Kittens No mom! Never owned cat!

My mother was allergic to cats and I never was able to own one. The only thing I know Is they eat cat food and never give them cows milk. So I was helping my boyfriend pack up his grandma's stuff from her house as her husband died and she sold there house to move In to a cheap apartment. Well when we were taping the box's I was walking threw the back door and about fell down the porch steps. Somebody left a box with 3 kittens Inside, and I dont know where they came from because his grandma said they were not there the other day. I honestly dont know how old they are but It was going to rain so I took them home. The bottom of the box was wet from previous down pour. There was towels under them so there bellies were only damp. I dont know what to do? I took some beach towels from my dryer there decently warm, wrapped them up and put them In a laundry basket. When my aunt had a puppy that the mother wouldnt nurse she would fill small bottles (like 16oz coke or maybe a small gatorade bottle) with some warm water. Then set It under a sheet with the puppy to keep her warm. I put 4 bottles along the basket. Will that work to keep them warm? What else should I do, I have no Idea how to feed them. I've had them for 2 days, they feel luke warm to the touch and there eyes are open and blue colored. But they dont seem to respond to my voice. My friend who has 3 cats said there about 1 1/2-2 weeks old. Is this right, If so how long do I keep them and when should I wean them?

Right now I have been giving them goats milk out of a eye dripper? Is this ok or should they not have milk at all?? There's formula at our local pet store, could they drink that? I have no Idea what i'm doing, could a vet see them when there so tiny with out there mother. It Is a city town with older folks In the neighborhood. We have no Idea who the mom cat Is or where she Is, there was no other cat around. i've been reading some sites that your board has posted about young kittens. But I just really need some advice, I have no Idea what I'm doing. They look healthy? Clean eyes, there tummy's are pretty round, no nasal discharge? HELP!!!

Get them kmr and bottle feed them it. They sound way to young to be alone.

Is KMR a type of kitty formula??

The goat's milk you are giving them is fine so you can keep giving them that or you can try to get the KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer). I like the goat's milk better of the two. it won't upset their tummies so much like the KMR seems to sometimes.

Keep them warm, the bottles are good but a rice sock is better - take an old sock and fill it with uncooked rice. Tie off the end and put the sock with the rice in it inside the microwave for a few minutes until it is warm, not hot to the touch. You can make up a bunch of these and re-warm them as needed.

There is a wonderful web site made by some really wonderful and kind folks - you should check it out:

www.kitten-rescue.com

It is all about caring for orphaned kittens. There should be a lot of helpful information for you there.

Best of luck, I hope it works out for you and for the babies.

Yes KMR is a kitten formula ..its full of good stuff for them its a milk replacer.. you can buy it at a pet shop or local vet office, they sell it in pouder or ready made..I found the ready made was much thicker and filled my little guy up more so then the powder... you can buy the special made bottles to for the kittens.. if they are that young they need to be fed every 2- 2 1/2 hrs.. my vet told me that kittens can start being introduced to wet food that is wattered down around 4-5 weeks of age..

good luck those sites are awesome, they helped me with my premature kitty..

2-2 1/2hrs? Seriously! Oh mercy, I've been doing It every 3-4 hours . I didnt know It was that often, I will look Into that KMR formula. Would I be able to mix Goat Milk with the powder form? I take It, that It's like baby formula and requires to be mixed with water for so much powder. But would the kitties get more out of Goat Milk Instead of mixing the powder with water??

I dunnno about the goats milk as my little guy was 5 weeks when i had to take over..but many here seem to like it better than KMR from what I read when the babies are so young... I think you prolly be ok with the goats milk but for better advice maybe talking to your vet would be best or if they have a place you can call for advice like they do in montreal.. I can call the DMV 24/7 for advice on kitten food, and any kind of illness they will help over the phone.. maybe look for something like that to give you some help..for feeding schedules and other stuff this site was what helped me the most

kitten rescue it will tell you how often feed them and what to feed them according to age and weight.. good luck your off to a good start

Well I'll talk to my vet that i use for my English Springer Spaniel. I can call him any time and unlike other vets, he will give me advice right over the phone If need be. Which is awesome, as my last vet just kept telling me to make an appointment or he was to busy! I got an appointment for my dog (Angel) this Tuesday and he said I could bring the kittens In with her and he'll take a look. I tried weighing them, not sure how reliable the method was, but they all came out around 3.5-4oz. I'm hoping thats healthy .

read around the board there is lots of good info, everyone here seems to know there kitten stuff ... it should help till you can talk to your vet.. I know what you mean about vets ..when cookie got ill (mom) I took her to the vet I was so worried that she was gonna die on me, she had some sort of infection.. chip (kitten) was 5 weeks old and he was a preemie, so he still needed around the clock care from mom, the vet was more interested in the reason then the cure.. for me I just wanted her to feel better and not suffer anymore.. the vet gave me some antibiotics for her and by that night after forcing her to eat and drink ( had to for the antibiotics) she was on her feet by bedtime it was such a relief..

they seem to be good sized weight, but im not a professional by anymeans and I only have my chip.. they are almost as big as he was at 5 weeks chip only weighed 5 oz on the vet scale.. he is about 1/2 lb now.. at 9 weeks..so he is still small...


here is some info I found on the kitten resuce

Kitten Weight
At birth, weight should be approx 3-3.4 ounces.

At age 1 week weight should be approx. 4 ounces.

At age 2 weeks, weight should be approx. 7 ounces.

At age 3 weeks, weight should be approx. 10 ounces.

At age 4 weeks weight should be approx. 13 ounces.

At age 5 weeks, weight should be approximately 1 pound.

By the end of the 8th week, kittens should weigh approximately 2.2 pounds.

they sound about right ..

if you go here http://www.kitten-rescue.com/kitten_..._schedule.html

that will tell help you with the feeding schedule..

hope that helps

I've been giving them about 5 or 6cc a feeding. So hopefully there getting enough . I know there a little tiny, they might have some worms. Because they look thin but have plump tummies?? Saying, there ribs show a little but yet they have a pot belly, and In puppies thats the first sign normally.

Not to scare you, but if you go to KMR DO IT GRADUALLY... My kittens were pretty constipated on KMR nothing would relieve it. we switched to goat milk out of pure accident, we had run out of KMR with no way to refill. Well they did great on it the first 12 hours, that night at 2 am I went into my room to find 1 in a pile of vomit with diarrhea a few feet away, nearly died that night but made a full recovery and is doing great now, bar it's pooping EVERYWHERE now

lol you did scare me xP. I'm reading only about KMR and Goat milk, and It seems Goat Milk would be better for them. As gayef said, It helps them digest, It doesn't upset there tummies. They have paste, yellowish bowl movements, no vomitting. The only problem Is they suckle alot? Is that normal at there age? According to a lot of sites I'm feeding them plenty. Yet when ever i pet them or go to change something In there little "hut" they lick my hand and suckle a lot. When they do that should I feed them? Even If I did just a couple hours prior?

Are you also stimulating their little bottoms after they eat each time so they can eliminate? That is very important ...

Yup, I use a warm damp cotton ball after every feeding, and they seem to go fairly quickly.

Wow, for someone who says they don't know about cats, you sound like you're doing a very conscientious and good job. It's a lot of work, and it has scared off good people! Could you post a picture of the kittens? We might be able to give you an idea of their age. If they survived a day without feeding, they might be older than you think.

Sounds like you are doing a terrific job I fed KMR to my little guy and he did get constipated and had to have a couple of enemas at the vet.

You are certainly on your way to becoming quite the Mommy. You are doing an amazing job. What a quick learner you are. I also commend you on doing your research and your concern for them is wonderful.
If they love the goat milk just stick with it. The biggest thing is keeping them warm and full. You seem to be doing both.
I think worms are a big possibility. They may also be malnourished so they look younger than they are.
Keep us updated and we really really really love pictures here.(hint hint)