Found kittens and don't know what to do

Hi- I am a veteran cat owner, but just found your site and hope that someone can give me advice.  On Sunday, I discovered a litter of three newborn kittens under some bushes in front of my house.  (I had heard a kitten crying continuously Sat. evening during a heavy rainstorm, but could not find it in the dark).  We are pretty sure that they were delivered by a feral cat that we saw on our property twice last week.  I would estimate that they are somewhere around 7 - 10 days old (one just opened its eyes yesterday). 

My family has been keeping a close watch on the kittens and we have yet to see the mother anywhere near them. Yesterday, I put them in a cardboard box with a towel under them and several hours later we had another thunderstorm that soaked the kittens so I ended up putting them in a large plastic bin that had a door cut out of the end.  I placed the tote in the exact same location behind the bushes where I found them.

This morning I checked on them and they seemed dirty and unfed.  Thinking that the mom must have abandoned them, I went to the store and bought bottles and KMR.  By the time I got back home and was ready to feed them, I discovered that one of the three was missing.  I was hoping this was a sign that the mom had come and decided to re-locate them instead of abandoning them, so I left for work at 9.  When I went home for lunch at 1:30, the other two kitttens were still there. 

Does anyone have advice as to how I can tell if the mom is still taking care of her kittens since we never see her?  Is it a safe assumption that the mom moved the first kitten away and at what point do I intervene?  I really don't want to bottle feed stray kittens, but I don't want them to starve to death either.

Thanks for any advice in advance!

You should probably to get onto your local rescue group and they should help you. Kittens that age need to be fed every 2-3 hours. They also need to be stimulated as they cannot yet go to the toilet on their own 

good luck 

I understand your dilemma, and I suspect there is not clear cut answer. Anless YOU do see sure traces on what is happening out there...

The safe to do is to take them in. At the same time safeguarding you will foster them from beginning.

But also here they may perish, no 100% quarantee everyone will survive.

To letting them be left is a gambling. Although it has also some merits, it you and they are lucky.

Contacting a rescue group nearby is also a good idea, if there is one.

It is difficult to give fire-proof advices.

I hope your intuition, your gut, and your villingness and possibilites for hard work.

Tx for caring!

   Good luck!   *vibes*

Hi - I am back and thanks for your replies.  Just to update you, I ended up bringing the two kittens in my garage (in a box right now) and have been taking care of them since last Tuesday evening.  I had them checked out by my vet last Thursday and they are doing very well.  She thought they were around 2 weeks last week, so that would make them 3 weeks this week.  It looks like we have one boy and one girl.

There is not a local kitten rescue that I am aware of, just an SPCA that is over capacity and would have probably put them to sleep if I had taken them there.  I'm hoping to care for these babies until they are completely weaned and socialized and then find good homes for them.  We may have already found a home for one of them with close friends of ours who I know will take excellent care of him. 

Now I am just trying to convince my husband that I do not intend to become a crazy cat lady ;-)  With three kids, two dogs and three cats (in addition to the two I have just taken in) we have a house full of animals.  I'm a little paranoid about disease, so I am keeping the little ones in the garage for now but may decide to bring them in for socialization once they get old enough to test fro FELV and FHIV. 

luvmy3jewels said:

  We may have already found a home for one of them with close friends of ours who I know will take excellent care of him. 
........

we have a house full of animals.  I'm a little paranoid about disease, so I am keeping the little ones in the garage for now but may decide to bring them in for socialization once they get old enough to test fro FELV and FHIV. 

Click to expand...

Jolly well done!!! Tx a lot!   Had you seen any more traces of the mom?

Do they already have a cat or a cat friendly dog?  If not, try to talk them over into taking them both. Most cats do prefer a cat pal. Having two cats is thus usually easier than having just one.

You arent paranoid. Fosterers and rescuers should be careful about quarantine and such... Most are in fact.  I remember we had once a long thread about these questions. Some didnt cared much, some were utterly protective for residents. Some inbetween.

After a while it become clear these without making fuss were people of two similiar sorts:

a) the residents were themselves healthy ex rescuees.

b) healthy cats who were used to roam freely outside.

All other did some quarantine programme of some sort, depending on the exact circumstances.  And so is also our recommendation.

Although I hope they are healthy, tests or not test.  If not, you would probably see it, or in any case, will see it soon. But do take them tests if you can.

Keep us updated now and then, and if you have more questions too...

Good luck!

A 2 week quarrantine is our standard, regarding something contagious, such as URI's, ringworm, etc.

The kids can't be accurately tested until about 6 months of age though.

If at all possible, please trap the momma cat and have her spayed.