How to Save a Dying Kitten

Kittens with their fluffy little heads, big round eyes, and soft mews are incredibly adorable, and it's impossible not to fall for them. Cats are exceptional at masking discomfort in their bodies, but if you observe closely, you can identify the signs that a kitten needs help. If you own a kitten or encounter one in life-threatening danger, recognizing the need for assistance, acting quickly, and taking them to a veterinary clinic is the best way to save them.

Find a box. If you don’t have a pet carrier, you will need to find a box to place the kitten in. The box should be big enough for the kitten to stand up and turn around comfortably but not too large to prevent it from being shaken around when the vehicle turns.

• Seal the box so the kitten can't climb out.
• Create ventilation holes on the sides of the box to ensure the kitten has enough air to breathe.
• To make the kitten more comfortable and absorb any vomit or urine, place a towel or old T-shirt at the bottom of the box.

Keep your kitten warm. Newborn kittens cannot regulate their body temperature and will rely on their mother or you to stay warm. Wrap a towel or blanket around the kitten's container, ensuring not to block the ventilation holes.

• You can also wrap the kitten in a towel or blanket to keep it warmer.
• Make sure to leave the ventilation holes in the box unobstructed. Similarly, if you wrap the kitten in a blanket, ensure its head and nose are left uncovered.

Locate the nearest veterinary clinic. Kittens need treatment as soon as possible. Sometimes, you can find an emergency service for your kitten if it requires immediate care, and the local veterinary clinic can't accommodate it. Take your kitten to the nearest clinic to improve its chances of survival, but keep in mind that emergency services typically cost more than regular check-ups.

• Use a search tool and type 'nearest emergency veterinary services.'
• You can search for 'emergency dog and cat services.'
• Alternatively, you can contact a local vet for recommendations.

Take your kitten to the veterinary clinic. By now, the kitten should be in its box or carrier, and you need to transport it to the clinic. The kitten might cry or whimper during the journey, but that's normal. It’s crying because it feels uncomfortable in the car, but you need to get it to the vet quickly without time to acclimate to the carrier. Ensure there’s soft fabric inside the box or carrier and drive carefully, avoiding sudden stops or turns to prevent the kitten from being jostled.

• Many cats feel more at ease if they can look out the window in the car, though some might not. Try both positions to see which works best for your kitten.

Resuscitate a kitten using CPR. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure that involves establishing a heartbeat and breathing for someone who has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped. It can be applied to humans, kittens, and many other animals. Only perform this technique if you're certain the kitten is not breathing or has no pulse. While performing CPR, ask someone to contact a veterinarian. If you're alone, try to contact the vet yourself.

• Clear the kitten’s airway. If there's an obstruction in its throat, use your finger to try and remove it. If the kitten’s mouth, throat, and lungs are filled with fluid, invert it so its face is directed toward the ground; gravity will help clear the airway.
• Place your mouth over the kitten’s nose and mouth and gently blow 3 times. Be careful and blow softly, as a kitten’s lungs are very small and can’t hold much air. Keep in mind that diseases can be transmitted between humans and cats. Perform each breath every 20 seconds.
• If the kitten’s heart is still beating but it’s not breathing, you only need to perform artificial respiration, not chest compressions.
• Check the kitten’s chest to feel for a heartbeat. If you don’t detect one, use your index and thumb to encircle the chest and gently compress it just behind the kitten’s front legs. Check for a heartbeat after every minute.
• Do not perform CPR for longer than 5 minutes, as after this period, the kitten’s chances of survival significantly decrease.

Stop the bleeding. If your cat has a long cut or deep puncture wound, you need to help it stop the bleeding to prevent excessive blood loss. You can stop the bleeding in a cat just like you would with a human. The goal is to clean the wound, control the bleeding, and get the cat to a vet as quickly as possible for stitching.

• Clean the wound with water or an antiseptic solution.
• Once the wound is clean, press a clean cloth or gauze gently on the wound. Hold it in place for 5 to 10 minutes without lifting it to check, as this may cause the bleeding to continue.
• Once the bleeding is under control, secure the cloth or gauze and take the cat to the vet.
• Limit the cat's movement to prevent the wound from bleeding again or tearing the bandage.

Regulate the cat's temperature. Kittens are very prone to hypothermia and need to stay warm, usually by their mother. If the mother cat cannot or does not want to keep the kitten warm, or if she is absent, you need to help the kitten stay warm safely and quickly. Place the kitten in a box lined with an old T-shirt or soft towel, along with a warm water bottle.

• Kittens cannot regulate their body temperature and rely on their mother to do so.
• Do not use a hairdryer or other direct heat sources, as they could overheat the kitten.

Facing fading kitten syndrome. Even with good care from the mother cat, some kittens in the litter may die before weaning. Kittens that die before weaning are known as premature or stillborn. This condition and the mortality rate in kittens can be caused by various health issues. Identifying the symptoms of this syndrome early is the only chance for the kitten to survive, but sometimes these losses are unavoidable.

• If you suspect a kitten has this syndrome, you need to take it to the vet immediately; this is the only way it might survive.
• Some causes of fading kitten syndrome include congenital defects, birth trauma, environmental toxins, incompatible blood types with the mother, premature birth or low birth weight, parasites, bacteria or viruses, extreme environmental temperatures, and even dehydration.

Observe signs of lethargy. Kittens are naturally playful, curious, and full of energy. While they sleep a lot when they are young, similar to infants, they are very active when awake. However, if a kitten appears lethargic, sleeping all day and seeming sluggish and weak when it wakes up, it may be a sign of an underlying issue. You should take them to the vet to determine the cause.

Monitor the feeding habits of kittens. Kittens, especially when they are newborn, need to eat every two or three hours. If a kitten refuses to eat, particularly for several hours, it may indicate that the kitten is unwell. Kittens cannot go too long without food, and if they stop eating for extended periods, it could be due to stomach discomfort or other more serious underlying causes. It's advisable to take the kitten to the vet if they stop eating.

Pay attention to vomiting. Like human babies, kittens tend to vomit frequently, especially right after birth. This can be due to overeating, eating too quickly, or being too full. However, if the vomiting continues, it's likely that the kitten is dealing with a health issue that requires medical attention.

• Many websites recommend giving pets over-the-counter anti-nausea medications meant for humans. However, you should never give these medications to a kitten. It's best to take the kitten to the vet for appropriate treatment with safe medications.

Protect kittens from bacteria and viruses. Kittens have a weak immune system, and if they are unable to nurse right after birth, they miss the opportunity to receive vital antibodies from their mother’s colostrum. Without this essential first milk, a kitten's immune system is practically nonexistent. Infections from bacteria and viruses are serious risks for kittens with such fragile immunity. If you notice symptoms like excessive sleeping, diarrhea, or vomiting, take the kitten to the vet immediately, as they could be suffering from an infection, which may be fatal.