800.11 kitten nursery

1. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 1
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
I. PURPOSE
To establish a uniform procedure for the sanitization, feeding and care of orphaned kittens and
nursing queens housed in the kitten nursery. The purpose of the kitten nursery is to provide a
quiet area where these underage animals are less likely to be exposed to other animals and
communicable diseases. It is our hope that socialized mothers with families and orphaned
kittens can stay in the nursery until they can be placed with an Adoption Partner or Foster
Caretaker or until the kittens are old enough for adoption.
II. POLICY
OC Animal Care staff and designated OC Animal Care volunteers are responsible to ensure
that daily feed, cleaning and care is taking place for the mothers and kittens housed in the
Kitten Nursery and that all policies are being adhered to.
III. SCOPE
Applicable to all OC Animal Care staff and approved Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteers.
IV. FORMS
Kitten Nursery Cleaning Procedure
Kitten Nursery Cleaning Log
Kitten Nursery Supply Inventory and Request Form
V. REFERENCES
P&P 400.28
P&P 400.29
P&P 800.01
P&P 400.11
VI. DEFINITIONS
Kitten Nursery Attendant - any volunteer that has completed two hours of kitten nursery
training with the Volunteer Program Coordinator or Lead Volunteer Trainer.
Orphan - kittens that are impounded by OC Animal Care without their mother and are under the
age of eight (8) weeks or under two (2) pounds.

2. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 2
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
Litter - kittens that are impounded by OC Animal Care with their mother, but are not yet old
enough to be weaned.
VII. PROCEDURE
A. Selection of Animals Housed in the Nursery
1. As set forth in P&P 400.28 & 400.29, the Veterinary staff will examine all mothers
and kittens upon impound. They will make all determinations and decisions
regarding mothers and kittens that are to be housed in the Kitten Nursery.
2. All mothers and kittens to be house in the Kitten Nursery must receive prior
approval from a Veterinarian before being placed into the Kitten Nursery. As stated
in P&P 800.01, the Veterinary staff will determine if the animal(s) is suitable for
Foster Care or Rescue adoption.
B. Cleaning Procedure
1. OC Animal Care staff and Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteers are responsible to
ensure that daily feeding, cleaning and care is taking place for the mothers and
kittens housed in the Kitten Nursery and that all policies are being adhered to.
2. The Kitten Nursery will be cleaned and maintained according to the protocol set
forth in P&P 400.11. In addition, the following Kitten Nursery Cleaning Protocol
will be posted on the door in the kitten nursery to assist Kitten Nursery Attendant
volunteers in completing their cleaning duties. When cleaning is complete the OC
Animal Care staff member or Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteer shall complete the
Cleaning Log notating which kennels were cleaned and during what time of day.
a. Spot Cleaning – Should be done twice daily. Only used when the same orphans,
litters and mothers are staying in the cage.
aa. Prepare all wet food dishes and litter pans prior to cleaning.
bb. Put on a fresh pair of gloves for each cage that you clean.
cc. Pick large pieces of feces out of the litter box and place litter box back in
cage. If the litter box is very messy, use a new litter box with fresh litter.
dd. Spray the Accel TB cleaner and wipe down the cage. Make sure that all
organic matter is cleaned from the walls and bottom of the cage.
ee. If needed, put a fresh bed in the cage. If existing bed is not soiled, please re-
use. If existing bed is soiled, place in the laundry bag which is located in the
Kitten Nursery Cupboard outside and to the left of the nursery.

3. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 3
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
ff. Discard the old water and replace with fresh water. If necessary, wash and
dry the bowl prior to placing fresh water in it.
gg. Discard old canned food and replace with fresh canned food in a new paper
bowl. Fill the dry food bowl with the appropriate amount of fresh dry food.
If necessary, throw away the old bowl and replace with a fresh bowl of food.
b. Full Cleaning – Must be done any time a litter or kitten leaves the nursery and
before a new litter or kitten is put into the cage. The empty cage must be
completely cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of infectious disease.
aa. Put on a fresh pair of gloves for each cage that you clean.
bb. Remove everything from the cage.
cc. Throw away the litter box and paper canned/dry food trays.
dd. Clean the water dish with detergent and spray with Accel TB cleaner. Allow
to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing and drying. Place the clean and dry dish
back into the storage cabinet in the nursery.
ee. Place the used bedding in the laundry bag which is located in the Kitten
Nursery cupboard outside and to the left of the nursery.
ff. Spray the cage down with the Accel TB cleaner and let it sit for at least 10
minutes before wiping the cage and bars dry. Adequate ventilation is a
necessity when using the cleaning solution. Make sure the door is open and
the screen door is closed.
gg. Put a new litter box filled with litter, a new bed, a clean water dish and a
fresh paper bowl into the cage.
3. Once a year, generally during the winter months, the kitten nursery shall be fully
sanitized using the following protocol. This sanitization should take place during a
time where very few kittens are arriving at the shelter to reduce the impact of
placing orphans and nursing mothers into other shelter housing. The Volunteer
Program Coordinator will be responsible for scheduling and managing the yearly
sanitization of the Kitten Nursery.
a. Remove bedding, litter pans and bowls from every kennel in the kitten nursery.
b. Place all metal bowls into a solution of Accel TB cleaner and allow soaking for
10 minutes. After soaking, rinse and dry bowls thoroughly.
c. Remove all items from the top of the cages and place outside of the nursery.
d. Place all laundry in the laundry area to be sanitized.
e. Roll cages from the nursery to the area outside of the isolation room.
aa. Spray cages liberally with water.
bb. Spray Accel TB cleaner on all surfaces and bars of each cage and allow them
to soak.

4. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 4
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
cc. Scrub all organic matter from cages and bars.
dd. Rinse cages thoroughly with water.
ee. Spray all surfaces and bars of each cage with Accel TB cleaner and allow
them to soak for at least 10 minutes.
ff. Rinse cages thoroughly with water.
gg. Allow cages to dry in full sun for at least three hours.
f. Place all other items outside of the nursery.
g. Wipe all walls with Accel TB cleaner and allow them to dry.
h. Mop floor with 10% bleach solution and allow them to dry.
i. Wipe down all surfaces from other nursery items with Accel TB cleaner and
allow them to dry.
j. Place cages back into nursery.
k. Place all other items, including freshly laundered bedding and sanitized metal
bowls back into nursery.
l. Reset each cage with a full litter pan, new bed, clean water dish and fresh paper
dish.
C. Schedule
1. The animals in the kitten nursery must be cleaned and fed twice daily, once in the
morning and once in the afternoon. The Volunteer Program Coordinator is
responsible for managing the schedule for the Kitten Nursery and shall always
attempt to fill shifts with Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteers prior to requesting
cleaning assistance from shelter staff.
2. Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteers can register for open shifts through the online
volunteer center in Volgistics. In addition to providing daily feeding and cleaning,
volunteers will also focus on better socializing mothers and kittens housed in the
Kitten Nursery. At no time, shall volunteers allow kittens to run and play on the
floor.
3. The Volunteer Program Coordinator or other Community Outreach Team (COT)
member is responsible for checking volunteer assignments daily to ensure that a
volunteer is scheduled to fill each open shift.
4. If a Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteer is not available to cover a shift, the COT
staff members will then be responsible for providing coverage during the open shift.
5. On a day when a Kitten Nursery Attendant or a member of the COT is not available
(ex. Holidays), the Volunteer Program Coordinator will contact the kennel
supervisors, in advance, to determine if kennel staff coverage is feasible.

5. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 5
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
D. Length of Stay
1. It is our hope that healthy mothers and kittens will not require a maximum holding
period. In times of high intake volume, the criteria set forth in P&P 400.29
regarding “illness” and “euthanasia”, will be strictly adhered to by all staff.
2. As stated in P&P 400.11, it will be the responsibility of all staff to monitor potential
symptoms of disease and advise the Veterinary staff immediately.
3. Kitten Nursery Attendant volunteers are required to notify a staff member
immediately with any behavioral or health concerns regarding animals housed in the
Kitten Nursery.
4. Decisions concerning euthanasia are difficult for all involved, but can be especially
troublesome for the Veterinary staff. Disrespect, intentional or otherwise, will not
be tolerated. OC Animal Care staff that may deliver or observe underage and sick
animals in the clinic (and/or Nursery), shall act in a professional manner.
E. Contagious Disease
The following guidelines are to be used in the case of a contagious disease outbreak in
the Kitten Nursery.
1. Total isolation of the animal/animals affected.
2. The Kitten Nursery will be temporarily closed from any movement in or out.
3. The Veterinarian on duty will immediately report to the Chief of Veterinary
Services or Administrative Manager the type of exposure. This will be done either
in person, by phone or by email.
4. Once all of the facts are gathered, the Chief of Veterinary Services will make a
determination on how to proceed and will notify all applicable parties.
F. Ordering Supplies and Restocking the Nursery
The Volunteer Program Coordinator is responsible for tracking, re-ordering and re-stocking
Kitten Nursery supplies. If the Volunteer Program Coordinator is unavailable, another
Community Outreach Team Member may be assigned to cover these duties.
1. Supplies for the nursery include:
a. Royal Canin Mother & BabyCat Dry Food
b. Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lover’s Soul Canned Food
c. Paper Towels
d. Gloves in Various Sizes
e. Litter Trays
f. Food Trays

6. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 6
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
g. Cat Boxes
h. Litter
i. Accel TB Cleaner
j. Metal Water Dishes
k. Crate Mats and Blankets
2. The Volunteer Program Coordinator must track the following supplies on a weekly
basis and re-order the item from the designated staff member:
a. Royal Canin Mother & BabyCat Dry Food – Order is placed with the Kennel
Lieutenant responsible for re-ordering shelter food. When order arrives, this
food must be stored and locked in one of the Community Outreach Team
storage sheds until needed in the nursery.
b. Chicken Soup for the Kitten Lover’s Soul Canned Food – Order is placed with
the Kennel Lieutenant responsible for re-ordering shelter food. When order
arrives, this food must be stored in the Kitten Nursery immediately.
c. Metal Water Dishes – May be ordered as needed through the supply desk.
Volunteer Coordinator must obtain approval for ordering these items from the
Community Outreach Supervisor and Administrative Manager that oversees the
Community Outreach Team.
d. Crate Mats and Blankets – May be ordered as needed through the supply desk.
Volunteer Coordinator must obtain approval for ordering these items from the
Community Outreach Supervisor and Administrative Manager that oversees the
Community Outreach Team.
e. Additional supplies that are needed on a less frequent basis, including
replacement scale, trash cans, clipboards, kennels, etc., may be ordered as
needed through the supply desk. The Volunteer Coordinator must obtain
approval for ordering these items from the Community Outreach Supervisor and
Administrative Manager that oversees the Community Outreach Team.
3. The Volunteer Program Coordinator must track and restock the following supplies
on a weekly basis:
a. Paper Towels – Can be found in the large, white, storage trailer across from the
laundry area in the back walkway between Station 1 and Station 3.
b. Gloves – Can be found in the supply garage. Gloves must be tracked using the
glove tracking form on the clipboard in the supply garage.
c. Litter Trays – Can be found in the large, food storage trailer next to the laundry
area in the back walkway between Station 1 and Station 3.
d. Food Trays – Can be found in the large, food storage trailer next to the laundry
area in the back walkway between Station 1 and Station 3.

7. Number: 800.11
SUBJECT: KITTEN NURSERY Page: 7
Date: 12/29/11
Approved: Ryan Drabek, Director Revised: 7/23/14
e. Cat Boxes – Can be found in the large, food storage trailer next to the laundry
area in the back walkway between Station 1 and Station 3.
f. Litter – Can be found in the green storage shed across from the good storage
trailer in the back walkway between Station 1 and Station 3. When re-stocking
the litter, do not pour out the bag into the storage container. The bag must be set
into the storage container outside of the nursery. The top of the bag will then be
cut open to allow volunteers to scoop the litter out.
g. Accel TB cleaner can be found in the storage room between the Shelter
Lieutenant’s/Chief’s offices and the surgery room.