Found a litter and not one "rescue" group can help me

They are about 2 weeks old. They don't seem to be too intelligent as they just are not grasping bottle feeding. I work two jobs and have 5 cats of my own. Every shelter or rescuse group call basically said "FULL SORRY!"...it is really disgusting around here. I have no idea what to do! All the do is MEW. Thank god my landlord is away or I'd be kicked out! I don't want to be "that person" but now I understand why people leave them in store parking lots of shelters or pet stores...NO ONE WILL HELP! IT'S ABSURD!

I think it is common. With "helping" I suppose meaning taking over the burden. The best ones usually have already their arms full. They ARE known as good rescuers, so they get all those found. Or themselves do seek them out.
And the bad "rescuers" you dont want to know what they are doing.

So, the founder must usually also be the rescuer and fosterer. (BUT you can prob get at least some good advice from these shelters? And adress to their vet they do cooperate with?? - perhaps even some help to cover vet payments? )
Lotsa of hard work yes. If you arent at it, rescuing, see it as some sort of a Quest. A way to improve your Karma, to help and save your soul or soul of someone you loved. Im not ironic.
In the middle ages people payed good money for tokens after saints - often "tokens" after "saints", to help up their souls fate. It IS my firm belief helping our smallest brethrens - ie homeless cats, kittens etc - is equally as good a way. And no fake in there either! It is pure and real value. Besides, it feels good too when you are done.
(It is of course entirely plausible alternative to help humans in distress, but it is another story. We are talking kittens now).

Dont see them as a burden, do see them as a gift, to you and to humanity.
I hope these above will help your determination at proceeing to help these small.

You do have own cats, so I presume you do know most of the basics? for example, not cow milk, but some good cat mother milk replacement. Like KMR or other brand. Goat milk is also OK.
Warmth and comfort.
If they dont take bottle, try with a pipette-dropper. Or even a small syringe. (in the corner of the mouth, NOT into the neck).
You can also try with making the opening in the bottle-nap a liiittle bigger.
EDIT You may also try with having a little milk on the tip of your finger, and let them lick of.

EDIT - Them not sucking MAY also be they are somewhat chilled, so they lose strengh. (too much warmth is not good either, but the most common it is too chilly. Some sort of heating pad or bottle with warm water is useful).

a very good site fo helping small kittens is: www.kitten-rescue.com

ah yes, a couple of things more.
As you do have double works, you probably cant give them food every three hours. So dont try to do it. If only way is to give them every 5-6, so be it. In the wild, the cat mother must leave them sometimes and go hunt now and then, leaving them several hours each time.

Next, is how is it with your resident cats and the kittens?
There is probably a need for some sort of isolation of the kittens, till they get a vet check up and health clearance... They do prob have some fleas in not nothing else.

On the other hand, IF some of your cats can be their foster mommy, it would improve things quite a lot for you and for them.

Some fosters are VERRY strickt with quarantene and isolations. Some fosterers mix them almost immediately, unless the rescuers are apparently sick and prob contagious.
Most are somewhere in between.
In much, it depends who your residents are. Strickt indoors cats, perhaps with health issues? Beware!
Healthy, fully vaccinated cats, who are used to roam outside? - You probably dont need to exxagerate the precautions.
You must analyse for yoursels - and make your own decisions....



Good luck!

If they dont have really strengh for suckling, people use to try water with some corn syrup. Or even - a drop directly on the tongue. I presume water with some Honey in is also OK. Or if you do have Dextrose, "grape sugar"
All of these will give them some boost in their energy....

And as said - too chilly or too warmth takes also energy from them.

where are you located? You can PM me your town and state and I will look on my list and see if anyone that I know is in your area and able to help. Thank you for helping these kittens even when you are being put at such a disadvantage. Don't get mad at them if they don't take the bottle, try instead and see if they will go for either meat flavored baby food or canned kitten food pureed. sometimes, no matter how young, they will go for that out of just survival mode Just take a bit of it and open their mouth (just be sure it is all liquified no chunks) stick a bit into their mouth and see what happens. If they go for it, feed them out of jar lids at first otherwise they will bathe in it.

I don't have much experience with tiny kittens, so will leave that to others. I did want to thank you, though, for your willingness to help them. I know it's heartbreaking, frustrating and tiring, but you're doing a wonderful thing for them. As Hissy said, if you tell us where you're located, maybe we can find some resources that might help.

I am not mad at them at all. I just can't believe this is how it is! I used to work as a vet tech..and 3 of my 5 cats were strays I rescued..2 I bottle fed with no problems. They are all healthy indoor cats now. My kitties aren't to happy about them...except my Trouble...who is a male mind you. He has been licking their butts and cleaning them while I feed. I am just going to be so sad if they don't make it!



I am located in Long Island, NY!

thanks all!

I see the bigger half of my advices werent necessary here, as you ARE already deep into this. Both rescuing and professionally helping sick cats.

Anyway, this shows you ARE made of the right wood for this task, you couldnt hardly find anyone better or more suitable. Nor they could come to someone more suitable.
You do have even a foster mommy (ie here foster daddy ).
Good they your residents are ex strays. All surviving strays are made of tough wood. Thus - the risks of contagions are lesser.

So the only real problem is, you having double jobs, dont really have the time...

Frustration at the difficulties, anxion they will not make it... They are true and real hardships, but they are there for all rescuers.

Cats are no automatos. Sometimes even very difficult cases go on luckily, as soon they get a shadow of chance...
And sometimes it doesnt go well, although.....
Most often it is something in between, so the only to do is to fight on...


Tx again, and lotsa vibes!

Bless you for taking these babies in. I'm so glad Trouble is there to help you be their surrogate mom. That's awesome!!

I'm 7 weeks into this same situation, so I know the frustration.

My only concern is allowing your cats around them. They could have something contagious and you could be risking the health of your cats. This makes me nervous.

I wish you the best and thank you. As I said I walked into the same situation7 weeks ago, 3 week old babies and nobody who wanted to help. Unfortunately out of 5 I still have 4 who need forever homes. It is starting to become a cost issue to keep them here, I have four of my own.

Leslie

I just took on one and she was dead set against bottle-but syringe was fine! she sucked the syringe down(without any air it plunger will go) With my girl I put a drop on tougne then she sucked it down. maybe worth a shot to try that. also try a different milk brand i that dont encourage them

I have no experience whatsoever with this, but I can understand that if the shelters are full they are full. Not much they can do, as there has to be a limit at some point.

Where's the kitty birthmother? Couldn't they be left as strays where they were since they are too young to spay/neuter and release and shelters are full, and set traps for them two months from now?

Originally Posted by Ducman69

Where's the kitty birthmother?

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I was wondering this myself. Is the OP sure the mother wasn't around and coming back later? She probably went to look for food for herself as she was probably starving after birthing.

Originally Posted by Primula

I was wondering this myself. Is the OP sure the mother wasn't around and coming back later? She probably went to look for food for herself as she was probably starving after birthing.

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I made sure she was no where to be found. They were there for a while before I took them in. They were mewing so much it was making me nervous and they were under my deck by my bedroom window. It is below ground...so my cats sit in my widow and practically took my screen off. It honestly sounded like someone was murdering them. They started crawling in the driveway. That's when I figured I should bring em in.

I found a nice lady who takes in animals through a friend! Since they were healthy and clean they took them. I am so revealed!!

I did keep the pretty gray girl. I named her Betty! I had her checked out and all looks well so far! She is doing great and even eating mushed wet food and KMR!!

Thanks for all your help!

Originally Posted by kittylover618

I am so revealed!!

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I think you meant relieved, but I got your meaning!

Yes, you definitely had to rescue them. Even tiny critturs can make a hell of a racket. Kudos for your kindness.