# Kittens! 0.0



## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

I hope this is in the right place. If not, feel free to move it - that shouldn't break my 'watch this topic for replies', right?

On my way to work this morning, I was checking under the bushes in front of the appartments trying to spot the stray that I'm getting ready to adopt. I didn't see him, but I did spot a pair of kittens under one of the bushes. "Odd," I thought "but the mother will be back for them, I'm sure, and if I go home for a towel to take them to work in I will miss my bus, plus there's no guarantee that I'd find someone to drive me to the shelter on my break." So I kept walking.

On the way home, I was looking under the bushes again when I noticed a group of the neighborhood kids trying to climb under one of them and heard some very loud kitten cries. Fortunately, we have some very good youngsters here, and they were trying to get the kittens out to bring them to an adult. They know I'm an animal person, so when they saw me they turned them over. They'd found another one. All three are cute brown-and-black tabbies with white on them; I suspect that 'my' stray is the father since they look a lot like him.

The kittens appear to be a few days old, though the closest babies I have ever handled were rabbit kits, so I could be wrong. They are about 6" long, nicely furry, loud, and their ears are working normally but their eyes are shut. I have them in a box with a towel over a ziploc bag full of hot water now, and they are whining occasionally but mostly asleep.

Because of the poor animal shelter situation here (we have two, but only one takes in strays, and at the one that does, these guys would be just about guaranteed to be pts without a mother with them), I intend to try leaving them out on the porch tonight to see if the mother comes for them. If they're still in the box in the morning, I'll see if I can talk the good shelter into taking them, and if that's not possible I'll take them to the bad one. (Better a quick euthanization than starving to death, and there is no way I can keep these guys even for a couple months.)

Am I forgetting anything? Will it harm them to go overnight without being fed, if the mother doesn't come?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Kittens that young need to be fed every few hours. I don't know a lot about them, but since no one else has responded I'll take a shot. Since you can't care for them beyond what you have done, I'd recommend putting them back where you found them (with the water bottle) rather than making the mother look for them on your porch. I'd think there's a better chance of success that way. Giving them some water with an eye dropper might help them make it through the night, although I don't really know. Then see how they're doing in the morning.

Anyone else, please feel free to contradict me, I'm just goin' with my gut feeling here.


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

The kittens will probably need to be fed several times throughout the night if they still have their eyes shut. You'd have to feed them kitten formula, and I don't know where you'd get some at this time of the night. There are several recipes on the internet (Google) but I've never tested any of them. It's really important to keep them warm and hydrated. At that age, I think you'd also have to 'poop' them.

If they're going out on the porch, they need to stay warm. 

Other than that, you could see if you could find a (or several) nursing queen(s) to adopt them. It's kitten season at the shelter, so maybe they'd be open to taking a few more in if it's a matter of life or death for the poor things.


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## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

I did run to the store right after I posted that, and picked up some KMR. Feeding them wasn't exactly a success, but they still seem strong and vocal, so I guess it's not critical yet.


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## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm going to take a little walk with them and see if I can spot the mother. If it's who I think it is, she trusts me pretty well (she's fully feral, but has set foot inside my house, so that says something) and probably will stick around long enough for me to put the box they're in down and retreat to a distance where she'll feel comfortable coming to get them.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Great that you got some formula. I found a website that says kittens with their eyes closed need to be fed 6 times a day, so I think you're in for at least one feeding during the night. 

Here's a link to a website with what looks like good info. The kittens need to be stimulated to pee/poop. There's instructions here on how to do that. 

http://www.homeatlastrescue.org/html/ab ... ncare.html

Hope they make it!


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## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

Well, the walk didn't help. There is a group of older tenage types smoking something unidentifiable (but likely illegal) behind the dumpster a few feet away from where the kittens were found.

The kittens aren't going out again tonight.

I'm having a look at the site that Doodlebug posted, but hopefully I won't need most of the info this time. I might need it next time, though, so I'll still read it all.


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## angelshelper81 (Mar 20, 2006)

They made it through the night. I'm looking up the number for the good shelter now - I'm going to at least try to get them to take them. Either way, they'll be someone else's worry soon.

Thanks for all the help!


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