Kitten Pics On Flickr - Do They Look Healthy?

I uploaded pics of the kittens on Flickr. I've never used Flickr before, so I hope I did it correctly!

I uploaded three dated groups from the day I got them out from under the house until last night when they first started to try solid food.

My best guess is that they are turning six weeks old this coming Monday. Six weeks ago on Monday was when I first heard crying coming from under my deck.

From what I can tell looking at photos of other six week old kittens, these guys don't look six weeks old. More like barely four weeks old. They weighed 11 1/2 ounces this morning.

The photos stamped 100514 were from last night. The female (gray tabby) really took to eating Royal Can. off the saucer and went to the bowl I was keeping it in and turned it over and ate out of it as well. The male (orange tabby) was afraid of it. He went over and checked it out and then retreated to the far corner of the play area. Photo 4. He will eat it if he's in my lap and it's in my hand. He won't eat it on the floor, even if it's in my hand. He'll only eat if I'm holding him.

The male does try to eat the clay litter pellets. Maybe he wants moistened dry food?

Any suggestions, opinions about age? Do they "look good"?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50186856@N05/

They are adorable!! They look healthy to me. You have done a great job. My kittens are almost 2 weeks old and and weigh 9-10 oz each (they have their mama, though). Remember that their mama was feral and her diet while pregnant probably wasn't so good. Also she might have had them early.

OMG, the cuteness factor is off the meter!!

They don't look underweight and their eyes look good. The orange one has a bit of a funny eye look, but maybe it was just the flash or lighting or whatever.

I am glad to hear they are eating, however odd it is! Just keep redirecting them to eat out of the bowl on the floor. Try elevating the dish a bit to just below their chin level. A lot of people feed their animals that way now. My daughters kittens who were born on Easter like the elevated deal.

Again, they look good. Are they playful? That tells volumes about a cats health.

Keep us posted and thanks for the pics. Hey, any names yet??

Thanks for looking at their pics! The orange male "eye" issue has straightened up. I think his eyes weren't totally open when I first found them.

They are very playful when I'm in there with them, pouncing, chasing, wrestling. Both try to pull my glasses off my face if I'm down on the floor with them. When I leave them alone, the go into the nest and sleep. They are spending time wrestling with one another in the nest, but rarely come out into the play area unless I'm in there.

I haven't named them yet. They are twins to two of my older housecats. Tiger and C. So we're calling them "Little T" and "Little C" on the short term. One of my best friends is going to adopt the male (if he can ever get him to stop playing dead when he holds him)... So, he'll choose the males name. If my oldest housecat allows me to keep the female, then I'm thinking "Kaysee".

They sound like they are doing great. Try having your friend feed the boy.

Thanks for the suggestion about letting my friend feed the boy. I think now that they're trying solids, I may give that a shot.

My friend tried to bottle feed him a week or so ago and he (my friend) was too nervous - hand shaking with the bottle. We're both avid readers... he's a college professor, I'm a programmer, so we're both into "research". He was afraid of not holding the bottle correctly and causing the kitten to choke.

Honestly, I was very timid at first... I tried the towel on lap, kitten sitting, bottle at 45 degree "textbook" feed position. They would have none of that. They stand upright on my folded arm, pressed against my chest and stretch up for the bottle, holding my fingers with their front paws. Neither will feed from the bottle in a sitting position... I have video, it's absolutely funny to watch. I surmise that when "mom" was with them, she must have stood up and they had to reach up to nurse. I've tried for weeks to slowly bring them down to a sitting position to eat and as soon as their back feet start to fold they stop nursing and reach up to pull themselves back into a standing position.

...I'm afraid my guys have "psychological scars" left over from a mother who was way too young to have a litter. The owner of the feral mother believes the mother was just 8 months old.

...and, sadly, mom hasn't been seen by me or by her owner who leaves food out back for the feral cats in the neighborhood for about 2 weeks now. She may have fallen prey to the countless "attack dogs" in our neighborhood. I live out in the county where it's almost required that you own a dog. I'm surrounded by German Sheps and Pit's. So, mom may not have intentionally abandoned her kittens.

I'm one of those firm believers that "cats are an indoor pet".

I do let my cats out but only 2 leave my yard. They go play in the horse pasture behind our house. The rest stay right here. I have plans to build an outdoor cat enclosure for them so they can go out to play and be safe. I also have 3 dogs who are usually out there with them so if any strays come up they chase them off.

They're adorable. It sounds as if these guys were really lucky to find you!

They look cute and precious

Aww! Those are some ADORABLE kittens!
I do have to say that they do look a little younger than 6 weeks though...maybe they were just malnourished before you found them, but they look closer to 4 weeks. But, they do look very healthy, so no matter how small they were then, they look good now. How long ago did you find them?

They're adorable! You've done a great job with them!

They are adorable, first of all but yeah, absolutely not 6 weeks old. My guess would be 3.5-4 as well.

You sound like an exceptional foster home with great instincts and values-cats are absolutely indoor pets only with very few exceptions. The world we live in is much too dangerous, and there are too many sick minded people out there who can easily snatch an outdoor cat for testing, bait, torture..I shudder to even think about it. Thank you for taking care of these babies!!