Rochester, N.Y. – In just a few weeks, the population of local cats is going to increase dramatically with the spring breeding season.
A local rescue group recently lost an entire litter of kittens when they say the milk replacement product turned rancid; the kittens died of dehydration.
Kittens six-weeks-old and younger and without their mother need a milk replacement product to survive.
The most popular one is KMR, made in the Midwest by a company called PetAg.
“It’s really hard to lose a kitten at all, but to lose a whole litter like that and not know why, at the time we didn’t know,” says Julie Lafferty, of Another Chance Pet Rescue.
The milk replacement comes in powder form, and in very small print, there’s a note on the side to refrigerate the powder.
If you assume it’s a basic powder that doesn’t need refrigeration, it can spoil, and give kittens life-threatening dehydration and diarrhea. The company that makes the product says you must sniff the powder to make sure it’s not rancid.
"Obviously that's something that we have to do now. We didn't know that. It bothers me that people aren't going to know whether it's bad or not, what it's supposed to smell like, what it's not supposed to smell like.”
A spokesperson for PetAg says they do not plan on adding a warning advising pet owners to sniff the powder.
"You kind of use common sense, I think, if it's something that you know is not right. You return it and get something new. It's kind of common sense,” the spokesperson says.
The company says their own trucks can overheat the powder, and during the summer, the product has been known to spoil in transit.
"I would like them to put out a statement to all the shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, the stores - let them know there's a problem."
PetAg says the problem is rare, and kitten owners will get a full refund if they detect rancid powder.
The milk replacement is available in liquid form, and the company tells us that the only the powder has been known to spoil.
More information on PetAg products can be found on the green “Find-It” button.
