care of abandoned kittens! updated What have I created???

[zonapellucida]

My DD brought home tow kittems about two weeks old. I am feeding them a mixture found on the net but it seems that they aren't getting enough becasue they have not stopped meowing LOUDLY!!!!! I am not sure what to do with them and it is driving me crazy................ Anyone take in lost kittesn and hand feed them? any advice would be appreciated. I just can't put them back.

Update: These little guys are now spoiled rotten,if that is possible getting them to eat solids is a challenge They still want the formula mixture and want to be held constantly. Shouldn't they want a bit of independence at this time? I love them to death but they are so high maintenance. I suppose this is normal for hand fed kittens...is it? and how do I cut the umbilical cord so to speak?

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It is very possible that their mama was a feral and ran away when she saw your dd. I would take them back and put them in their bed then find a place to hide and watch for mama to come back. I would give it about 6 hours of watching actually. Since with my own feral mama when I go near her babies it is at least 4 before she will go back to them.

[thixle]

Are you rubbing their bottoms with a warm, wet rag? The mother must stimulate and lick their genitals clean in order for them to urinate/defecate. Just rub gently but firmly in a "licking" motion.

I would also go with the Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) over a homemade formula, but that is me... Little tiny kittens are not too resiliant, so I wish you luck. Offer at least every 2-3 hours, round the clock.

HTH

[MaWhit]

Where did she find the kittens? Chances are she took them from her mama.

If you can't get them back to their mama, you should feed them formula using a bottle or syringe. Make sure they don;t drink too fast. If it comes out of the nose, it's too fast. Also make sure they are standing or laying down on their bellies when they eat; do not cradle them on their backs because it increases the chances of aspiration.

Best bet, if you can't return them to their mama, take them to a cat rescue.

I have 6 bottle babies right now, and had 11 at a time in the fall of '07! I have a lot of experience, but I still lose kittens sometimes. They are pretty fragile, and are really best off with their mother.

Are you sure they are two weeks old? Eyes open? Are their canine teeth coming in yet? Are they eliminating on their own? What exactly are you feeding them?

[Minky]

Get a kitten milk replacer for sure. And do make sure to wipe their bottoms with a warm, wet rag or paper towel. I wouldn't leave them outside for long, but perhaps putting them in a box where DD found them to see if Mom hears them and comes back isn't a bad idea. Just make sure they keep warm.

[MaWhit]

Also, how often are you feeding them?

[zonapellucida]

I am feeding them every two to three hours. I tried putting them back and watching and no mama came I will rub their bottoms now. hadn't even thought of that even thoughI have had had litters of kittens. I tired to get one of our cats that had just had kittesm sent away to "adopt" them but she just hissed at them.

Okay, their cannine teeth aren't in, they aren't eliminating on their own and theri eyes are just open. They are walking very wobbly eith theri tails stright up. I just rubbed thier botttoms and they eliminated,. No wonder they have been yelling at me.

MaWhit: They look about tlike the kittens in your picts so maybe they are three weeks.... Oh and their purrers already are working When they aren't meowing they are purring.

The recipe i found was 4 oz evap milk, 4 oz water, 2 egg yolks, 1tsp maple sysrup

[Eman'smom]

http://www.pamperurcat.com/K/kitten_milk.htm

This is the replacement milk we used when fostering, they sound about 3 weeks old. Have you weight them?

If the mom is feral it will take her HOURS to get back.

[zonapellucida]

hank you for the recipe. I will pick up what I don't have latter today. I know the feral cat that is the mum and I haven't seen her DAYS. I am wondering if she was hit by the fourwhellers that are always out back .

I jsut weighted 4them and one is 7 oz, the other a hefty 10 oz. I had gotten my daughters cat to start nursing them but my father wouldn't let them stay! (she is 18 and lives with them now) I am so ticked at him. I know it is his house, ect. ect. but theri chance for survival were so much greater and it was hard to get her to start cleaning them and feeding them as her kittens had just been sent to the humane society. GROAN. I will be so sad if they die.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Would he be willing to let you bring the nursing mama cat from your dad's to yours for a few weeks? If you can let them nurse 2 more weeks their chances of survival go way up.

I cant believe your dad is willing to let them die

[zonapellucida]

He is just sick of being inundated by cats. We already have 7 here and they have 7 there. He had JUST paid to get the humane society to take a group of kittens and then I show up with two more : Did I tell you he has an ulcer he named after me?

Well yesterday was an interesting day but I really think I have the hang of this! I was up at four doing a kitty feeding! They are such little loves and I cannot stand it when people say "oh just drown them" Yes, I have heard that. As for the nursing mama, she is my 18 yo best friend as she has a eally hard time around people AND Chowder is uncomfortable here now--we originally brought her over here and she wanted nothing to do with them but when I brought them into her environment, she was a bit wary at first, but started to lick them and let them nurse. They probably could have stayed if my DD was there but she is in the hospital and noone wanted to take responsibility for them. Hopefully she will be coming home today and we can confuse the little buggers again. I have one that is a voracious eater/pee-er and the other (smaller) kitten what I would consider average. I do see a big improvement in them though. Their needs are being met as quickly as I can so even the little one, who barely made a peep is now all over me. They know Heidi=food so I have been adopted by them. They are going to turn out so beautiful if they survive this.

Thank you all and I will continue to check this thead for support through my kitten raising jouney. (note that the DD who HAD to bring them home woke me to do the 4 am feeding becasue she was TOO TIRED GRRRR kids!) But I am pretty proud of how efficiently I can get it done

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Great job mama At least this will only last a few weeks not months like with a human baby so you can do it

[Eman'smom]

I found 10-12 oz to be a bit tipping point. We only ever lost one foster who was over that weight. In my experience at that weight they can elimate all or most of the time on there own and we were also able to drop the middle of the night feedings, we were also able to offer them a mix of formula and wet food in addition to bottle/syringe feedings. Not that they still didn't need tons of care but they got a lot more stable.

[LeahBoo]

My mom works at a grocery store and had someone abandon 2 3 week old kittens at the store. She took them (one couldn't walk so she took them to the vet, it had been stepped on and was put down). Between my my mom, sister and myself, we were taking care of the kitten, but it seemed like something was missing. So my sister put an ad on freecycle, offering her to someone with a momma cat. She got tons of responses! Even people who didn't have momma cats wanted to take her and bottle feed. We gave her to someone with same-age kittens, momma took her right in.

[zonapellucida]

Update: They are doing wondrfully!!! Hodge is 15.7 oz and Booth 10! I have been giving them a bit of solids and they are loving it. They also love to curl up in my hair at night. I hope someone really appreciates them because they are wonderful animals.

Now I am intoducing them to cat litter