TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care › NEED HELP FAST! 4 Kittens and a dead mother... What to do?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

NEED HELP FAST! 4 Kittens and a dead mother... What to do?

post #1 of 11
5/15/10 at 3:07pm
Thread Starter 
Hi so one of our barn cats had 4 kittens. She was around for a while, but two days ago she didn't show up for morning feeding. She hasn't since. So we are trying to help the kittens. There eyes are open, but they are not very strong. The will not drink milk out of a pan. We tried syringing milk in there mouthes, it went semi well.... So what should our next course of action be? how should we feed for them until we can get them to drink milk? We need replys ASAP because they are very weak... We think one may die.

Thanks for the help
Reply
post #2 of 11
5/15/10 at 3:20pm
First off - Welcome to TCS!

The kittens need to be kept warm, I've used a heating pad with a blanket/towel wrapped around it. If they are too cold they won't drink. Do you have any kitten milk replacer? Here is the link to a good website that can offer guidance.

Please be aware that is it not advised that you turn these kittens loose on the farm once they are older. Being bottle fed kittens, they do not stand much of a chance of survival (less than 5% is what I was quoted once).

About 6 years ago we fixed our farm kitties. It's the best thing ever done. They're friendly and healthy. We don't have anymore kittens & death all the time. Best of all, even though it was $$ to fix them, we spend *much* less to feed them each month (about 1/4 the cost of before). Please consider fixing your farm cats, for their sake.
Reply
post #3 of 11
5/15/10 at 4:14pm
lGet to the pet supply store and get KMR. It is a milk replacement for kittens. Get the bottle that comes with it.

Cut an "x" in the nipple. Put the KMR in according to directions. Gently hold each kitten and very lightly, squeeze the bottle to help the milk flow. Test before you put in kittens mouth so as not to drown them with too much pressure. It might take a little time for them to get the idea of sucking and not biting the nipple. Be patient.

Use a heated rice pack in the microwave, and do not get it too hot. Or use a jar filled with very warm water and wrap in a towel. Lay this with the kittens. Keep them draft free and in an area where no other animals can get at them..in the house.

Feed them as much as they will take. Depending on their ages, will dictate how often to feed. My motto is feed when hungry.
Reply
post #4 of 11
5/15/10 at 4:34pm
Welcome to TCS.
You can find some really good information at http://www.kitten-rescue.com/
Reply
post #5 of 11
5/15/10 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the help, but for now all we can do is heat. Our vet office is closed... What can we do in the mean time to tide them over until the morning when the vets office is open?
Reply
post #6 of 11
5/15/10 at 5:34pm
Do you have any milk replacment? You can get it at local pet stores, and here's a link to a home-made recipe.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46295
Goos luck with your babies!
Reply
post #7 of 11
5/15/10 at 5:59pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the recipe! we made it and they took the syringe right away. they are over 3 weeks old, so we are going to start converting them to dry kitten kibble in 2-3 days. I have 2 other kittens who were around this age who did just fine. A little difference circumstances, but pretty close.
Reply
post #8 of 11
5/15/10 at 6:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Farmboy View Post
thanks for the recipe! we made it and they took the syringe right away. they are over 3 weeks old, so we are going to start converting them to dry kitten kibble in 2-3 days. I have 2 other kittens who were around this age who did just fine. A little difference circumstances, but pretty close.
That's so great to hear! They may not start eating the hard food until a little after 4 weeks, but putting it out there is never any harm. You can also try putting a little milk replacer in the food to soften it a little.
Reply
post #9 of 11
5/15/10 at 6:20pm
They may not be able to eat dry kibble; you may need to give them some soft food, possibly with water added. Do a search for "kitten glop."
Reply
post #10 of 11
5/15/10 at 8:47pm
Here's the recipe for Kitten Glop, http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46295

I'd start off with supplementing the bottle with the wet food. Add some KMR to the wet food and mix it up to make it a bit easier for them to lick up.
Reply
post #11 of 11
5/15/10 at 8:50pm
Great advice everyone, terrific team effort to save these babies!

Farmboy, welcome to TCS, so glad you came here for help. Please do keep us posted on the little orphans.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Pregnant Cats and Kitten Care › NEED HELP FAST! 4 Kittens and a dead mother... What to do?