32 CATS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



spoon. Add a pinch of sugar to the milk and warm 

 water. 



In bringing up young kittens by hand, the mistake is often 

 made of giving too much food and over-loading the little 

 creatures, who in consequence suffer from acute indigestion. 

 A teaspoonful of milk or Mellin's food at a time is sufficient, 

 and this may be given every two or three hours. It is best 

 to try and not awaken kittens in order to feed. 



Of course one is sometimes obliged to feed by force, but 

 this should be resorted to only as a last extremity. I have 

 often spent an hour or more in trying, by all sorts of 

 persuasive means, to get a kit to feed of her own sweet will, 

 and have felt a throb of pride when my efforts have been 

 crowned with success. 



Some kittens will begin to feed themselves at three weeks, 

 and be quite able to leave their mothers when they are five 

 or six weeks old. I do not think, however, that kittens 

 should be sent adrift till they are at least two months old, 

 by which time they will have some idea of the method by 

 which their careful and attentive mother has kept them 

 clean and tidy. 



I do not approve of raw fish, especially for young kittens, 

 it is not easily digested and often causes diarrhoea. 



There is a knack about teaching young kittens to be clean. 

 As soon as they are able to scramble out of their basket 

 care should be taken not to allow them to run into corners. 

 When this occurs pick them up and put them in the pan of 

 earth or mould provided for them. With patience and per- 

 severance you will find the little creatures will accommodate 

 themselves to circumstances and the pan ! 



The weakest part in a young kitten is, undoubtedly, the 

 eye, and I think breeders will bear me out in my statement 

 that they have a great deal of trouble with bad eyes in kittens. 

 Several lotions and ointments are supplied, but sometimes I 

 have found these irritating. Use sweet oil to keep the lids 



