Feed the Babies!

May 24, 2011

[caption id="attachment_13181" align="alignleft" width="229" caption="Desi is hungry!"][/caption]

With the recent deluge of kittens into the Nursery, you have probably seen our posts asking for volunteers and fosters (which we desperately need so we can continue taking babies from the shelter).  But we acknowledge that those opportunities just may not be possible for everyone. One of the easiest ways to help us out is by donating kitten food! The tiny babies take the bottle, but the older kittens need actual kitten food.

In just the last three days, we took in TWENTY TWO "gruel babies" - defined as kittens that are already starting to eat kitten food. For consistency and to minimize digestive upset, we try to use only one kind of canned kitten food and one kind of kitten kibble in the Nursery.

To feed 22 kittens for one week in the nursery, we will use:

[caption id="attachment_13165" align="alignright" width="109" caption="This kibble can be found at Petco and PetSmart and costs about $17 per bag with tax."][/caption]

TWO 3 lb bags of Royal Canin Babycat kibble. We like this kibble for several reasons. First, it's super-small and perfect for a small kitten's mouth. Baby teeth for kittens come in between 3-4 weeks.  The kibble is easily chewed and will not hurt these baby teeth. Second, Babycat also contains immunity boosters. We don't know the nutrition of the babies before they came into our care, and the immunity boosters in this food help the kitten until they are old enough for their first vaccines at 6 weeks. And finally, the ingredients in Babycat are easily digestible and this is extremely important for a kittens' health.

[caption id="attachment_13182" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="A 12-pk of this food costs around $17. For three, it's around $50 with tax."][/caption]

72 3 oz. cans of Nutro MaxCat canned kitten food. We like this canned kitten food not only because it's affordable and easy to find at Petco or PetSmart but also because it has immunity boosters, high calories for kittens (and even momma cats), and taurine for good vision and heart function.

If you would like to donate either or both of these foods, you can drop them off at the APA Nursery at 2807 Manchaca Rd., or at any of our donation sites around town. You can also donate online towards these foods, just be sure to include a note on which food you'd like your donation to buy!