Found newborn kittens

My boss/co-worker lives on several acres of wooded area.  Last night his family found 6 kittens (umbilical cords still attached so thinking very very newborn), one was dead already and the rest were rather cold.  So they get a heating pad and some blankets and in the process of getting them warm another has died.  They call around and find kitten milk formula (not exactly close to any place) and by the time they get the formula and find a syringe small enough to feed them another has passed.  Over night (they are waking up every 2 hours to feed them.  They have a 16 year old son that is allergic to cats that is putting on latex gloves and getting up to feed them) they lose another so they are down to 2 kittens - however both of these kittens are feeding rather well.

So they are wondering will the humane society take them in?  I ask here because it's not open yet but in case it doesn't do shelters generally take in newborn kittens?  They have no idea what to do with them because they're so young.  Worse case scenario they will bring the remaining two into the office next week so we can make sure they get fed every 2 hours.

I would offer to take them home but not sure how my three male cats (well technically one is still a kitten) would react.

No, shelters generally dont take in so small infants.  Or rather, they may do it, but they are immediately send on.

Unless they DO have some dedicted rescuer who is free at the moment.  In such cases, they do sometimes, yes.   So if you do contact the shelter, you must play it by ear, hear if they really do have somebody willing, or just say so to soothen your conscience.

Usually the best is, if the founder / rescuer does it. 

1. She is already addicted

2. it becomes hers or his or theirs, personal Quest.

If vet costs are a problem, it happens however, such a shelter helps you with the vet, as long as you are willing to be such a fostering home with them, for this kitten in question.

A couple of links:

www.kitten-rescue.com

http://www.kittenrescue.org/index.php/cat-care/kitten-care-handbook/

http://www.hdw-inc.com/glop.htm   kitten-glop (use if possible goat milk instead of evaporated milk).  

This link is about kitten glop, but the rest of the site is about orphan kitten-care, by a bengal-breeder.

There are also articles at our Preg and Kitten forum!

There are surely more places, if you google look at handraised, hand reared kitten.

Best if you (or your coworkers start a thread in our Pregnant and Kitten care Forum.

Good luck!

I work in a shelter, and yes we would take those kittens in. We would either put them into a foster home as "bottle babies", and try to have one of our nursing mommy cats take in these 2 little guys. Call around and see what you get!(:

Update:

They called the Humane Society and several Rescues/Shelters and none would take them in because of the work involved.

All had passed away as of Sunday Morning - they had a major worm infestation and had called the vet prior and after finding this out and were told that they were too young to get any type of dewormer and that this type of thing is usually taken care of through the mom getting the dewormer.

They were rather sad about this as they went out and bought a gram scale, thermometer and were feeding every 2 hours while keeping a feeding/weight chart.  They aren't cat people but after all the work they were putting in they were going to keep them because of it (and honestly they couldn't have found a better home with more caring people).

Not a happy update, but not all updates are.  They buried them all together on their property and their 16 year old son who is allergic but woke up throughout the nights and wore latex gloves to feed them is pretty upset about it.

Aqualoon said:

They were rather sad about this as they went out and bought a gram scale, thermometer and were feeding every 2 hours while keeping a feeding/weight chart.  They aren't cat people but after all the work they were putting in they were going to keep them because of it (and honestly they couldn't have found a better home with more caring people).

Not a happy update, but not all updates are.  They buried them all together on their property and their 16 year old son who is allergic but woke up throughout the nights and wore latex gloves to feed them is pretty upset about it.

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Im sorry to hear this. But as you say, not all sagas have happy end.  Yet they usually do teach us something, that is why they were told.

The familys dedicated work was not in wain.  Mother Theresa earned her Sainthood by doing exactly this here, helping found dying with giving them care and love in their last days. Knowing very few of them will survive.

These kittens here did got love, their souls rests now in peace, as their bodies do.

And the family?  My suggestion to them, is they continue to use their won experience and the buyed gears.  Help other kittens. On their own with other spontan actions, or with cooperation with some nice rescue group or shelter.

The first time is usually the most difficult. Their debute is done.

That is my advice for them.

Please send them my deep respect and thanks.

Good luck!