[♪ gentle music ♪]
Hi, everybody.
When caring for kittens, you want to give them the most comfortable experience possible,
so these are my top five tips for keeping kittens warm and cozy.
The first thing I recommend is a microwavable heating pad, like a Snuggle Safe.
You just pop it in the microwave for about five minutes,
and it'll stay warm for several hours.
This makes it really easy for you to transport the kittens with it.
You're not relying on a heating pad with a cord.
So just make sure when you take it out that you feel it to make sure it's warm, but not too, too hot.
You can put it in the pad that it comes with. You can also use a blanket to cover it up.
Young kittens can't regulate their own body temperature,
so it's really important that you give them access to a heating pad at all times.
It's likely that the kittens will congregate around the heating pad,
but you want to make sure that they also have the option to move away from it.
So don't let the heating pad cover the entire space.
So the heating pad is mandatory,
but there are other things that you can add to that to make them even more comfortable.
Like here, you can see them using a Snuggle Kitty.
The Snuggle Kitty is a stuffed animal with a battery-operated heartbeat inside.
These are a great source of comfort if you have orphaned kittens who don't have a mother.
All you need is just two AAA batteries inside of the heart, and then you just turn it on whenever it's in use.
It's going to create a really nice comforting sound and vibration for the babies.
[quiet heartbeat sound coming from the heart]
When combined with a heating pad, this provides such a nice home base for the kittens.
You'll often see them snuggling it, clinging to it, and sleeping on top of it.
[quiet heartbeat sound]
Another kitten essential is baby blankets,
and I'm not talking about blankets for cats that you buy at the pet store,
I'm talking about baby blankets for human babies.
Something like this micro fleece baby blanket that I got online.
These provide a soft surface for the kittens to lie on,
and you can use them to line whatever space the kittens are staying in.
Just make sure you change them out every couple of days.
Another thing you can do with your baby blanket is use it as a swaddle.
You can wrap the kitten in what I call a "purrito,"
which is basically just a gentle wrap around the kitten with a baby blanket
to give them a comforting feeling of being held.
And you can see here that Harissa really enjoys this. She calms down right away,
and is actually purring and making muffins.
[quiet kitten purring]
[kissing noise]
The next one might surprise you, and that is recycled fur scraps.
Anyone who cares about animals is not gonna want to be wearing a fur coat,
so if you have one, or if someone in your life has one that they'd like to retire,
this is a great way to make use of it.
This works well with orphaned wildlife as well as orphaned kittens
because the fur reminds them of the comfort of Mom.
In my experience, kittens tend to prefer fur that is a little bit on the long side like this one,
and make sure that it's clean and free of any dyes that might be harmful to the kittens
if they are to put it in their mouth.
Here you can see that one of the kittens is actually trying to nurse on the fur scrap,
and while that might seem really sad,
it's a nice comfort source for a kitten that doesn't have a mother.
So this is something I do with kittens that are particularly fussy,
or just need a place that they can go to calm down and feel relaxed.
I've noticed that kittens really appreciate having something like this,
and they'll even burrow into it and fall asleep, creating a little bit of a nest.
Where'd Valentina go?
Lookin' cozy.
One last thing you might want to try if you're trying to comfort kittens is a toothbrush.
A toothbrush mimics a mother's tongue licking them,
so it's another really comforting thing for them if they don't have a mom.
And I'll actually notice that when I start brushing the kittens,
they might start to engage in their first grooming behaviors.
Here you can see that Cholula is actually starting to lick herself,
which is what they learn from their moms.
So this is a great thing that you can do for them not only for their comfort,
but also for their behavioral growth.
Keep in mind that the one thing kittens love more than anything is being with their mama,
so if you're dealing with an orphan kitten, the best thing you can do is be a surrogate.
That's why I recommend giving them warmth, something soft to nuzzle, and a little bit of grooming.
There are so many ways to get creative for the little guys,
so that they can still have a chance at a full and happy life.
If you're interested in some of these products and want to know where to find them,
I have a comprehensive list of fostering supplies on my website,
at kittenlady.org/supplies.
You can go on there and find links to everything you need to help save kittens' lives.
[kissing noise]
Are you cozy? I think I got a little lipstick on you.
[♪ outro music ♪]