Incubator Dividers: Urgent Need

Hi! It’s kitten season 2024 and my second orphaned kittens of the year are doing great… except for the harmful non-productive suckling. There is only one company in existence known to kitten fosters who makes dividers for the Rcom Brooders. I’m hoping to raise as close to the final amount of my order of 4 dividers, which will be $225.00.

Best explained by Maddie’s Fund:

Litter mates suckling on each other should be taken very seriously. Damaged tissue on a kitten being suckled on can be life‐threatening, the genital area can get traumatized to the degree that a kitten is unable to pee. It is an emergency if a kitten is in a lot of pain and cannot be stimulated to pee.

Why this is a BIG concern for the kittens getting suckled on

 Its disruptive to their rest, which will cause them stress.

 It can cause significant tissue trauma, pain, and swelling to the genital area being suckled on.

 Male kittens can develop hardened, painful, swollen penises which can make it very difficult and

painful for them to pee.

 When a kitten is unable to pee due to severe tissue trauma and swelling, this is an emergency!

Trauma like this can happen quickly if the kitten doing the suckling has a strong suckle. Some kittens cannot recover due to the extent of tissue trauma and will need to be humanely euthanized.

Why this is a concern for the kittens doing the suckling

 They can develop digestive upset from the inadvertent ingestion of pee and poop. Signs of harmful, non‐productive suckling

 For the kittens being suckled on, their anogenital area and back legs will be wet between feedings. Remember that kittens need to be stimulated to pee, so they should be dry between feedings.

 You may see wet areas on their legs, ears or bellies. The wetness is from the suckler’s saliva. Wet areas on the belly could also be due to another condition called a patent urachus, which is an emergency.

 A reduction in elimination when you try and stimulate orphaned kittens to pee and poop. This is because the harmful, non‐productive suckling from their littermates stimulates the kittens to pee and poop.

 The kittens doing the suckling may have faces that are wet and smell like pee or poop.

The best solution is temporary separation. This will stop the behavior 100%. This approach is strongly recommended to prevent any emergency from extensive tissue trauma to kittens being suckled on.