Kitten Lady: https://kittenlady.org/kitten-care
National Kitten Coalition: https://kittencoalition.org

04/30/2026

Learn more about affectionate Sofi and apply to adopt her at: https://www.bideawee.org/adopt-pet/sofi/86600743

Sofi’s story started in the basement of a building, where she was found trying to make the best of a tough situation. Now she’s safe with us, soaking up all the love and attention she can get, and showing us just how sweet she really is.

She’ll happily approach for pets and affection and has a playful side too. Bring out a feather wand and she’s all in. Sofi is ready for a fresh start in a home where she can feel safe, loved, and truly settled. We know she’s going to make a wonderful companion for someone lucky enough to take her home.

If you’re interested in adopting, please visit www.bideawee.org to learn more about the process.

04/29/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 We love Kitten Lady's NEW Kitten Age Calculator! This excellent online tool asks a series of simple questions about your kitten, then gives you an accurate age (0–8 weeks) and a link to view appropriate care instructions. We even tested it with details on kittens who are behind in development, and it gave the correct age that approximates where those kittens were developmentally. This fantastic tool will help you save more lives this kitten season!

Kitten Lady's Kitten Age Calculator:
https://kittenlady.org/agecalculator

P.S. Check out our free "Bottle-Feeding and Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar:
Recording: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

04/29/2026

Learn how to reduce the number of kittens born outdoors and improve the lives of feral and stray community cats in your area through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)! Register for the May 2, 2026, online workshop presented by Neighborhood Cats / Community Cats Podcast: https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/intro-workshops

Make sure you and your Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) team are certified and equipped with all the tools and knowledge you need to be successful.

Register for our next virtual TNR Certification Workshop, taking place May 2 at 2pm ET. You’ll learn how to safely and effectively practice TNR and make a real difference for community cats.

Register now for just $10 (and get access to the recording for 365 days!): ➡️
https://communitycatscentral.thinkific.com/courses/the-neighborhood-cats-tnr-certification-workshop-may-2026

04/23/2026

Did you miss our FREE "Bottle-Feeding & Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar on 4/22, but still want to learn how you can save precious little lives during kitten season? The recording is available on-demand here:

Video: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKV
Handout: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKH

04/22/2026

It's ! 🐈💛🐈💙🐈 FREE "Bottle-Feeding & Care of Orphaned Kittens" webinar 5:00-6:30 ET TODAY 4/22! YOU can help save lives this kitten season! Learn the skills needed to successfully bottle-feed 🍼 and care 💙🐱💛 for orphaned kittens at all stages, including basic health assessment, how to flea-bathe newborns, and what equipment, formula, and bottle-feeding techniques get the best results.

Can't attend today? No problem! Everyone who registers will receive links to the webinar recording and handout tomorrow.

Register: https://bit.ly/BFCIBFKR