Little Eric has melted the heart of everyone here and we are really rooting for him. So far he is responding well and is gaining weight daily. Cat Carer Emily has managed to get a few hours sleep too!
Kittens are born blind and deaf. Their eyes are closed and their ears folded down. In the first week of life kittens basically sleep and eat. At this stage Eric needs feeding between 10-12 times a day. When they are awake, they stay close to the mother. Newborn
kittens are unable to regulate their body temperature and rely on mum
to keep warm. The kitten's environment must be kept at a constant
temperature to avoid either hypothermia. Because Eric is without his mum we have to make sure that he is kept warm at all times.
The umbilical cord remains attached for the first 3 days. At birth they usually weigh between 90 - 100 grams. Toileting
is stimulated by the mother. After her kittens have fed, she will lick
their belly genital area, eating any faeces and urine. We have to stimulate Eric so that he can pass urine and faeces. At about
three weeks old Eric should be able to start to do this by himself.
We will keep you updated on how little Eric is doing.
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