A Prospective Study of Growth Rate, Disease Incidence, and Mortality in Kittens Less than 9 Weeks of Age in Shelter and Foster Care

ABSTRACT

A prospective study was designed to (a) investigate the rate of daily weight gain among kittens less than 9 weeks old presented to an animal shelter, (b) identify factors (e.g., sex, clinical signs of disease, diet, and medical treatment) that affect daily weight gain, and (c) investigate the mortality of study kittens. The study of 203 kittens was conducted at a managed admission, no-kill animal shelter in upstate New York, USA, from April 2014 through October 2014. Body weight was measured daily from day of intake to adoption or 12 weeks of age. Fecal score, clinical signs of disease, food type, and medical treatments were recorded daily. Lethargy and being female were significantly associated with lower daily weight gain. Despite the challenges of shelter and foster care, the average daily weight gain for study kitten was higher than that reported in other settings such as catteries and laboratories. Five study kittens (2.5%) died or were euthanized. Daily monitoring systems provide opportunities for interventions, increased live outcomes, and improved welfare for kittens in shelter and foster care.

KEYWORDS:

• Shelter medicine
• kitten growth
• feline foster care
• kitten mortality
• animal shelter

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Maddie’s Fund for their generous donation of 20 digital kitchen scales that were essential in this study as well as their ongoing support of the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at Cornell. They also thank Anne Marie McPartlin, Suzanne Nelson, Karen Nieves, and the rest of the staff of the SPCA of Tompkins County, the foster care providers who participated in this study, and Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author, subject to consent from the organization in which the study was conducted.

Notes

1. Commercial materials are identified in order to specify the experimental procedure adequately. Such identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this study came from American Humane and Morris Animal Foundation [D15FE-601] by way of a 2014 Veterinary Student Scholars Award.