Revisiting Pre-Mortem Risk Factors for Mortality in Kittens Less Than 8 Weeks Old After Switching to a Foster Care-Based Kitten Rearing Model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to reassess predictors of mortality in underage kittens in a foster-care based kitten rearing model.

The medical records of kittens <8 weeks reared in a kitten nursery/foster-care based program in New York City during 2021 were examined. The data collected included signalment (estimated age and weight at intake, sex), physical findings (body condition score [BCS]), clinical signs (weight loss, anorexia, diarrhea, and upper respiratory tract infection [URI]), diagnoses (panleukopenia, trauma), how early in the feline breeding season the kitten entered (April-November), and whether the kitten had died or was euthanized. The data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard modeling with 595 kittens to identify risk factors associated with any death or euthanasia.

Elevated risk of dying was found for kittens in the lightest weight group (almost 12 times), exhibiting weight loss (6 times greater), exhibiting anorexia (15 times greater), diagnosed with trauma (5 times greater), and experiencing diarrhea (almost 3 times greater). These findings identify similar clinical signs that can serve as prognostic indicators for underage kitten survival in both a shelter/rescue setting and foster-care based setting and can aid in enhancing protocols for monitoring, intervention, and euthanasia decision-making.