Adoptions Archives - Trap and Return

How To Take Great Cat Photos

How To Take Great Cat Photos Whether you are a cat lover looking to take better cat pictures of your indoor cuties or improve your cat photography skills for your animal shelter to help adoptions, this guide will give you tips on how to take great cat photos. Photographing cats is not easy. They move, cats don’t follow instructions very well, and they are furry, making lens tracking difficult. There are a few basic outcomes with great pet photography that will help your feline friend shine. Capture your cat’s face sharply and the cat’s eyes crisply. Great shots have bright sunlight or natural lighting and capture the cat’s behavior or showcase their personality. Cat Photography for Adoptions When it comes to finding a new home for a cat or kitten, having great photos and videos is crucial. With so many animals in need of adoption, it’s important to make your cat stand out and catch the eye of potential adopters. High-quality and intriguing photos and videos can help to showcase your cat’s unique personality and features, making them more appealing to potential adopters. Having great photos and videos can help potential adopters emotionally connect with your cat and help them understand what it would be like to live with them. Additionally, good photos and videos can help to increase the visibility of your cat’s profile, making it more likely to be seen by potential adopters. According to the shelter reports, the average length of stay for cats and kittens in shelters before being adopted is around two months. Improving your cat adoption profiles and photography can help speed up their time in the shelter and help them find the right forever home quickly. 21 Cat Photography Tips It’s important to know how to take good cat photos, which is essential in helping them find a loving home on adoption websites. Capturing the perfect shot of our feline friends can be a challenging feat. Good photography showcases their unique personality and physical traits and creates an emotional bond with potential adopters. Here are 21 cat photography ideas to enhance your cat photography skills. Photographing Difficult Cats Cats that are shy, skittish, or have a hard time staying still can be difficult to photograph. To get great photos of these types of cats, it’s important to be patient and take pictures often. Always have your camera ready and take more photos. Try to photograph cats when they are relaxed, sleeping, lounging, or loafing. You can also try using treats or toys to get the attention of a curious cat. Some cats, like black cats, are simply hard to see due to the lack of contrast from the cat’s fur. Bright lighting will really help to shine their coat and allow their facial features to stand out. You can also stage props and backgrounds to add effect and emotion to the pictures. If you’re really having trouble getting still photos of a black cat, try a video that will allow you to showcase other aspects of your kitty’s personality. Here Are Some Examples Of Great Cat Adoption Photos! Cat lovers take lots of photos of cats. Here are some better photos of cats that will hopefully inspire you to improve your cat photography and take the purrfect cat photo.

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How To Create A Great Cat Adoption Profile

How To Create A Great Cat Adoption Profile Creating a great cat adoption profile is crucial in helping your furry friend find a forever home. A well-crafted adoption profile can make all the difference in getting your cats and kittens noticed by potential adopters and increasing the chances of a quick and successful adoption. Having a great listing that is up-to-date, accurate, and has great photography will help your listing rise to the top of the searches, helping your cats get more views on their profile. A good listing will also help potential adopters connect with your cat emotionally and help them understand what it would be like to live with them. With so many cats and kittens in need of homes, it’s important to do everything you can to make your cat’s profile stand out and increase the chances of a successful adoption. Here are some tips for cat fosters or shelters on how to create an effective cat adoption profile that will stand out on websites like Petfinder or Adopt-A-Pet. Cat Adoption Profile Examples Here are a few examples of great cat adoption profiles. These follow the adoption profile template we outline below, with creative and personality-fitting Petfinder names, detailed and story-driven descriptions, and cute photography and videos. Name: Tatum Description: Meet Tatum! Little Tatum Tot is the full package. He’s a talkative and opinionated cat who loves to engage with humans. He’s absolutely gorgeous! He’s a strong young male cat who enjoys being active and exploring. Tatum is incredibly loving and a total companion cat. He is a lap cat, a shoulder cat, and a cuddler, and you can even dress him up in outfits for the holidays! He’ll follow you around the house and then sit next to you on the couch. He loves feather toys, scratchers, and laser points. He says he prefers to have his own space to do his activities without other pets bugging him all the time. He might be an introvert.. Tater is FIV positive, which means he is immunocompromised and should have a healthy diet and safe indoor life. If you’ve made it this far, then you can tell that there’s something special about Tatum. There is! This kitty is ready to thrive and make someone very, very happy. He will make a great friend and active companion. He’s totally a cool dude! Name: Dusty Description: Dusty is a gorgeous kitten who is extremely cuddly and melts in your arms. She is great with other cats and kittens and will be perfect as a companion to a lonely cat. Dusty has medium-length hair but keeps herself perfectly groomed! Name: Tokka Description: Meet Tokka! Tokka was born in an outdoor cat colony, but she’s incredibly friendly and ready to be indoor-only. She’s playful, talkative, feisty, and cuddly. She has it all! Tokka may cause cuteness overload! Her cuteness is overwhelming and may cause you to fall down due to excessive cute kitten behavior. Tokka has an adorable wide face and is very expressive. She will tell you about everything you did wrong with a single glare! Contact us today and ask about Tokka. This cute monster won’t last long! Name: Bebop Description: Meet Bebop! This incredibly friendly kitty is transitioning to become an indoor-only cat and looking for a new home. He’s a member of an outdoor cat colony and was, unfortunately, probably an abandoned kitty. He’s very friendly, a lap cat, and a shoulder cat! This kitty is one of a kind! Be sure to check out all his videos online because he’s a bit of a social influencer already. You’ll probably need to make him his own instacats profile or website to showcase all his crazy antics 🙂 He should go to an active family. Check out our other videos of Bebop on Instagram and YouTube @trapandreturn. Name: Skeletor Description: Outta my way, can’t you see I’m playin’ here! Ok, let’s do a quick cuddle break, but then I want to play some more. I’m very social, I have a lot of other cat friends, and I like to live my own life. I also have a lot of nicknames because I’m such a cool-looking cat! I like to play ball and catch, which is my favorite thing. I would come play for you if you would be my forever home! Cat Adoption Profile Template Here is an effective pet adoption template and tips for a Petfinder profile or animal bio that will help showcase all your pet’s best features. From a cute profile picture to a compelling description that leaves the reader feeling like they already have a new best friend, these profile tips and ideas will help your little guy find the perfect match and new family. Take Great Photos And Videos First impressions are everything, and a great photo is the first thing that potential adopters will see when they come across your pet’s profile. Make sure to take multiple photos, including close-ups of their face and full-body shots. It’s also a good idea to take photos of your cats doing something they love, such as playing with a toy or cuddling with you, as this can help potential adopters see their personality and what it would be like to live with them. Petfinder allows you to load six photos, or five photos and one video. Load as many high-resolution photos as you can. If you have a few good ones, avoid loading poor-quality photos and only use the good ones. Here are 21 more ways to take great cat adoption photos! Write A Compelling Description The next step is to write a compelling and heartfelt description of your pet. Start by introducing your pet and giving its name, age, breed, and sex. You don’t need to have great writing skills to make a nice pet profile. You can even use Chat GPT or other AI writing tools to help you! Writing the description in 1st person tone is another way to make the profile

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How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching Things

How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching Things The cat is scratching up the sofa again! How do we stop them from scratching things? The best way to stop cats from scratching is to provide plenty of enrichment, including scratching posts and toys. Use positive reinforcement to train your cat to scratch their scratchers rather than your furniture or other items. Avoid scent deterrents and punishments, and never declaw your cat, as this can cause lifelong health problems. In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know to stop your cat from scratching your furniture and to provide them with the enrichment they need to stay happy and healthy. Why Does My Cat Scratch Everything? Cats scratch for a variety of reasons, but primarily because it’s an instinctive impulse. This means you can’t expect a cat not to scratch! Scratching is beneficial to cats in many ways, including: How To Stop Cats From Scratching Furniture Although scratching is instinctual and essential for cats, most humans don’t like their things destroyed, especially brand new furniture or a new sofa. Left unchecked, your cat can scratch up your furniture, your carpet, and your curtains, leaving your house in shreds! Luckily, there’s a way to manage where our cats scratch to minimize damage and ruined furniture. However, if you’re adopting a kitten, you should expect and plan for inappropriate scratching until your cat is trained. It’s similar to the puppy teething period, where they chew your favorite shoes! Trim Your Cat’s Nails Regularly Animals love to scratch when they have sharp claws. Scratching is also a way to keep their claws sharp, which can make the situation worse. The best way to minimize damage and prevent cats from scratching is to keep your cat’s claws trimmed and short. You can do this by trimming their nails monthly or every few weeks. If you notice the nails getting sharper, giving them a quick trim in between is fine, too! I recommend taking some time to get to know your pet’s paws before trimming their nails for the first time. Here are some tips for trimming your cat’s nails. Initially, cut only the tip of your cat’s claw. This will help you to avoid the quick completely. As you gain more experience and confidence, you can cut them even shorter. In black cats, the quick can be more difficult to see. It may look like a dark spot near the base of the claw rather than being a more distinguishable pink. Here are some extra tips for your cat’s manicure: Provide Plenty of Scratching Options If you don’t have a scratching post or a dedicated scratching surface for your cat, don’t blame them for scratching your furniture! As we discussed above, scratching is perfectly natural for cats. What a lot of people don’t know is that even one scratcher isn’t enough for many felines. Having a variety of scratchers will help improve your cat’s scratching habits by rewarding good scratch marks, which also deposit their smell onto the surface. Here are some things to consider when it comes to cat scratchers: Vertical Scratching Posts Vs. Horizontal Scratching Surfaces The first thing I recommend for cat owners is to look at vertical and horizontal scratchers. Most cats prefer one over the other, though most will scratch horizontally if that’s all they have. Here are some of our favorite cat scratchers. It should be easy to find out your cat’s preference just by watching them. Vertical scratchers will favor the side of your couch or curtains, while horizontal scratchers will favor the carpet or the arms of your chair. You should have at least one of each type of scratcher in your home. Ideally, you’ll have two or more scratchers per cat for several reasons and meet their preferences. These don’t have to be fancy. Cats love scratching cardboard boxes, cat trees with multiple scratching posts, and square carpet samples. Material Providing a variety of materials can also help your cats develop preferences and help you figure out what attracts them most. The most common materials are cardboard, sisal rope, and carpet. Cardboard is the cheapest and pretty normal to use, but it also shreds easily. You’ll be picking up cardboard pieces from your floor regularly and replacing the scratchers often. Some cats love them because of that mess factor, though! Sisal rope is more durable and tough to claw. It’s great for young cats, but older cats with joint issues might not favor it. It does hold up much longer than cardboard! Carpet is a somewhat controversial choice. Some people think it’s great because it replicates what their cats already love to claw! Others find that their cats seem to be confused by the rules when they’re allowed to scratch some carpet, but not all carpet in the house. It’s easier to scratch through than sisal rope but lasts longer than cardboard. Height And Length The areas most cat scratchers fail are height and length. Unfortunately, many products on the market aren’t actually suitable for a full-grown cat. Your cat’s scratchers should either be the height of your cat when they stand on their hind legs with their front legs fully extended upwards or the length of your cat when sitting or standing with their front legs outstretched fully in front of them. If it’s smaller, your cat isn’t able to fully stretch its body, which is one of the main reasons they scratch furniture. Therefore, they might move to scratch the back of your couch instead because it’s tall enough for them to stretch while scratching. Stability Lastly, scratchers need to be stable and sturdy! Many vertical posts don’t meet this requirement and wobble when your cat scratches them. This can make your cat think the post is going to fall on them, and they don’t want that! Your pet would rather scratch the curtains that are securely hooked to the wall or your couch that doesn’t sway beneath their claws. Secure Your

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How To Introduce Two Cats

How to introduce two cats Getting a new cat can be very exciting but also stressful. Cats often don’t take well to change, and introductions between pets can be difficult and time-consuming. Introducing a new cat to a home with existing cats presents unique challenges due to their territorial nature, making a carefully planned introduction process essential. However, there are ways to make it successful. The key to cat introductions is to take things slowly and phase them into their interactions over time. Begin by introducing them to each other’s scent. Feed them on opposite ends of a closed door. Then, let them see one another without interacting. Finally, allow them to interact while supervised. Provide them with something to occupy them during the introduction, like a meal or play. In this article, we’ll answer all your questions about cat introductions, from how to introduce two cats to what to do if they won’t get along. How Long Does It Take To Introduce Two Cats? Introducing two cats properly can take weeks to months. It depends on the cats, their personalities, and their histories. It also depends on how you introduce them. For instance, two well-socialized kittens may get along during their first meeting and become best friends very quickly. They may even become bonded relatively easily. Two older cats who’ve had bad experiences, such as a house cat who’s been bullied by other cats and a former feral who got in a lot of fights, may take months to years to warm up to one another. They might never be friends, but they will learn to tolerate one another and live in harmony. Introducing an adult cat to a resident cat can be particularly challenging. It is crucial to recognize if the cats will happily accept one another to ensure their physical health and mental well-being. Cats who have had bad experiences with one another often take much longer to regain that trust—which is why it’s so important to take introductions slowly so that you avoid this result! When it comes to gender, two male cats may take longer to introduce than a male and a female or two females. However, it shouldn’t make a huge difference when done right. One thing we do advise is not to introduce two unneutered male cats in a home with a female cat. Even if she is spayed, the boys are likely to fight over her, which can ruin their relationship. Neutering your male cats will reduce behavioral problems, including fighting, and also give them a longer, healthier life (source). If you’re struggling to afford the surgery, look into low-cost spay and neuter programs in your area. These are often much cheaper than going to a traditional veterinarian. Steps To Introduce Two Cats Introducing cats should be done in parts for the best results. These are: It is also crucial to provide each cat with their own space and resources to ensure a harmonious living situation. Quarantine In The New Cat’s Room Whenever you bring a new pet into your home, you want to keep them separate from your other pets. Ideally, this is done in a designated space known as the new cat’s room, which is easy to clean and sanitize if necessary, such as a bathroom. Have one room for the new cat, which can also become the cat’s territory. Make an appointment with your veterinarian and watch your new kitty for signs of illness. Your veterinarian can advise you during your check-up, depending on your area and the cat’s history. Generally, you’ll want them to check for the following: Blood tests for any contagious ailments are especially important, as these can be deadly to your old cat if caught. If you adopted your new cat from a rescue or shelter, you can ask for any veterinary records they have. It’s up to you whether you want to recheck with your own vet or trust theirs. Once your new cat receives a clean bill of health, you can begin introducing them to other rooms in the house if you can. This isn’t always possible in small spaces, but it is ideal. However, it’s not yet time to put your cats together or let the new cat free roam! You can, however, confidently start scent swapping without passing on parasites or illness to your existing cat. (If your new kitty is ill or especially if they had fleas, be sure to wash all of their belongings thoroughly before you begin!) Scent Swapping Scent swapping begins by giving your cats each a space in your home, such as a spare bedroom. Your existing cat should be able to free roam while your new cat lives in a bedroom, extra room, or other enclosed space with the door shut. To create feelings of familiarity and security, use synthetic feline facial pheromone Feliway Classic in both the new cat’s room and in the area where the resident cat spends the most time. Next, give them items that hold scent. Cat beds, blankets, towels, plush toys, or scratching posts. Anything that your cat can interact with or lay on and add their scent to. Provide these items for both cats. After they’ve had a few days to a week to lie on the items, rub their face and tail against them, and get them nice and smelly, swap them! These items likely won’t smell much at all to you, but if you give your new cat something that belongs to your old cat, they’re sure to spend time sniffing it. During this time, you’ll also want to swap spaces. Move your new cat to another closed room before putting your old cat in the new cat’s space. Then, free the new cat so they can explore your home without interruption. Cats communicate heavily through scent. When they sniff where the other has been, your cats are already getting to know each other before they even meet! A great tip is to get a screen

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Thinking Of Adopting A Cat?

Thinking Of Adopting A Cat? You’ll know you’re ready to adopt a cat if you have at least 30-45 minutes to spend playing with them every day, the finances to care for them (including vet care), and the ability to keep them safely indoors. Cats are social creatures, and it’s often best to adopt two cats rather than one. Let’s dive into cat adoption more fully so you can decide if it’s right for you! Things to know before adopting a cat Some things to think about before adoption include: We love shelter cats, rescue cats, and stray cats who are brought inside… Rescue cats are the best! There are so many cats out there, and there’s no good reason to breed them. Even if you want a kitten, they’re plentiful at the shelters. Unfortunately, even kittens get euthanized every single day because there aren’t enough resources to care for all the cats in the world. When it comes to age, think about your preferences for a cat. Do you want a wild pair of kittens and don’t mind if they spend their first year or two (or three or four) bouncing off the walls? Or do you live a slower lifestyle and would prefer a senior cat who’s past those hyperactive kitten years? Do you not mind having less time with a cat so long as you can give them a good life they might not have had otherwise? Or maybe you fall somewhere in the middle and would like to adopt a young adult cat who already knows its basic manners but still craves plenty of playtime! Lastly, consider if you can keep your cat indoors. We recommend never allowing your cat outside unsupervised. Indoor cats live longer and aren’t killing wildlife. However, they do need a bit of extra stimulation and attention from you to stay happy. Like all pets, cats require time and effort if you want them to live their best lives. Am I ready to adopt a cat? If you’re unsure if you’re ready to adopt, ask yourself these questions: how to prepare to adopt a cat The cat adoption process Bringing your new cat home Introducing new cats New cats should always be introduced to one another slowly. Once you’re sure they’re healthy and parasite-free, begin scent swapping. Take an item that holds scents, like a cat bed or blanket where your cat sleeps, and put it with the other cat. Do this for both your household cats and your new cats so they can get to know one another in a safe way. Next, try feeding meals at the closed door that separates them. This allows them to smell the other cats and even see them beneath the door, but they can’t interact enough to hurt one another. They’ll also begin to associate each other with food! Then, you can introduce them by sight. This might mean putting a baby gate on the door and carefully guarding so that neither jump over it or allowing your new cat out while the old cat has snuggle time in your lap. Lastly, allow them to interact with one another. Don’t micromanage—hissing, growling, and even batting at one another are normal so long as no one is hurt. They need to work things out in this way, and your intervention can damage their relationship. Separate them if they aggressively chase, one backs another into a corner, or if things escalate physically. Keep interactions short at first, and always supervise them together until you’re confident they can get along.

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21 Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Cat

21 Reasons Why You Should Adopt A Cat If you are considering getting a new pet, here are some great reasons to adopt a cat over buying one from a breeder, or worse yet, buying a dog instead. Not only do cats make great pets, but adopting from a shelter means saving lives and joining a community that will thank you. Here are 21 reasons you should adopt a cat! 1. Saves A cat’s life Shelter cats and street cats are at immediate risk, and taking one of them in saves their life! You can stop a cat from remaining in the shelter for months and prevent them or other cats from being euthanized due to overcrowding. Animal shelter euthanasia rates doubled from 6% in 2021 to 15% in 2022. By adopting a shelter cat, you also free a spot for another cat to be placed in the shelter so that they, too, can find a home. 2. Helps with overpopulation Cats get killed in shelters, and adopting helps support these shelters. Having adoption support from the community allows rescue groups to invest more in TNR programs (community cat programs) and saving lives. The biggest reason not to purchase a kitten from a breeder is that so many cats are already out there! Over 500,000 cats are euthanized in shelters every single year (source). An unspayed female cat can birth over 15 offspring in just one year—and those kittens will begin to reproduce at just four months of age. Until we get this under control, it’s just not ethical to continue breeding cats. 3. They have a story Each cat in a shelter has their own unique story. Whether they were born outside or were abandoned by their previous owners—each one of them deserves a chance at a happy indoor life. Adopting is the best way to make sure cats get that second chance. Plus, you’ll be rewarded with unconditional love and companionship. 4. Wide variety of cats to choose Are you looking for a kitten or a purebred cat? That’s no reason to shop with a breeder! While we don’t think cat breed matters one bit, plenty of purebred cats are in the shelters waiting for homes. If you follow rescue groups in your area, you may be shocked to learn how many purebred cats even face the risk of euthanasia. 5. You’ll get to teach them human ways Some rescue cats have lived outside their whole life. You’ll get to teach them everything they know about indoor life. Learning about each other is a fun and rewarding experience that will strengthen your bond. 6. Good financial sense If you adopt from a breeder or pet store, you’ll likely have to pay more. You’ll also get less for your money in most cases. Shelters often put more into animals than they get back through adoption fees. They provide medical treatment, including vaccinations and a spay or neuter surgery. Many shelter cats are also microchipped, and the shelter will transfer your contact information to the chip upon adoption. Because there are so many cats in the shelter, they often have events like Clear The Shelters, Shelter Cat Month, or ASPCA’s National Adopt A Cat Month, where you can adopt for cheap or even free. While this isn’t necessarily a good thing, it does benefit you financially if you’re looking to adopt. 7. Fewer health problems than purebreds Shelter cats can have fewer health problems than purebred cats from breeders because they are not bred for specific traits. Purebred cats typically cost more, and their genes are often altered to create certain physical characteristics desired by breeders. This can lead to more health problems in purebred cats, such as heart defects or respiratory issues. In contrast, shelter cats are usually rescued from more natural backgrounds, meaning they are less likely to have these types of genetic-based health issues. Additionally, many shelters take proactive measures to ensure the health of their cats by providing screenings and treatments before adoption. This means that the majority of shelter cats will be healthier than a purebred cat from a breeder. 8. Adult Cats Have Known personalities Kittens are amazing and adorable, and we love them to death! But they’re also incredibly unpredictable. Will they like to cuddle or prefer to spend most of their time alone? Will they be super energetic well into old age or be more laid-back as adults? When you adopt an adult cat, you can better predict their personality, and they’re less likely to have drastic changes as they age than kittens, who are still growing into themselves. 9. Good for mental health Studies have shown that people who adopt cats have improved mental health (source). Many people say that caring for their cats encourages them to get up in the mornings and start their day. Cats also thrive on routine, which also helps people with mental illness—so you may develop a schedule for your kitty only to find that it also helps you! Plus, petting your cat is a great way to reduce anxiety! 10. Good for your physical health Cats can improve your physical health, too. For example, just 10 minutes of playing with your cat can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Petting and brushing cats also reduces stress levels and helps you stay calm. Plus, owning a cat might even reduce the risk of stroke! It’s also been reported that having a can also reduce the risk of childhood asthma and makes children less likely to develop cat allergies. (source) 11. Breeders Are unethical There are reputable breeders out there—but they’re few and far between. The majority are either kitten mills or backyard breeders, in it for the money and not the cats’ well-being. Backyard breeders can also have good intentions. Maybe they think their cat is adorable and want to breed kittens that look just like her, they’re trying to show their kids the miracle of life, or they truly think they’re doing

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What To Do If You Find A Stray Kitten

What To Do If You Find A Stray Kitten If you find a stray kitten, you should first scan the area for others and its mother. Kittens under five weeks of age should be reunited with their family. Catching the mother and all her kittens is the best course of action so they can receive care and she can raise them safely indoors. In this article, we’ll talk you through the process of raising a stray kitten, from bottle feeding to how to litter train! Here are some tips to help you if you find an older stray cat. when can you take a kitten from its mom? The earliest a kitten should be taken from its mother is at five weeks of age. However, they should stay with their siblings until they’re at least eight weeks old. Most cat families remain together until this age, but when the mother cat is feral, she is often returned outdoors once the kittens are weaned. The kittens then continue to be raised together until they’re old enough to be adopted. If you find a kitten that’s too young to be away from its mother, the very best thing is to find her and reunite them. Also, check the surrounding area for other kittens nearby—where you find one, there are almost bound to be others. Even if the mother is feral, it’s best for her and her kittens to be brought indoors until they’re weaned. This provides her with a safe place to raise her babies—even if she doesn’t seem to appreciate it due to her own fear. Keep them in a room separate from your other pets, especially household cats, until they’ve been vetted and you’re sure they’re free of parasites and contagious illnesses. Mother cats enjoy a quiet, secluded place to feed and care for their offspring. A large dog crate or a covered table is excellent. You can also use playpens and baby gates to keep the kittens from wandering as they age. how to catch a stray kitten Stray kittens are unlikely to be socialized with humans. Many of them are feral. The age you find the kitten will change how fast they warm up to you. Younger kittens may warm up in days, while adolescents have a more ingrained fear that takes longer to overcome. If you’ve found a kitten under five weeks old, handle them 1-2 times a day. During this time, you can weigh them to ensure they’re gaining weight and give them attention briefly before returning them to their mother. Of course, orphaned kittens will be handled much more frequently out of necessity. You’ll have to take over mama cat’s responsibilities of bottle feeding and helping the kittens go potty. If the kitten is over five weeks old, bond with them by: How can you tell if a kitten is male or female? You can determine the sex of a kitten as early as five weeks of age. Simply take the kitten into your hands and gently lift their tail to look at their genitals. Directly beneath the tail, you’ll see the kitten’s anus. Below the anus are the kitten’s genitals. At this age, you might see a vertical slit if the kitten is female or a round opening if the kitten is male. Over time, males will develop testicles, making it much easier to tell the difference. Kittens can breed as early as four months of age. Siblings will mate with each other, and male kittens may even mate with their mother. It’s important to have them spayed and neutered before this happens. If you can’t spay or neuter the kitten before four months or about 2lbs body weight (source), separate males and females from one another so you don’t end up with even more kittens. How to tell the age of a stray kitten A kitten younger than four weeks old won’t be able to survive on its own and will need to be bottle-fed around the clock. Kittens of age 0-2 weeks still have their eyes and ears closed. They are helpless at this age and will need to be bottle-fed. Kittens of age 2-4 weeks old are more responsive and may begin to eat solid food. Once kittens are a few weeks old, they may also begin to play with toys. For more information, please check out our full article about How To Tell How Old A Cat or Kitten Is. how to raise a stray kitten Congratulations on your new kittens! Taming and raising stray kittens and feral cats is noble and definitely worth the effort. If you need help with kitten care, you can usually contact your local animal shelter for advice or support. How to bottle feed a kitten If you’ve found feral kittens that need to be bottle-fed, first take into account their temperature and health. Kittens shouldn’t be fed if they’re too hot or cold but instead brought to the right body temperature first (source). When ready, put one drop of formula in the kitten’s mouth to ensure they can swallow. Always feed kitten formula, not any kind of milk or dairy product. Once you know the kitten can eat, hold them in your lap feet-down and lift their head gently with your hand. Never feed a young kitten on their back. Bring the bottle to the kitten’s mouth and allow them to control the flow. Don’t squeeze the bottle to force more formula out, as this can injure the kitten. Alongside bottle feeding, you’ll also need to stimulate the kitten’s backside so that they pee and poop. Kittens don’t always potty on their own at this age. Mother cats lick their kittens to stimulate them to potty, which we can replicate by rubbing the area with a paper towel. When can kittens eat adult cat food? Different people have different opinions about this. We recommend speaking to your veterinarian to see what’s right for the kitten or kittens you’re raising. Most cat food companies recommend switching to adult food at around one

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