Dedicated team work round the clock to save tiny kitten

A tiny kitten rejected by his mother is being hand-reared around the clock by dedicated staff at an animal charity.
Tiny kitten called Jiminy Cricket SUS-170614-130652001Tiny kitten called Jiminy Cricket SUS-170614-130652001
Tiny kitten called Jiminy Cricket SUS-170614-130652001

The little puss was taken to Cats Protection’s national adoption centre in Chelwood Gate when he was just days old after the owner of his mother realised that the mother cat was not feeding him.

The little kitten - now three weeks old and named Jiminy Cricket - has since thrived after a dedicated team of 10 staff have been taking it turns to care for Jiminy around the clock, including taking him home each evening for night feeds.

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Although the centre does not need to find Jiminy a new home, the centre has launched a fundraising appeal to help with the cost of his care.

Centre deputy manager Tania Marsh said: “It’s unusual for mothers to reject their kittens, but it does occasionally happen. Jiminy was the only kitten in the litter and his mother was just eight months old herself, and wasn’t interested in feeding him.

“Kittens are totally dependent on their mothers, so our staff have had to step into that role. We’ve been hand-feeding him around the clock, and will need to help him wean on to solid food and toilet train him in due course – something his mother would normally do.

“Our staff are only too happy to provide this care and do so willingly and with great dedication, but caring for a kitten is very time-intensive. We’ve launched our fundraising appeal to help towards the cost of his care as it will still be a few weeks until Jiminy is ready to be homed.

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“He needs lots of supplies such as bottles, kitten milk, cotton wool to toilet him and bedding. Then when he gets older we will be weaning him onto kitten food and litter. All of these things are very costly for the charity so we’re hoping to raise funds to help us provide everything Jiminy needs.

“Jiminy is undeniably very cute, and we already have many people lined up to offer him a home, so we do not need any help in finding him a new owner. While this is great news for him, it’s very sad to see the many older cats in our care who struggle to attract the attention of a potential new owner.”

To help towards the cost of Jiminy’s care, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/NCAC-Jiminy-Cricket

While staff are not in need of enquiries to offer Jiminy a home, new owners are needed for the 150 other cats currently in the care of the cat adoption centre. To find out more, email the centre at [email protected]