How To Take Care Of Kittens Abandoned By Their Mother? 12-days Old??

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1. Twilite said

   on April 20, 2009

   CATS ARE LACTOSE INTOLERANT. any nutrition in that milk will no be absorbed and can cause the kittens dehyration, diarhea, and worms! id say feed it water until you get a lactose free kitten formula. and to help them go to the potty youre gonna have to get a washcloth wet with warm water and rub them down there… or else theyll get backed up and have other issues. the vet will help you out with all of this

2. NYMOM said

   on April 20, 2009

   No cow’s milk!!!!!…water is ok and so is goat’s milk, though. I would go to a emergency clinic tonight…they are awfully young, to be guessing what to do…you are very kind to do this, but get them help NOW!
   GOOD LUCK!

3. poohbear said

   on April 20, 2009

   You should be feeding them kitten formula. But in your circumstance a high fat cream luke warm in an eye dropper is good. Make sure to give them some sterilized water as well so they don’t get constipated. You must stimulate there bladder every 4 hours with a Q-tip and there bowels. To do this either blow on there pee hole to stimulate there bladder. and rub the Q-tip around the sphincter and rub the belly to stimulate a bowel movement. Kittens this young cannot pass urine or stool on there own. Good luck

4. Phaewryn said

   on April 20, 2009

   Cow’s milk is not good for them, but if you can’t get any kitten formula until tomorrow, add a bit of corn syrup to the milk (low fat milk might cause less digestive upset). It should be served warm, but not hot. Here is an EMERGENCY recipe (not nutritionally complete for long term):
   1 can Evaporated Milk
   1 egg yolk
   2 tablespoons Karo syrup
   Mix well (shake in a jar with a lid) and kept in tightly sealed jar in fridge. At feeding time mix 1/2 of the estimated feeding amount with an EQUAL amount of boiling water. If you get no poops, try adding one drop of vegetable oil to each feeding.
   You will need to bundle them up in a hand towel, and hold them UPRIGHT (don’t be tempted to turn them over like infants and feed them belly-side up as they can aspirate the liquid into their lungs and get pneumonia). An eye dropper may be putting out drops that are too big for the kittens to swallow with one swallow, and that may be why you see so much not going into the kitten, but rather pouring out the sides of the mouth. You often also have to wedge the tip of the dropper (or syringe, or nipple) on top of their tounge. Kittens naturally suck all the time, with their tounge stuck to the roof of their mouth. If the milk is going UNDER the tounge, none of it is being swallowed. You must get it in the TOP of the tounge. You also have to make kittens that age PEE and POOP by hand. For this you will need an old washcloth or a torn up sweatshirt. Get it wet with warm water, wring it out, and rub their private parts for several minutes. First the pee will come, then if they need to, the poop will come after the pee is done. They should pee before and after every feeding, and they should poop at least every other feeding. They should be fed every two hours (every other hour, more often if they are not eating much in a setting), around the clock (NO SLEEPING ALL NIGHT). Kittens will usually turn away or stop swallowing when full, but as a guide here are some basic ideas of how much they need to eat. From the newborn stage until the kittens are about 10 days old, feed 2 cc to 5 cc, every 2 hours. At 2 weeks old, they are ready for 6 cc to 9 cc, and feeding every 3 hours; and at about 3 weeks old, move them up to 10cc to 13 cc. feedings, every 4 hours. An average meal for a 3 week old kitten can vary from a single syringe full (12 fluid cc) to three syringes full (36 fluid cc) for a large and hungry kitten. If your eye dropper isn’t marked in CC, but in ML, they are the same thing. These kittens should be eating AT LEAST 3 CCs or MLs every 3 hours. If they are not getting that much, they will likely become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and can die. As the kittens grow, the number of feedings and their frequency can be decreased. Also as they grow, they can let you know better when they are actually hungry. Kittens that are not getting enough nourishment may cry continuously and/or suck on each other or on themselves. If you do happen to have a scale, a steady weight gain of about 10 grams (or 1/3 of an ounce) per day is recommended, but it sometimes comes in spurts.
   It is also important they stay warm, a hot water bottle or heating pad on LOW covered by several layers of towel or blanket is advisable. Keep them piled close to each other as much as possible. They should be kept at a temperature range of 80 to 85 degrees at all times.

5. Biz said

   on April 20, 2009

   You shouldn’t feed kittens cow milk as it is bad for them–in a pinch you can use goat milk. You could get some at a grocery store that’s open late. Also, is there a pet store open late in your area? They carry KMR (kitten milk replacer) and bottles. If not, you can also try calling a 24 hour emergency hospital. They may have some on hand.
   Please note that it is hard to bottle feed kittens initially–you kind of have to teach them by placing the bottle in their mouth and gently pulling it out to stimulate them to suck on it. You definitely don’t want to just squirt large amounts of the milk into their mouth–this could cause it to aspirate in their lungs.
   With kittens that young the most important thing is to keep them warm. They should also eat every 3 to 4 hours, and you have to stimulate their genitals to get them to poop and pee–you just take a warm washcloth and rub their private parts to get them to go. Otherwise they won’t go on their own.
   And keep in mind that if they are crying/meowing, that means that they are either cold or hungry.
   Good luck caring for the babies! It’s a lot of work but I’m sure they’ll be great cats.
   Feel free to contact me with any more questions–I raised one of my cats from a 2 week old kitten and she’s just perfect.

6. zebrahom said

   on April 20, 2009

   well i guess u dont need to worry about it bieng sad bc it blind.

7. ♥Animal and Cat / Kitten Lover♥ said

   on April 20, 2009

   PLEASE do not feed them COW’S MILK. It is too strong and has way too much bacteria for their tiny developing stomachs. Run to your nearest pet store and buy some KMR. (Kitten Milk Replacement.) And It is a very good thing you are taking them to the vet tommarrow. Well, good luck with your kittens, but just PLEASE DON’T LET THEM DRINK COW’S MILK!!!

8. Punk Baby Clothes said

   on April 20, 2009

   Go to a big pet store, they sell kitten formula.

9. netty said

   on April 20, 2009

   Keep them warm. Heating pad under a folded blanket works great. Just low setting is fine. Let em all cuddle together.
   Can also place em in a big oversize sweater, next to your
   heart, this is warm and comforting to them.
   Fleet farm or a pet store will have kitten bottles and formula, feed often, even in the middle of night…..til they are bigger and stronger.
   Cleanup is a pain, so if you have a mothering dog, let dog
   do the cleaning. Else wet wipes are great, and if super big
   messy, sink baths will be in order, again, get dry and warm as soon as possible. Its demanding but over in a few short weeks. Soon they will be bigger, stronger and going in the
   litter box – you will be so glad.
   Take pictures, they do grow fast.
   Enjoy and cuddle with them whenever you can.

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    on May 1, 2009

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