Newborn Kittens HELP NEEDED!

Hello, I have a pair of kittens born just over a week ago and their mother, who had been with them up until last afternoon has completley gone misssing! I don't know if she'll come back or not so I would really like some help in the ways of what to feed them and how to care for them. I have tried calling the local Vet, but no one awnsered the phone over there and it'll be closed for some hours yet and I'm too scared to move them by myself and take them to a more far away vet in case the mother comes back.
Could anyone tell me what to do with them? They've been doing these little mews and I feel like they're getting tired.

http://www.kitten-rescue.com/

That site will help you ALOT.

First they need to be warmed up if they are cold, never feed a cold kitten.

They are not old enough to eat cat food, you need to go to the store - they have kitten replacement milk (KRM) in the cat isle. If you do not have milk readily avaliable at least try to get some water in them with a dropper or a needless syringe. If you do not have a dropper/syringe get one while you are at the store for the KMR.

They have to be fed every 3-4 hours.

Make sure they stay warm.

After you feed them they need to be stimulated, that is, you need to help them go potty (kittens are unable to do it themselves). You do this by wetting a paper towel with warm, not hot, water and rubbing their genitals/anus until they pee & poo. Massaging their lower tummy can help.

It's very hard work, I hope momma cat comes back. I would not let momma back out, she will probably abandon the kittens again if she comes back.

for helping these two!

that momma comes back!

Thank you! I've already put them in a blanket to keep them warm, but I don't really think they sell KRM over here at stores. Actually, I've never even seen it in pet stores, either, and I've went looking for it before, too. Is there anything else I can give them? Can they drink cow's milk or would that be bad for them?
I normally would wait more to see if the mom comes back, but I don't want to take risks with the kittens. What I'm even more worried about is that the mother, Boo, got eaten by someone/something. There are a lot of Chinese in the area here and they have never hesitated in showing their love for cat soup.
*EDIT* Okay, I finally got hold of the vet! They should be alright now. Thank you for your help!

Cow milk is no good but I have seen a few people mention goat milk.

There is also a recipe for "kitten gloop" sticky at the top of the forum.

Best of luck!

Mom is probably gone and the kittens need to be inside. Please don't feed cow's milk, their systems aren't old enough to handle it and it causes diarrhea and other health issues. If they have been abandoned for awhile and they are pretty hungry you can try canned kitten food, but you must puree it down so they don't choke. I have had kittens as young as a week old take to this mixture because they were so hungry. You just put a bit in their mouth, pour some into a small jar lid and gently bend the kitten's face down by the mixture, they catch a whiff and off they go. But be careful, they could get some into their nose, so you have to keep cleaning off their noses to keep their nasal passages clear.

Kitten rescue is my website. If I can help you with these babies I will.PM's are the best way to reach me.

Best of luck!

Originally Posted by Cat's_Pyjamas

, but I don't really think they sell KRM over here at stores. Actually, I've never even seen it in pet stores, either, and I've went looking for it before, too. Is there anything else I can give them? Can they drink cow's milk or would that be bad for them?

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The advices depends partly on where you are. KMR is the best brand of kmr, cat substitue mother milk, but there are other decent brands too.

Goat milk works excellent, as mentioned.

If you really must try with cow milk, use low lactose milk. Or do cook it (=heat up till it begin to boil). It seems boiled cow milk is a little easter to digest than common cow milk. But do avoid if you do have better alternatives.

You have already got excellent advices. And I think like Hissy, the mom is probably gone. Run over by a car being probably in heat anew, or kidnapped for soup or something... You must plan on your own.

Good luck!

Thank you all for all your help, and I found the site really useful, too! Sorry I posted this thread on the wrong board, btw. I'm so blind on forums.
The thing is, though, the vet gave me a bottle and some powdered kitten milk and showed me how to mix it and stuff but I have no idea how to get the little guys to drink from the bottle. It worked alright with the vet, he just squeezed the sides of their heads and popped the bottle into the edge of their mouths, but whenever I try to do the same they just struggle and push the bottle away. And when I try to feed them like how it's said to on the site, that doesn't seem to work for them either. The little guys just do everything they can to get the bottle out of their mouths and I have no idea why! How do you get a frisky little kitten to feed when it doesn't want the bottle? I managed to get some drops into their mouths, but that's all. Plus, they're only about 9/10 days old and their eyes are already starting to open and they're starting to walk pretty okay, but the vet said they open their eyes and do all that at 14 days and up so, what, are they growing up super fast or something?
Thanks, again, for all your help.

If the bottle doesnt work for you, try to have some milk on your finger. With a little luck they will lick from your finger.

Instead of a bottle, it may perhaps be easier to use a little syringe? - to the corner of the mouth, NOT into the middle and down the neck.


And as said before, see they are enough warm (but not too warm). In both cases, they will lose strengh and appetite.

It may perhaps be useful to give them some water in between. If they become dehydrated, they also lose strengh and appetite.


Hope you succeed!

Thank you! I put some milk on my finger, and the white one (I forgot to mention, one is white and the other is brown, both male.) licked some of the milk, then it seemed to not want to anymore. The brown one, however, refused to lick any at all even though it was meowing really loud and seemed to be very hungry so I held it by the scruff as gently as I could while keeping his feet on the blanket I put down and slipped the bottle into the side of it's mouth and he drank from it willingly for a little bit, but them pushed it away. But afterwards he made a sound rather like he was purring and put his face into his brothers fur and went to sleep and I'm wondering now, 'cos I'm not sure if kittens so young can even purr, did I do something horribly wrong? Is that his breathing or something?
I mean, I've been getting pretty frustrated and I'd be lying if I said I didn't walk into the next room just to hop around and mutter harsh words at the fact they are giving me such a hard time and returning to them with renewed calm after 5min, but I really don't know what I'd do if they didn't make it, and while I've only known them a short time, I already feel so attached to the little guys... I SHALL DO MY BEST!!
Btw, the brown one has been pooping as well as peeing when I rub his bottom (Tho, he only pooped three times.), but the white one has only been peeing and not pooping so I'm kinda worried about that. What does it mean?

Keep stimulating them right after feeding.
Keep trying to feed every two hours, stick to some type of schedule if you can.
Just be stubborn and eventually you will figure it out, and babies will figure it out.
Stick with it.

Do NOT feel badly that you are frustrated. Feel normal. It can be a very stressful thing you are doing. Leave the room and stomp around, cry into a pillow where the babies cannot hear you. Take a deep breath, a go back to them with renewed patience and compassion. This is a big challenge. You are doing very well. Be more stubborn than the babies.

Put the bottle into the side of kitten's mouth and allow a few drops to squeeze onto his tongue. Give him a few seconds to swallow. Repeat. Make sure the formula is not too cold or too hot. Stimulate the bladder gently for a minute or two. Pet him, love him, talk to him, rub his tiny face and cheek, purr at him. Kiss his little face. Try to feed him again. Try to stimulate him again. Put him in his bed, and do the same for the other one.

Repeat in two hours.
Be stubborn. You are doing well!

Originally Posted by PintaMeez

Make sure the formula is not too cold or too hot.

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Right! Cats body temperatur is somewhat higher then humans. so it shall be lukewarm to you; more exactly 39 Celsius degrees, ie 102,2 Fahrenheit as I understand it... Say 102 F should be good.

Oh, I should mention, I always had better luck bottle feeding with a smaller syringe (no needle, just the syringe)... one that was of middle size, big enough yet small enough to handle one-handed with a little practice - because kittens do squirm around, you'll need the other hand to brace him and hold him still. It was also convenient to see how much they were eating... two syringes or three? or whatever, depending how old they were.

It takes practice. All of it.

Btw, if the brown one was purring and falling asleep, he apparently got enough for this time.

You did succeed here!

So now you know roughly how much he wants at a time. And he must have been hungry now, so it seems they dont need so much at a time as you think....

Did your vet give you an estimated age for them? Are you sure they are only 10 days old? They sound too advanced to be 10 days... Definatly see if they will eat wet food, put it on a plate and see what they do.

Good luck, it sounds like you are doing your best!

The mother has just come back and she's super thin and won't feed the kittens. I have no idea what has been happening to her these past few days, but when she came back, she was sooo happy to see us. She's never ever been so affectionate before.
When I tried to put her with her kittens, tho, she seemed to get scared and even growled a little, but she didn't hit them or bite or get all fluffy or anything. She just dashed away. Plus, she doesn't look like she has milk and I can feel her bones through her fur.
I mean, even if she doesn't feed them, I could still bottle feed them, the kittens, that is, but I'd much rather she fed them herself.
Thank you all for all your help, tho! The kittens are drinking from the bottle quite nicely now, and even if the momma won't feed them, I now know how to take care of them myself!
I'm sure about their age, tho, 'cos I was there when the mother gave birth to them. The vet was kinda spacing out and just wouldn't listen when I said they were ten days old.

Originally Posted by Cat's_Pyjamas

The mother has just come back.... The kittens are drinking from the bottle quite nicely now,.....

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Wonderful news!

What does this returning thin moms teach us? I myself wrote you should probably count the mother as lost and dead now. I should probably instead write - she may be dead, but try also to seek after her, precisely like any other home cat who went missing...


Both kittens are now drinking the bottle as they should?
What did you did to make the change? What was the trick for you?


And the mom. With a little luck and after some rest she will proceed to nurse them and to teach them life-useful cat knowledge, even if she doesnt have milk any more.

Dont forget to spay her as soon she is back in shape. She may have been get caught in some cellar, but she may also have been together with a lot of handsome cat boys. Thus, dont wait more than necessary.

Depending on how long momma was gone, her milk may have dried up.

I hope she has milk, and nurses them though, it's hard for us humans to do the momma kitty role! I've done it before, it's hard work but it sounds like you got the hang of it.

Good job working with these kittens!