Weighing Kittens

We ask that you please weigh your kitten/s in grams, every day, in the morning, before breakfast (to ensure an accurate weight). The weights for each kitten can be recorded on the weight chart supplied to you.

Please enter their weights daily in our online Kitten Weight and Daily Monitor Spreadsheet we will email you.

Why weigh kittens?

Kittens are fragile little creatures, and can go “downhill” very quickly. Keeping an eye on their weight daily is crucial in monitoring their overall health. A healthy kitten should gain a minimum of 10 grams (or more) per day. If your kitten/s are losing weight, or failing to gain weight, it could be a sign of illness that needs to be addressed right away.

**If your kitten/s are losing weight, or failing to gain weight, please notify the foster care team right away using our Support Contacts page.

How to weigh kittens

Kittens are little wiggle worms! It can be nearly impossible to get an accurate weight without some additional tools and a couple of tips. Don’t try to set your kitten directly on the gram scale. Instead:

Grab a small cardboard box, or a small-medium size bowl (something big enough to place the kitten and a blanket/small towel in)
Grab a small baby blanket or hand towel to wrap the kitten in
While the scale is off, place the blanket inside the bowl and place the bowl on the scale
Turn the scale on. Your scale should read zero
You can now take the blanket out of the bowl (the scale will give you a negative weight reading), wrap up your first kitten, and place the kitten in the bowl.

If the kitten is still struggling and the weight is bouncing around, try re-wrapping the kitten and trying again. Sometimes you have to wait a few seconds for the kitten to stop moving to get the most accurate weight possible. An alternative to using. box/bowl and a towel is to place the kitten in a paper lunch bag while you are weighing. Just be sure to tare the bag using the same instructions as above!