Learning About Vet Services

Seasonal storms can be dangerous for everyone and everything in their path, including stray animals. If you find an injured stray kitten during a major, seasonal storm, you may wonder what you can do to help the kitten stay safe until you can take it to an animal hospital. With the right help and tools, you may help save the kitten's life. Here's how storms affect stray animals, the types of health problems cats can experience, and what you can do to help the injured kitten.

How Do Storms Affect Animals?

Each year, a great number of household pets and stray animals become injured or displaced during hurricanes, flooding, and other big weather events in the United States, including Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Most pet owners have the means and tools to keep their dogs, cats, and other pets safe and secure during emergencies. However, stray animals may not have human help to them survive or get through the weather changes, including kittens and puppies separated from their mothers.

The kitten you rescued may not be old enough to find shelter or food during a storm. In addition, the injuries you see on the kitten's fur, legs, head, or paws may not be the only problems it has. The animal may have bleeding, bone fractures, and other internal injuries to consider. In this case, you should take extra precautions when you lift or move the kitten. You don't want to aggravate the injuries.

There are other things to consider when caring for an injured stray cat. Knowing more about the problems can keep you, your family, and the cat safe.

How Do You Know If the Kitten Has Other Health Problems to Consider?

You should be aware that some stray animals, like cats, carry diseases that can potentially spread to humans and domesticated pets when they bite or scratch them, including toxoplasmosis. Additionally, cats can exhibit a number of symptoms and health problems that indicate a neurological illness or infectious disease, including:

1. Seizures
2. Constant mewing or purring
3. Excessive flea or mite infestation
4. Extreme confusion

If you notice that the kitty has any of the problems above, place gloves on your hands, then isolate it to a room away from the rest of the home's inhabitants. If the kitten shows signs of rabies, such as foaming at the mouth, extreme aggression, and hissing, don't touch or attempt to provide care to it. Rabies can be dangerous to humans. It's best to leave the kitten in a safe place, such as outdoors on your porch, and contact animal control or a veterinarian immediately.

If the kitten doesn't show signs of rabies, and you feel comfortable doing so, you may proceed with care.

What Can You Do to Keep the Kitten Safe?

One of the things you might do for the kitten is place it in a warm setting and away from loud noises. You want to keep the animal as calm as possible to help it recuperate. Keep any domesticated pets out of the care area to avoid conflict and the spread of infectious diseases. If necessary, place a low light, such as a night light, in the room and close the door. 

If the kitten seems thirsty, give it clear water instead of milk. You should also avoid feeding the kitten solid meat or dry food unless you know for certain it's old enough to swallow and digest it properly. Young kittens should only consume "kitten food" and soft-textured foods. If you only have dry food available, soften it with liquid before feeding the kitten.

Monitor the kitty regularly until you can take it to an animal hospital. Keep track of the times the kitten consumed water and food, as well as urinated and defecated. The animal hospital may want to know about this information before they administer care. If you choose to keep the baby cat, be sure to vaccinate it against disease.

For more tips or information about injured stray kittens or cats, contact an animal hospital today. You can also learn more here about how to help a stray kitten.