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[♪ gentle music ♪]
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Hi, everybody.
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When caring for kittens, you want to give them the most comfortable experience possible,
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so these are my top five tips for keeping kittens warm and cozy.
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The first thing I recommend is a microwavable heating pad, like a Snuggle Safe.
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You just pop it in the microwave for about five minutes,
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and it'll stay warm for several hours.
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This makes it really easy for you to transport the kittens with it.
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You're not relying on a heating pad with a cord.
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So just make sure when you take it out that you feel it to make sure it's warm, but not too, too hot.
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You can put it in the pad that it comes with. You can also use a blanket to cover it up.
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Young kittens can't regulate their own body temperature,
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so it's really important that you give them access to a heating pad at all times.
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It's likely that the kittens will congregate around the heating pad,
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but you want to make sure that they also have the option to move away from it.
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So don't let the heating pad cover the entire space.
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So the heating pad is mandatory,
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but there are other things that you can add to that to make them even more comfortable.
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Like here, you can see them using a Snuggle Kitty.
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The Snuggle Kitty is a stuffed animal with a battery-operated heartbeat inside.
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These are a great source of comfort if you have orphaned kittens who don't have a mother.
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All you need is just two AAA batteries inside of the heart, and then you just turn it on whenever it's in use.
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It's going to create a really nice comforting sound and vibration for the babies.
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[quiet heartbeat sound coming from the heart]
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When combined with a heating pad, this provides such a nice home base for the kittens.
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You'll often see them snuggling it, clinging to it, and sleeping on top of it.
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[quiet heartbeat sound]
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Another kitten essential is baby blankets,
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and I'm not talking about blankets for cats that you buy at the pet store,
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I'm talking about baby blankets for human babies.
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Something like this micro fleece baby blanket that I got online.
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These provide a soft surface for the kittens to lie on,
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and you can use them to line whatever space the kittens are staying in.
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Just make sure you change them out every couple of days.
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Another thing you can do with your baby blanket is use it as a swaddle.
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You can wrap the kitten in what I call a "purrito,"
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which is basically just a gentle wrap around the kitten with a baby blanket
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to give them a comforting feeling of being held.
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And you can see here that Harissa really enjoys this. She calms down right away,
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and is actually purring and making muffins.
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[quiet kitten purring]
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[kissing noise]
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The next one might surprise you, and that is recycled fur scraps.
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Anyone who cares about animals is not gonna want to be wearing a fur coat,
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so if you have one, or if someone in your life has one that they'd like to retire,
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this is a great way to make use of it.
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This works well with orphaned wildlife as well as orphaned kittens
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because the fur reminds them of the comfort of Mom.
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In my experience, kittens tend to prefer fur that is a little bit on the long side like this one,
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and make sure that it's clean and free of any dyes that might be harmful to the kittens
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if they are to put it in their mouth.
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Here you can see that one of the kittens is actually trying to nurse on the fur scrap,
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and while that might seem really sad,
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it's a nice comfort source for a kitten that doesn't have a mother.
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So this is something I do with kittens that are particularly fussy,
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or just need a place that they can go to calm down and feel relaxed.
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I've noticed that kittens really appreciate having something like this,
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and they'll even burrow into it and fall asleep, creating a little bit of a nest.
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Where'd Valentina go?
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Lookin' cozy.
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One last thing you might want to try if you're trying to comfort kittens is a toothbrush.
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A toothbrush mimics a mother's tongue licking them,
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so it's another really comforting thing for them if they don't have a mom.
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And I'll actually notice that when I start brushing the kittens,
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they might start to engage in their first grooming behaviors.
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Here you can see that Cholula is actually starting to lick herself,
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which is what they learn from their moms.
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So this is a great thing that you can do for them not only for their comfort,
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but also for their behavioral growth.
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Keep in mind that the one thing kittens love more than anything is being with their mama,
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so if you're dealing with an orphan kitten, the best thing you can do is be a surrogate.
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That's why I recommend giving them warmth, something soft to nuzzle, and a little bit of grooming.
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There are so many ways to get creative for the little guys,
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so that they can still have a chance at a full and happy life.
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If you're interested in some of these products and want to know where to find them,
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I have a comprehensive list of fostering supplies on my website,
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at kittenlady.org/supplies.
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You can go on there and find links to everything you need to help save kittens' lives.
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[kissing noise]
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Are you cozy? I think I got a little lipstick on you.
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[♪ outro music ♪]