Things You'll Need
Box
Hot water bottle
Thermometer
Towel
Kitten formula
Small bowl
Syringe
Intravenous cannula
Tips
If the mole already has fur, then it can eat garden worms or cat food rather than formula.
Moles are underground insectivores related to shrews and European hedgehogs. They are common throughout the United States, although you rarely see them. In general, if you see a baby mole with fur outside, leave it. Handling the animal could cause the mother, who probably isn’t far away, to reject it later and it is not easy, or advisable, to try and rear wild animals yourself. However, if your cat or dog brings home a baby mole, you might need to care for it until animal rescue services can take over.
Prepare a hot water bottle filled with water at about body temperature. Test with the thermometer to ensure it is not too hot. Put the bottle in a box, cover it with a towel and put the mole on top.
Phone animal services, a local conservation charity or an animal sanctuary. They will either be able to help or can contact a specialist for you.
Prepare the kitten formula according to instructions in a small bowl.
Warm the mixture in a microwave or pan of hot water.
Fill the syringe with kitten formula.
Test the formula on your wrist to ensure the mixture isn’t scalding hot.
If you have an intravenous cannula (a very thin, flexible tube, available from vets), fit it over the end of the syringe to make feeding much easier.
Hold the mole in one hand.
Drip the mixture into the mouth of the baby mole with your other hand.
References
Tips
- If the mole already has fur, then it can eat garden worms or cat food rather than formula.
Writer Bio
Judith Willson has been writing since 2009, specializing in environmental and scientific topics. She has written content for school websites and worked for a Glasgow newspaper. Willson has a Master of Arts in English from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
