# HELP PLEASE!



## sneezy (Mar 10, 2009)

I will post this on this board because it seems to be the most used and I need advice as soon as possible but feel free to move if necessary.

Basically my mum has had a few feral cats living in her back lane and on her shed for years and she feeds them. A while ago when the mum one gave birth the rspca came and took her, gave her the op and put her back again (one of the neighbours informed the rspca they were there). Now one of the kittens has grown up and had its own litter! This morning my mum found 3 kittens in the rabbit hutch (rabbit wasn't there) and mother cat was no where in sight. They were freezing cold and not moving so she my mum brought them indoors and warmed them up. They were literally born over night, cords still attached, covered in 'stuff' and one had a bag half on. After getting them warm and wriggling my mum put them back hoping the mum cat would come look after them. When my mum got home this evening they were stone cold again and not moving at all. Waited a while keeping an eye to see if mum cat would come and she still didn't so my mum brought them inside again. 

She did some research when she first found them and subsequently bought some goats milk just in case. Now I have just been down my mum's for the last 2 hours helping her get them warm and wriggling again. Sadly only 2 have survived, but those two look fairly fine. Obviously, having no experience of bringing a baby cat into the world neither of us have any idea what to do other than what we have read on the internet. So far, now they are warm, we have tried feeding them the goats milk (at body temp) through a syringe. I'm not sure how much they actually drink and how much goes everywhere else, they also seem to suck the milk up if i squirt a little on my hand. Any suggestions on what to do next? How much milk should they be drinking? I have read every 2-3 hours, is this right? what else do we need to do. Being the time of night cannot call rspca or vet or anyone. Also, in the morning, if we rang the rspca what would they do with them? If they would just kill them I am not ringing them! I have weighed them and they are 3.25oz and 3.5oz. Is this normal? I was planning on weighing them daily (if they are still with us) and read they should increase by 0.5oz a day. again, is this correct?

If you have read all of this thanks and any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

It's important to keep them warm and don't try to feed them if they're cold. When the body temperature is lower than normal the internal organs and digestion doesn't function normally. Try to get hold of some kitten formula from a pet store or a vet. Instructions on how much to feed are given by the manufacturer but for newborns it's usually 1-3 ml every 2-3 hour.

However fluids are more the most important. If they don't eat try to give them fluids (best option is to have a vet give fluids sc). Blend water, sugare and some salt and try to give it to the kitten.

Here's some excellent reading on how you care for for neonatal kittens.

Good luck!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Sounds like the kittens were born to a very young feral cat. Sometimes they abandon their newborn kittens. 

Read thru URL posted to help get you started.

*http://www.kittenrescue.org/pages.php?pageid=15*

You need to keep them on a heating pad (on low with towel over the pad) to keep their body temp up. We put a soft fluffy stuffed animal in with them to snuggle up to. If you have a baby ben clock put it in there cuz they like the ticking sound.

Feed them with a syringe you can get for free from a pharmacy. Have them in an upright postion when you feed them as not to get it in their lungs. They need to be feed every 2 to 3 hours all day everyday for a couple weeks. Make sure you buy kitten formula collostrum to begin with to feed them. It takes a bit working at but put small amounts in their mouths to let them swallow. 8cc per body ounce. It can take 20/30 minutes each a feeding to suffiently get enough milk into them to survive.

Be sure and wipe their bums with a warm moist cotton pad to stimulate peeing and defacating after each feeding.

I would call around to rescues and see if anyone has a nursing mother that would accept them. That would be the best solution if it is available.

here is a recipe for kitten glop. KMR sometimes gives our kittens diareaha.

*http://www.kitten-rescue.com/what_to_feed.html*


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