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Tiny But Mighty: Kitten Lady's Guide to Saving the Most Vulnerable Felines Hardcover – August 6, 2019
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#1 National Bestseller
Indie Bestseller
From Kitten Lady, the professional kitten rescuer, humane educator, animal advocate, and owner of the popular Instagram @kittenxlady comes the definitive book on saving the most vulnerable—and adorable—feline population: newborn kittens.
Hannah Shaw, better known as Kitten Lady, has dedicated her life to saving the tiniest felines, but one doesn't have to be a professional kitten rescuer to change—and save—lives. In Tiny but Mighty, Hannah not only outlines the dangers newborn kittens face and how she combats them, but how you can help every step of the way, from fighting feline overpopulation on the streets to fostering unweaned kittens, from combating illness to combating compassion fatigue, from finding a vet to finding the purrfect forever home. Filled with information on animal welfare, instructional guides, and personal rescue stories of kittens like Chloe, Tidbit, Hank, and Badger—not to mention hundreds of adorable kitten photos—Tiny but Mighty is the must-have kitten book for cat lovers, current-and-future rescuers, foster parents, activists, and advocates.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPlume
- Publication dateAugust 6, 2019
- Dimensions7.4 x 1.1 x 9.35 inches
- ISBN-101524744069
- ISBN-13978-1524744069
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“[Shaw’s] impact on the world of cat fostering is remarkable.”—The Cut
“Shaw’s entire online presence… essentially amounts to one big Trojan kitty, discretely stuffed with resources for saving motherless babies.... Now the master of this frisky domain has gathered all that knowledge into her most comprehensive resource yet.”—Fast Company
“In this how-to guide (with plenty of heart-melty photos) for fostering newborn cats, Shaw addresses every concern....The physical and emotional commitment to fostering kittens is no joke...but Shaw clearly shows it’s a rewarding journey to take.”—Bust Magazine
“In this beautiful new book, [Hannah Shaw] not only shares hundreds of adorable kitten photos, but she also outlines how to combat the many dangers newborn kittens face.”—Patch.com
“If you have a kitten in your life, plan on adopting one (or two!) or want to know how we can best ensure a safe future for the millions born homeless, Hannah Shaw is, without a doubt, the person I trust to carry the message. Hannah has the know-how, and backs it up with years of invaluable service in the world of animal welfare. That is what makes her new book so exciting: Tiny But Mighty is the definitive resource, written by the ultimate source, and wrapped in a stunningly beautiful package that makes it a must-have for anyone who cares for—or about—the most vulnerable of all cats.”—Jackson Galaxy, Cat Expert and Author of Total Cat Mojo
“[N]ot only an outstanding kitten care guide, but also a gorgeous book that will be a go to when you just need a little kitten fix in your day.”—Ingrid King, ConsciousCat.net
“[A] must-read for cat lovers.”—Catster Magazine
"A truly remarkable book by a truly remarkable woman." —Pet Radio Magazine
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
State of the Kitten
Everyone Loves Kittens
I spend a lot of time in transit.
Working in so many different communities, I’ve become accustomed to the monotony of travel: the long hours, the rigorous TSA inspection of my supplies (seriously, who travels with this much cat food?), and the small talk that occurs between strangers in airports and hotel lobbies. The question people always want to ask is, of course, “What do you do?”
When I tell people I’m an animal advocate who specializes in kittens, the response is almost always the same. First, a facial expression falling somewhere on the spectrum between utter confusion and absolute delight. Second, a comment about how I have the most adorable job ever. Third, some variation of the following inquiry:
“Do kittens really need advocates? I thought everyone loved kittens already.”
I do my best to summarize with a smile, but the truth is that to fully explain the magnitude of suffering that kittens face and the importance of our efforts to save them would take an entire book. And so here we are.
In many ways, working with kittens is absolutely adorable. I’m surrounded by fluffy little bobbleheaded dinguses every day of my life. I get to watch innocent beings grow and flourish. From the serene satisfaction of a baby’s first gentle purr to the bellyaching hilarity of a room full of pouncing micro-predators, working with kittens is truly an enjoyable calling. But it isn’t their charming nature that inspires me to do what I do. To me, kitten advocacy has very little to do with cuteness, and everything to do with a great need for tangible change in the way we view, understand, and treat the tiniest and most vulnerable felines.
The truth is that kittens are universally loved in our culture, yet we kill them in epidemic numbers. Unweaned kittens make up a large proportion of feline euthanasias nationally; for many shelters, their deaths account for the majority of euthanasias. The general public is completely unaware that kittens under eight weeks old are one of the most at-risk populations in the US shelter system. Without public knowledge of these issues, we cannot empower people to get active and save kittens’ lives. We must start with a basic understanding of not just what is happening, but also why it is happening, and how each of us can take tiny steps to help solve this problem. We must unravel and examine this complex issue, rally the troops, and forge ahead toward a day when no kitten must die due to lack of resources or of community awareness.
THE UNADOPTABLES
For decades, millions of cats were being euthanized each year. I’ll never forget when the 2016 national data was published and, for the first time in my rescue career, the number of cats dying in US shelters annually was fewer than one million. I wept with happiness to learn that we presently have national euthanasia rates of roughly 860,000 cats per year. Maybe it seems odd to celebrate that hundreds of thousands of cats are still dying in shelters, but seeing the number drop so dramatically over the course of my career has certainly given me reason to feel optimistic about a brighter future for cats, and to push ahead.
It’s an exciting time to be an advocate, as things are truly getting better for cats all the time. Having rightfully won the adoration of the general public, cats are now being adopted in higher numbers than ever before. Roughly 37 percent of US households are now home to a cat, and while I obviously think that number should be higher (seriously, have you met cats? they’re pretty great), this is a huge achievement. More people than ever are discovering the joy of sharing life with a feline, resulting in a steady rise of cat companionship. As adoption rates rise, there is, in turn, a marked decrease in euthanasia.
It’s easy to see why increased adoption would mean decreased euthanasia. Adoption is a solution to euthanasia, and the two variables are thus inversely correlated; as adoption goes up, euthanasia goes down. But this is not a one-to-one correlation, as adoption is only one of several variables necessary to get euthanasia to zero—it is not a full solution. Adoption, of course, only helps cats who are adoptable. If you examine the data, you’ll quickly find that the cats who are dying in shelters tend not to be cats for whom adoption would have been a solution. The populations that are most at risk in modern-day animal shelters are the unadoptables.
Unadoptable animals are those who are not candidates for an adoption program. For felines, this comprises two main populations: cats who are feral and cats who are under eight weeks old. Many people don’t realize that while a two-month-old kitten is the likeliest to find a home in a shelter, a two-week-old kitten is the likeliest to be killed. You simply can’t go to an animal shelter and adopt a neonatal kitten or a fractious cat who doesn’t tolerate touch. But that doesn’t mean those animals aren’t there, or that they don’t deserve our help. Feral cats and unweaned kittens are the two biggest populations comprising the 860,000 feline deaths in shelters each year, which is why these are the two populations I’ve dedicated my life to understanding and saving.
Just because an animal isn’t a candidate for adoption doesn’t mean her life is without value; it simply means she needs a different solution than an adoption program. For feral cats, this means providing them with a solution that allows them to live their full lives outdoors, where they are most at home, without bringing more kittens into the world (read more about feral cats in Chapter Two). For kittens, it means providing a solution that keeps them alive until they are old enough to be adopted into a home. There are a number of programs that aim to protect unadoptable populations, including trap-neuter-return, on-site nurseries, and foster care. The result of these strategies is that we are able to reduce the number of kittens being born, while shepherding those kittens who are born through the vulnerable period of unadoptability. We are able to create hope where there otherwise would be none.
STAY STUBBORN, HAVE HOPE
What is hope? To me, hope is more than a cheesy motivational poster or a platitude embossed on a charm bracelet. It is the defiant resistance against suffering, and the relentless insistence that a positive outcome is possible. It is the shifting tide that occurs when we refuse to accept needless death as an inevitability. From this stubborn love, miraculous things can occur! When it comes to the euthanasia epidemic, I’ve always been stubborn . . . and I’ve always had hope.
Euthanasia is, by definition, “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals.” But is a kitten hopeless just because she is three weeks old? Heck no! Having raised hundreds of thriving babies, I hardly consider them beyond hope. The fact is that they are only hopeless if we fail to provide them with opportunities to stay alive. When we intervene with love and hands-on support, we find that they are, in fact, bursting with the capacity to grow, to heal, and to become wonderful companions. We must simply give them the chance.
The process of raising kittens is as close to actual magic as I’ll ever get. The moment I bring home a new batch of filthy, hungry wiggle worms, it’s like I suddenly grow five extra hearts. Over the next several weeks I pour pure love into each individual, and it makes them transform from “hopelessly” scrawny into pudgy, strong- boned, affectionate little creatures who return the love tenfold. When it’s time for adoption, I get to give this tremendous gift of companionship to total strangers, brightening their world and giving a lifetime of happiness to the cats. It feels totally silly to say, but the love we give has ripple effects that we may never even know.
As heavy as it can feel to examine the state of the kitten, the beautiful thing is that each of us is capable of creating tangible hope that actively shifts the future for both the individual animal and sheltering as we know it. Every tiny moment of kindness, every small act of compassion adds up to create a safer world. At the end of the day, my time with each kitten is just a blip—a small moment of stubborn hope. But to a being whose entire future is dependent on surviving for a few short weeks, these tiny moments make all the difference.
GIMME SHELTER
So if euthanasia is meant for hopeless animals, and kittens aren’t hopeless, why are so many kittens killed in shelters? Before examining these heartbreaking issues, it’s important to note that most shelters are doing the very best they can with the resources available to them, and that their success and the success of the animals in their care is dependent on our ability to approach them with compassion and support. Sadly, though, for a myriad of reasons, most US shelters are not set up to save the little guys, who are therefore being killed in epidemic numbers.
Neonatal kitten care is a niche skill that requires specialized training and supplies—neither of which are a given in your average animal shelter. When I train shelter staff, I always ask how many people have ever bottle-fed a kitten, and I typically find that few or no employees have been trained in providing this care. In addition to the lack of training, essential items such as kitten formula or bottles often aren’t kept in stock; there simply aren’t sufficient supplies or staffing to provide the care. With hundreds of other animals to feed and support, resources tend to be focused around saving the adoptable populations; kitten care is thus not a main priority for most shelter management.
It makes sense that neonatal care is traditionally not a top concern, as many shelters will not be able to keep a neonate alive on-site for even twenty-four hours. Most organizations have limited operating hours and are unable to provide over- night care; it would therefore be quite unethical to leave an unweaned baby with no assistance while the facility is closed for the night. For this reason, young kittens generally meet their fate within hours of entering the shelter doors: either they make it out the door to a foster home before the shelter closes, or they don’t make it out at all.
Even for facilities that do have overnight care, space is an issue. When you consider that shelters have limited housing, it’s easy to see why it is more responsible to give kennel space to an animal who can be quickly adopted than to an animal who will require that space for eight weeks. There simply isn’t adequate space to house every kitten in every community for the duration of her upbringing until she is old enough to be adopted. Moreover, kennels aren’t optimal for socializing kittens during these critical early weeks.
In addition to the challenges of providing feeding, care, and space to young kittens, most shelters also struggle to meet the medical needs of neonates. Kittens are immunocompromised (read more about immune systems on page 161) and are extremely susceptible to illness in a high-volume setting such as an animal rescue facility; even an hour in a shelter can expose a neonate to viruses or parasites that can be life-threatening. To safely accommodate kittens requires strict quarantine protocol and specially designated nursery units, which is not possible for many shelters operating with limited space.
Shelters can find the treatment of sick neonates to be a challenge. Young kittens are likely to become ill, but treatment can be difficult when veterinarians don’t have experience with the specific needs of neonates. For instance, many prescription drugs are only officially labeled for use in kittens over eight weeks, and even if they are demonstrably safe for use in neonates, some veterinarians are not comfortable prescribing off-label for these little young’uns. Many veterinary professionals are hesitant to provide effective treatment options such as antibiotics or other necessary medications to help save a kitten’s life due to the limited knowledge base around feline pediatrics. And when we fail to act swiftly and aggressively against illness, many kittens fall progressively more ill, and either die in care or are euthanized.
It’s plain to see that due to their special care requirements, kittens often will not find a suitable environment in their local animal shelter. Brick-and-mortar shelters are well suited to finding homes for adoptable animals, but these unadoptable babies can only thrive in an environment that can provide more individualized and special care. We must find creative solutions that meet the needs of these tiny lives.
PAINT BY NUMBERS
It isn’t exactly a secret that kittens under eight weeks old are dying in large numbers, but it’s obscured in a way that prevents public awareness and programmatic change. In order for the public to care and to take action, we need to be aware that there is a problem to begin with; we can’t do better until we know better. But from the language we use in the sheltering industry to the way we track intakes and outcomes, we often fail to represent what is happening to kittens in shelters. How can we even begin to unpack the issue for the public when we have no figures with which to quantify it? We simply cannot paint an accurate picture of the state of the kitten when we fail to represent how deeply at risk they are.
One of the major problems is our data reporting in animal shelters. There is no national requirement for tracking and reporting animal data, which makes it a challenge to share how dire the situation is. While several states do require shelters to report their numbers, it’s uncommon for them to specifically track kittens under eight weeks old. The industry standard is to track the status of cats at five months or younger and five months or older, noting whether they are adopted, are euthanized, or have another outcome. This skews the data dramatically, as kittens two to five months old are highly adoptable, while those less than two months old are not adoptable at all. Shelters also often fail to count each kitten as an individual, as database software allows the input of kittens as a litter as opposed to counting them as separate animals.
This means six neonatal kittens can be counted as one litter. When this happens, they aren’t considered individual lives; they are a unit—unless they are candidates for adoption, in which case they become individuals, each with his own profile. The result is that we don’t have precise numbers for this unadoptable population, either in terms of how their age impacts the likelihood of euthanasia, or in terms of how many are being killed versus how many are saved. We count their successes individually, but not their suffering. This makes it a challenge to demonstrate to policy makers, administrators, and members of the public the great need for programs that specifically target neonates.
Product details
- Publisher : Plume; First Edition (August 6, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1524744069
- ISBN-13 : 978-1524744069
- Item Weight : 2.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 7.4 x 1.1 x 9.35 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #28,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Animal Rights (Books)
- #21 in Cat Care
- #190 in Sociology Reference
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Hannah Shaw is an award-winning kitten rescuer, humane educator, and New York Times bestselling author who has dedicated her life to innovating kitten care and protecting the most vulnerable felines. Her project, Kitten Lady, provides educational media, training resources, and instructional workshops that help individuals and animal shelters learn how to save the lives of kittens--in a fun and engaging format.
Shaw is the author of the bestselling book Tiny But Mighty (Penguin Random House, 2019), Kitten Lady’s Big Book of Little Kittens (Simon and Schuster, 2019), Kitten Lady’s CATivity Book (Harper Collins, 2022), the Adventures in Fosterland chapter book series (Simon and Schuster), and Cats of the World (Penguin Random House, 2024.) She has been featured as an expert on Animal Planet and has received several awards for her advocacy work, including the 2019 Cat Advocate of the Year award by ASPCA.
Kitten Lady has amassed a viral social media following. Shaw shares inspiring, instructional and adorable content on her Instagram and Facebook, and educational videos about kitten care through her YouTube channel.
Shaw is also the founder of Orphan Kitten Club, a 501(c)3 charitable organization striving to transform the landscape of kitten welfare in America. Since 2019, her nonprofit has provided more than 2.5 million dollars to shelters and rescues to further the cause and save little lives.
She lives in California with her husband Andrew Marttila, their cats, and an endless rotation of foster kittens.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book packed with practical kitten care information and guides, making it a must-read for anyone involved in fostering. The book features adorable kitten pictures and well-written content with easy-to-read checklists, while being filled with heartwarming stories of kitten rescue. They appreciate how it serves as an ultimate guide to neonatal kitten care, and one customer mentions it helped them save a kitten's life.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers praise the book's wealth of practical kitten care information and guides, describing it as a necessary guide to fostering.
"...When she’s sad or discouraged you can feel it, but it’s empowering. It quickly turns to outrage with a specific call to action...." Read more
"...look at the first weeks of a kitten's life, with an excellent and thorough chronological overview of their developmental stages and how to recognize..." Read more
"...But it can also be dipped into later for information when required, and the charming stories of individual kittens can be read without context...." Read more
"...This book is funny, sweet, informative, well written, and I would recommend it to everyone...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read, describing it as a must-read for anyone involved.
"...Tiny But Mighty is part text book, part comedy, part drama, and part self-help book...." Read more
"...case study narratives that are woven throughout the book are not only engaging but edifying: they often convey information that can't be captured in..." Read more
"This book is both an enjoyable read for cat-lovers and a practical resource for cat-rescuers...." Read more
"This is an awesome book!..." Read more
Customers love the pictures in the book, which are jam-packed with adorable kitten photos and make the images much more crisp.
"...sweet anecdotes of cats she rescued and adorable photos of kittens in construction paper regal-wear, are pro-tips, charts and tables filled with..." Read more
"...Another strength is the book's superb photography. The photos are not mere eye-candy: many convey visual information that can't be communicated as..." Read more
"...The book is also full of delightful kitten photographs taken by the author and her photographer partner, Andrew Marttila...." Read more
"...if you don't you'll still enjoy this book and see tons of adorable pictures of kittens along the way!" Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it well-structured with easy-to-read checklists that anyone can understand.
"...She reads with care but it doesn’t sound scripted. She’s as silly as she is in her videos; every paragraph littered with puns (get it? littered?),..." Read more
"...That said, many times a well-organized, easy-to-reference set of facts is *exactly* what one needs, and Tiny But Mighty is full of well-thought-out..." Read more
"...The book can be read from cover to cover, as I did. I recommend doing this when you first get the book...." Read more
"...This book is funny, sweet, informative, well written, and I would recommend it to everyone...." Read more
Customers find this book to be an ultimate guide to fostering kittens, particularly useful for new cat foster parents and those considering neonatal kitten rescue.
"...She even celebrates animal shelters, uncovering why “no-kill” doesn’t mean what you think it does, and how supporting open admission shelters will..." Read more
"...The author's overview and discussion of kitten illnesses is particularly valuable: she lists the most common afflictions, their causes, symptoms, &c..." Read more
"...aspects of kitten rescue, its importance, its practical aspects from trapping to adoption, kitten development and health, and, importantly, caring..." Read more
"...Hannah Shaw is a pioneer in the care, education, and welfare of young kittens, which I know because I follow her on Facebook, IG, and YouTube...." Read more
Customers enjoy the heartwarming stories in the book, which are interspersed with the author's personal experiences and educational accounts of kitten rescue.
"...She recounts her experiences with real people she’s encountered on the road, highlighting those who stepped up when they never could have even..." Read more
"...The chapters focus on various aspects of kitten rescue, its importance, its practical aspects from trapping to adoption, kitten development and..." Read more
"...caring for young kittens and in this book she shares her stories, experiences, and the information she has gathered in that time in a way that is..." Read more
"...There are so many lovely charts, pictures, and personal stories by kitten lady herself...." Read more
Customers love this book, describing it as the greatest guide on kittens, with many noting it serves as their bible when fostering them. The book features many sweet stories of kittens and is highly recommended for cat lovers everywhere.
"...for a terrific first edition of a book that is certain to become a feline classic. Bravo. Highly recommend." Read more
"...into later for information when required, and the charming stories of individual kittens can be read without context...." Read more
"...crafted blend of well presented information about kittens, community cats, TNR, neonatal kitten care and stories of Hannah's adventures in trapping,..." Read more
"Hands down this is the best book about kitten care for the young and the older...." Read more
Customers describe the book as filled with love, with one customer noting how it increases their ability to care for sweet animals.
"...judgements of what was previously considered acceptable, lead with compassion and redistribute resources to the places that need them most...." Read more
"...Those cuties gave me so much joy and filled my heart with love. When I returned to the USA, I decided to continue fostering...." Read more
"...Best part is the author’s poignant and sound advice regarding loving , bonding , caring but letting go." Read more
"...Bottle babies are a challenge and joy, heartbreak and love, if you are going to get involved with kitten rescue and fostering, please grab a copy..." Read more
Reviews with images

If you need a book on kitten care, this is the one.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2019Kitten Lady is the super hero we didn’t know we needed. She is smart, strong-willed, and directly honest. Most importantly, while animal rescue requires an exceptionally thick skin, you can still feel the compassion that drives her shine through in story after story. There is no question after reading this guide why she is taking the animal advocacy world by storm, demolishing the glass ceilings of the inspirational speaking and community education fields.
Tiny But Mighty is part text book, part comedy, part drama, and part self-help book. Hannah leads her reader on a purrfectly executed journey from what inspired her to start hiding kittens in her coat to how she began challenging industry standards that limited the scope of support offered to kittens under 8 weeks of age. She expertly coaches readers to find in their own hearts what drives them to get up in the morning, while emphasizing the importance of balance and self-care.
Artfully sandwiched between sweet anecdotes of cats she rescued and adorable photos of kittens in construction paper regal-wear, are pro-tips, charts and tables filled with mission critical data that can help a panicked foster-parent save a crashing kitten in the middle of the night. You don’t even realize you’re in kitten kindergarten until after you’ve already been hypnotized by Andrew Martilla’s photography.
If you’ve ever been caring for a litter of screaming neonates and ugly cried because you couldn’t get them to take a nipple, this book is for you. If you’ve never seen a kitten that small in real life but might want to give it a try, this book is for you. If you’re a little squeamish and not sure you can handle the emotional aspects of rescuing this vulnerable pocket panther population, this book is for you more than anyone else. It's the ultimate pep-talk you didn't know you needed.
In typical Kitten Lady fashion, she presents an iron-clad case as to why you, reader, whoever you may be, can help. She recounts her experiences with real people she’s encountered on the road, highlighting those who stepped up when they never could have even imagined doing so. She turns tragedy into treasure for every desperate plea. She even celebrates animal shelters, uncovering why “no-kill” doesn’t mean what you think it does, and how supporting open admission shelters will get us on the fast track to actually reducing euthanasia around the world.
While nearly every story has a happy ending, Hannah shares her own trials, experiments, mistakes and traumas so that we won’t have to. She aims to be at the forefront of kitten care, pulling the blinds back on the stigma that little bodies shouldn’t receive medical treatment because the risk is too high. Old school veterinary thought is a thing of the past, and Hannah is going to make darn sure of it.
She gives feral felines a voice, reminding us that just because we don’t always see them, or they hiss and bite when we do, doesn’t mean they aren’t happy in their outdoor oasis and worthy of being protected. Every reference to a kitten is with “he” or “she” never “it” or “they”. She emphasizes how we can bypass historical judgements of what was previously considered acceptable, lead with compassion and redistribute resources to the places that need them most. She even talks about legislative and data driven challenges that can make it impossible to even report how badly our community shelters and street cats need our support.
You will laugh and you will cry, often within the same sentence. Especially if you have the audio book. Hannah telling her own stories is unlike any other self-narrated audio book I’ve ever listened to, because you can tell she wrote every single word of it. She reads with care but it doesn’t sound scripted. She’s as silly as she is in her videos; every paragraph littered with puns (get it? littered?), but it’s said as if she just came up with it, right now in this moment. It’s genuine and pure, not a hint of irony or mass produced editing.
You can hear the nostalgia in her voice as she recalls her adventures with Hank, Badger, Chloe and so many more of her famously rescued babies. When she’s sad or discouraged you can feel it, but it’s empowering. It quickly turns to outrage with a specific call to action. Hannah can be a very convincing sales person, and she will have you at the bottom of a kitten pile in no time.
There is only one piece of critical constructive criticism for this audiobook, and it’s that it doesn’t include a discography of Hannah’s greatest original hits like the “No Balls” song and the “Kitten Lady rap compilation”. If you haven’t heard them, stop what you’re doing and go to YouTube post haste.
TLDR: this book is witty, fun, thought provoking and educational. Supporting local animal shelters and TNR is good, not downloading would be regretful. If you’re smart, you will buy a copy of this book in three formats - one audio version to hear the heart in it, one searchable download for your phone in an emergency, and one hardcover copy to sit on your coffee table for perusing kitten photos while you snuggle your own furry family.
Listen up to save some babies!
- Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019This is, hands down, the best book on caring for kittens in existence.
It is, in fact, the only book written at a professional level that I have come across on the subject. This is particularly astonishing in an era in which tens of thousands of books are published each year, many on oddly niche subjects (banana recipes! crocheting hyperbolic geometries! facts about cucumbers! knitting with dog hair!). We have an entire genre of books on adorable cat memes but there was, until now, nothing comprehensive on how to rescue and care for wee kittens, nor on how to prevent kitten suffering through TNR. Needless to say, this book steps in to fill a void and will save many lives.
(NB: I did not receive anything in return for this review, nor was I asked to write it. I am a completely independent reader.)
What you'll find inside: a comprehensive look at the first weeks of a kitten's life, with an excellent and thorough chronological overview of their developmental stages and how to recognize them, as well as information on how the care you need to provide for them changes over time, including really detailed information on the way in which feeding, health support, climate control, socialization, and other supportive care shifts and transforms practically day-by-day, and according to the circumstances and condition that the kittens were in prior to entering your home. If you've just found a shivering kitten under a [fill in sub-optimal, outdoor situation here], this book will tell you exactly how to proceed.
The kitten health information summarized in the book is terrific and an excellent example of what makes Tiny But Mighty so important: there is simply nowhere else to go to find it all in one place. The author's overview and discussion of kitten illnesses is particularly valuable: she lists the most common afflictions, their causes, symptoms, &c, and gives you a good sense for prognosis and the best ways to proceed. The poop color wheel mentioned by another reviewer is practical, not to mention reminiscent of Renaissance medical practitioners' urine color wheels (I digress).
Ms. Shaw does an excellent job of presenting and explaining concepts to the reader. The case study narratives that are woven throughout the book are not only engaging but edifying: they often convey information that can't be captured in a list of facts. That said, many times a well-organized, easy-to-reference set of facts is *exactly* what one needs, and Tiny But Mighty is full of well-thought-out and organized tables and lists that would have been more difficult to digest from a wall of text alone. The narrative, case study, & table/list combination format is effective and mutually complementary.
Another strength is the book's superb photography. The photos are not mere eye-candy: many convey visual information that can't be communicated as well through words alone. It would be great if all of the photographs had captions, however. Only some do, and I was often left wondering if the photograph in question (and its feline subject(s)) corresponded to the text on that particular page.
My main wish for a second edition of the book is for a more developed section on Kitten Fading Syndrome. As Ms. Shaw points out, this is a catch-all term for a number of things, or combinations of things, that can cause a kitten's health to quickly spiral downward, and she rightly suggests getting the kitten to a vet as soon as possible. Yet in my own experience, as well as the author's own, many vets just don't know what to do with a sick kitten! The photograph accompanying my review is of a kitten from our second foster litter who had KFS. When she didn't gain weight we rushed her to a vet, whose only suggestion was to try to make her food more palatable by trying a different brand of formula, or by trying to hand-feed her wet food. (The kitten did make it and was happily adopted, despite our blundering efforts!) It would be really great to have a red-tabbed section that a panicked fosterer could turn to for an overview of the factors that *in the author's experience* most frequently contribute to KFS situations and how to respond to them. This would be a supplement to a visit to the vet, not a replacement for the same, but it would go a long way toward answering pressing questions ("What could be happening? What should I look for and what might these signs tell me? What can I do immediately to try to improve the kitten's chances of survival? What questions or ideas can I raise with my vet if she/he is stymied?"). Information directly relevant to these questions is of course woven throughout the book; it would be great to have it in one place, however, for the KFS kitten. This could even just consist of a bit more discussion, or the addition of another excellent table, with references to relevant sections or page numbers.
Two other small wish list items: it would be really helpful to know more about how to treat a kitten with severe anemia, since so many of them are flea-infested, and I would love to see really important information on pages of denser exposition printed in bolded font (for example, the sentence in which the author introduces the importance of heating up cold kittens deserves bolded emphasis).
These, however, are minor suggestions for a terrific first edition of a book that is certain to become a feline classic. Bravo. Highly recommend.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is, hands down, the best book on caring for kittens in existence.If you need a book on kitten care, this is the one.
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2019
It is, in fact, the only book written at a professional level that I have come across on the subject. This is particularly astonishing in an era in which tens of thousands of books are published each year, many on oddly niche subjects (banana recipes! crocheting hyperbolic geometries! facts about cucumbers! knitting with dog hair!). We have an entire genre of books on adorable cat memes but there was, until now, nothing comprehensive on how to rescue and care for wee kittens, nor on how to prevent kitten suffering through TNR. Needless to say, this book steps in to fill a void and will save many lives.
(NB: I did not receive anything in return for this review, nor was I asked to write it. I am a completely independent reader.)
What you'll find inside: a comprehensive look at the first weeks of a kitten's life, with an excellent and thorough chronological overview of their developmental stages and how to recognize them, as well as information on how the care you need to provide for them changes over time, including really detailed information on the way in which feeding, health support, climate control, socialization, and other supportive care shifts and transforms practically day-by-day, and according to the circumstances and condition that the kittens were in prior to entering your home. If you've just found a shivering kitten under a [fill in sub-optimal, outdoor situation here], this book will tell you exactly how to proceed.
The kitten health information summarized in the book is terrific and an excellent example of what makes Tiny But Mighty so important: there is simply nowhere else to go to find it all in one place. The author's overview and discussion of kitten illnesses is particularly valuable: she lists the most common afflictions, their causes, symptoms, &c, and gives you a good sense for prognosis and the best ways to proceed. The poop color wheel mentioned by another reviewer is practical, not to mention reminiscent of Renaissance medical practitioners' urine color wheels (I digress).
Ms. Shaw does an excellent job of presenting and explaining concepts to the reader. The case study narratives that are woven throughout the book are not only engaging but edifying: they often convey information that can't be captured in a list of facts. That said, many times a well-organized, easy-to-reference set of facts is *exactly* what one needs, and Tiny But Mighty is full of well-thought-out and organized tables and lists that would have been more difficult to digest from a wall of text alone. The narrative, case study, & table/list combination format is effective and mutually complementary.
Another strength is the book's superb photography. The photos are not mere eye-candy: many convey visual information that can't be communicated as well through words alone. It would be great if all of the photographs had captions, however. Only some do, and I was often left wondering if the photograph in question (and its feline subject(s)) corresponded to the text on that particular page.
My main wish for a second edition of the book is for a more developed section on Kitten Fading Syndrome. As Ms. Shaw points out, this is a catch-all term for a number of things, or combinations of things, that can cause a kitten's health to quickly spiral downward, and she rightly suggests getting the kitten to a vet as soon as possible. Yet in my own experience, as well as the author's own, many vets just don't know what to do with a sick kitten! The photograph accompanying my review is of a kitten from our second foster litter who had KFS. When she didn't gain weight we rushed her to a vet, whose only suggestion was to try to make her food more palatable by trying a different brand of formula, or by trying to hand-feed her wet food. (The kitten did make it and was happily adopted, despite our blundering efforts!) It would be really great to have a red-tabbed section that a panicked fosterer could turn to for an overview of the factors that *in the author's experience* most frequently contribute to KFS situations and how to respond to them. This would be a supplement to a visit to the vet, not a replacement for the same, but it would go a long way toward answering pressing questions ("What could be happening? What should I look for and what might these signs tell me? What can I do immediately to try to improve the kitten's chances of survival? What questions or ideas can I raise with my vet if she/he is stymied?"). Information directly relevant to these questions is of course woven throughout the book; it would be great to have it in one place, however, for the KFS kitten. This could even just consist of a bit more discussion, or the addition of another excellent table, with references to relevant sections or page numbers.
Two other small wish list items: it would be really helpful to know more about how to treat a kitten with severe anemia, since so many of them are flea-infested, and I would love to see really important information on pages of denser exposition printed in bolded font (for example, the sentence in which the author introduces the importance of heating up cold kittens deserves bolded emphasis).
These, however, are minor suggestions for a terrific first edition of a book that is certain to become a feline classic. Bravo. Highly recommend.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
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AriReviewed in Spain on August 10, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirador
Lo he recibido hoy y ya voy por más de la mitad. Mi respeto por esta mujer es enorme, es increíble todo lo que ha hecho y sigue haciendo, y me ha inspirado a hacer lo mismo y ayudar a cuidar de aquellos más indefensos. Ya he comprado otro ejemplar para regalárselo a una amiga que también está interesada en cuidar gatitos. Lo explica todo con un cariño y una precisión increíbles, este libro desprende amor por cada pagina 💕
- AnneReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Bible of Kitten Care!
This has to be the most comprehensive Kitten Care Book available anywhere in the World!! I have purchased copies for myself & for everyone of my Kitten Fosterers! Hannah Shaw delivers all the necessary information to correctly Care for kittens from birth to weaning & beyond in a simple, practical easy to follow manner! Thank You Kitten Lady.
AnneThe Complete Bible of Kitten Care!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2022
Images in this review
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Andrea BuiReviewed in Italy on July 12, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Libro Eccellente =^.^=
Completo, divulgativo, simpatico, scritto da un personaggio assai noto nell'ambiente dei "Fosterer"; inoltre contribuisce a supportare il lavoro di sostentamento del progetto. =^.^=
- JaneReviewed in Canada on March 12, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Kitten bible!
We're new kitten foster parents and this book and her YouTube channel @kittenlady is an amazing resource! We currently have a mama and kittens and were stressing out about it a bit, but after reading about efforts to save orphaned neonatal kittens I realize mama is doing everything for us and we have an easy situation. Truly its all amazing and I'm so glad to be a part of the cat and kitten fostering community. Thankful for rescues and rescuers like Hannah for all that they do so save kitty lives and help them until they are adoptable!
- DumitruReviewed in Germany on December 3, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is spotless
Not only is this a great book about little kitties and cats in their early life. It’s also nicely produced and has an absolutely exquisite feel to it.