ASAP Help kittens!

Ok so I posted before about the feral cat situation outside my apartments. The rescue I was talking to said that I could bring in kittens or friendly cats. Well today I was taking out the trash and heard screaming baby kitten!

Apparently the cat gave birth in a hollowed out tree and one of the kittens had fallen out and was stuck and scared. I saved it then saw its siblings. Well I grabbed all 4 of them up and took them inside to take to the shelter. Turns out they are closed on thursdays but I left a message. They called me back saying they had no room and have no idea why someone would tell me they did.

I don't know what to do right now. My husband is sooo not going to be happy. lol He just worries about me trying to keep them (which I know I cant, I dont have room or money lol) and he will worry about our other cats catching something.

Right now I am keeping them locked in a huge carrier in the bathroom,door closed. And washing my hands super well after handling them.

What should I do? I emailed the person back I was talking to but if they won't take them? I guess I can try to find them a home if my husband will let me. I really do not want to put them back outside, it will kill me. Those cats are so skinny, and I think the other ppl stopped feeding them.

IDK how old they are. They are very skinny. I would think weened age or close to. They walk around, eyes wide open. But i gave them soem wet food and they didn't touch it.

What should I do? I gave them a bath. They were pretty dirty. I am in tears right now worried. Should I go get them a dewormer? kitten milk?

Thank you so much for helping them! First step - take a deep breath. You have a big job ahead of you and you need to tackle it calmly.

I would continue to try and reach the rescue for help. I am not surprised you got two answers. One may have been before the onslaught of kitten season - now they may just be overwhelmed. in any case, keep trying. They may be able to take them eventually, if you are able to foster the kittens for the time being.

Get some wet kitten food and perhaps a can of kitten milk. You can mix it with the wet food In case they aren't quite ready for wet food. Do you have a crate you can place them in? That will help keep them confined and give them a bit more room.

If they are small enough, the bathtub wil do in a pinch. They will need a small litter box with non-clumping litter. If they are too young to use the litter box, you may have to stimulate them to go potty. (mommy would lick their bums to get them to go but you can use a warm damp washcloth).

Unless you see lots of worms, I wouldn't worry immediately about the worker - if you can take them to the vets, he or she can do that. Give them a blanket to sleep, the potty and some wet food and you should be OK. Vibes the rescue gets back to you quickly!

Thanks I am just super worried right now. I really do not want to put those kittens back outside.

I emailed the rescue, I hope I hear back. I also posted on their facebook page & another rescues that is in a nearby city. Hoping that someone will see and be able to help.

Idk if the kittens are old enough to eat on their own or not. I ran to the store they didn't have kitten wet food but I just gave them a bit of normal wet. I bought soem kitten milk. But none of them seem interested in it at all. But maybe they are just scared.

Three of them are little hissing machines. I am sure it has been a whole scary thing for them. The 4th is just an angel. He rubs against me, and tries to play by kicking me then rolling over on his back where I get his belly and he gets my hand. He is also curious and explores. I think he is the one that fell out of his "home".

I haven't dealt with kittens in omg so long I can't remember. They look old enough to be trying foods, but oh so skinny. They also have brown dirt/crust? on their eyes and nose. But the inside of the tree was a disgusting mess of rotting tree/shavings. So it could just be that.

Right now I have them in an extra large plastic sided crate with a blanket. I do have a kitten litterbox I will put in there too.

moonkissed said:

.... I dont have room or money lol) ....

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The shelter has not room either, but they may perhaps help you with the costs. for example helping you with vet costs?   I mean, dont try contact them for them taking in the kittens.  apparently they cant or dont want.

But try to be their sub-foster home, so to speak...   This would solve much of your problems.

and hopefully, they would also be willing to give some practical advices.

They can at least tip to to local vet who are good and cheap - probably the vet they usually do cooperate with.

Normal canned wet food should be good enough, contains much animal proteins and fat, you dont need especially kitten wet food.   This is more necessary with dry food, as wet is usally better than dry.   What is extras in dry, is standard on wet, so to speak.    Pouches with paté-style are also OK.

Children baby food, Gerber stage one or two, are another tip. Best the flavor of chicken or turkey.

Also, if you happen to get goat milk, its good and cats like it.

kmr-milk as mentioned earlier.

Your priority as now must be, to assure they are hydrated, and begins to eat....  I hope they had began by now, as your original post is 11 hours old now.

Them having warm and cozy is important too...

the rest will solve itself with time, dont worry.

Tx for caring, and please continue to report and ask!

Good luck!

It is pretty scary for them but continue to interact with them as you have and pretty soon, they will be fine. Once they learn that you bring the food, they'll be your best friends! I would get some saline solution for eyes and wipe their eyes with it on a cotton ball. Just to get the crud off. If they have upper respiratory infections, their eyes will weep again and you may need to get them antibiotics.

Be careful about playing with the bold kitten. Hand play is a lot of fun when they are kittens but once they get bigger, it hurts! Don't teach him bad habits now. :lol3:

Hopefully, you hear back from the rescue soon.

Most rescues will be glad to mentor you in fostering the little guys AND may be willing to take them once they are old enough to be neutered/spayed and then placed for adoption, but taking on the job of raising and socializing feral babies is something that requires a foster home, and during kitten season, foster homes are at a premium.  Therefore, TAG, you're it, you're the foster.  You can do this.  You will get lots and lots of help on here in terms of tips and coaching, but you will need to do the physical work yourself.  One of our rescue's pet peeves is people who want to "rescue" but their idea of rescuing is to take cats or kittens from point A, where they find them, and turn them into point B, which is US.  They consider themselves rescuers, but we do all the work!  Of course we are easily bribed with large enough donations since we are always in need of money, but mostly we are willing to help people who are willing to do the work WITH us.  Our humane society gives out food, gives shots, does worming, and eventually will take the kittens for neuter/spay, and then finally will take them into our shelter when they are fully vetted and ready to be adopted out.  We have paid for all the vetting, but the person who came for help has done all the work.  See if you can work this way with one of your local groups and you can get these babies to point C, which is adoption!

Thanks for the advice. The kittens are doing fine and I have found someone to foster them. They are coming to take them on Sunday.

I would love to foster in the future. I just am not in the position to do it currently. I have 4 cats & a dog, in an apartment. Just really no space to take on anymore. Plus my husband just would not be ok with it at all. When I have a house it will be something I will do for sure.

I had them outside but took them back inside this afternoon (long story) but when I first brought them in they were quite active but have been sleeping since then. I am going to offer them some food soon. I have a bottle with formula & will try wet food again first. Hopefully they will eat on their own with some prompting.

Thanks everyone.

Oh, so glad it worked out. You are doing what you can with what you have. Hopefully one day you can be a full- fledged fosterer. In there meantime, the kitties have been saved!

Wonderful that you have found someone to foster the kittens!  It's a lot of work but it's a work of love.  Four cats, a dog and a husband in an apartment sounds like way too much to handle, never mind adding kittens, but at least you were willing to do what it takes until a permanent foster could be found.  Thanks for caring, and you'll make a great foster in the future when your situation allows!

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moonkissed said:

 
... but when I first brought them in they were quite active but have been sleeping since then. I am going to offer them some food soon. .....

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Had they eaten anything since you took them?   I mean, they may be sleeping because its sleeping time.  But if they hadnt eating, or had barely eaten, they are just vegetating, perhaps even dieyieng (spelling),

1. Make sure they are warm

2.  try and rehydrate them.   Water in the corner of the mouth, tummy down, head up.

3.  You may try and perk in extra energy by smearing glucose sugar on their gum.  Brand name may be Dextrose or Dextropur.   If you nor your neigbours dont have, try with honey or white caro syrup.

4.  Force feed them if necessary.  Dropper or syringe. corner of the mouth, tummy down, head up.   Burp them afterwards.    and stimulate afterwards if necessary (ie if they dont relieve themselves).

Let the kmr and hydrating water be body warm.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone. The woman who was supposed to be taking them had some personal issues so I may ahve them a bit longer now.

They are eating on their own. I mixed formula, wet food & baby food together and giving it to them. One of them will only eat the wet food if it is swimming in formula they others are pretty good at munching it all down.

I think you were right about them sleeping so much. I don't think they had eaten in a while. They are so skinny. Because as soon as they got food they have changed completely. Omg the energy!

I have a few questions I am hoping you can help me with.

So far I am just feeding them as much as they want. About 4 times a day. I have no idea how old they are and so it is very confusing. They seem to be getting enough food as they are just go go go but when I go to feed them again they act so hungry so maybe I should give them more? I let them eat until they walk away. I am guessing they are a bit older because they have not really been trying to nurse at all, mostly they try to chew things.

Bathroom...Friday & Saturday after I fed them I would clean their bottoms & try to stimulate them. I was only getting alittle bit of liquid from them but not much. Now just last night, overnight they went potty quite a bit on their own. I am going to guess they just didn't have anything in them to go. And now that I am feeding them it caught up. All of it looked healthy. I put a kitten litterbox in there for them and they seem to be using it. Since they are using the litterbox do I need to stimulate them still? I guess they are going on their own.

You are so right about the handplay I didn't think of it before. I am now stopping that and turning their attentions to a toy when they attack me. They are so adorable and playful. Having 4 kittens trying to get u at once is difficult lol

Is there anything else I should be doing to help them be well adjusted?

I am keeping them in a doggie playpen, with the lid of a carrier for darkness and a litterbox. I let them out a ton to run around my bedroom and play with them. If they are going to be here for much longer I may move it into the living room so they get used to noises like tv and such. Right now everytime I open my bedroom door they wake up and cry like crazy for attention. I just am not sure how my dog & cats will react to them.

They are just so adorable. It is so wonderful to see their personalities come to life. Like one of them was such a nasty little kitten when I grabbed them. He was just not having any of it. I was worried that he was so feral and not going to be easy to adjust like the others. He is now my little cuddly baby. He wants to sit right by me all the time and in my lap and snuggled in me. he comes over and just taps me then climbs into my lap. Like a complete change. I think it may be a girl actually lol

That one and the other super friendly one are the most friendly sweet ones. They love attention and are right there begging for it. The third one is just so-so. He comes gets petted, plays but also likes to go do his own thing. The last one is still a bit timid. He wonders off to sit by himself alot. He still plays like the others but he just is not as social I guess. I am trying to give these two alot of attention. It is hard as I am just one person and I have two begging for all the attention lol

I uploaded a short video of them too. I sound like a moron in the video lol ignore that

You are doing fantastically! I am really impressed with the set-up and agree with you, they must have been near starvation, poor dears. I would say they were six weeks or so - a great age for socializing. It sounds like they are on their way back to normal - using the potty, eating well, etc.

I would continue the feeding schedule - bump it up to more food or more frequent feedings if they continue to act "starving.". They will probably need worming at some point, so if you can swing a vet check and worming app't, that will help.

And you do not sound like a moron. That's how we all sound with kittens this adorable!

Thanks! I am not sure what I am going to do now, the woman I was talking with to take them is kind of MIA so I'm not sure if she changed her mind.

I called my local shelter back to see if they would help if I fostered them and they said they couldn't do that. I am going to try one in a nearby town. Hopefully they come through.

This is what is so frustrating for everyone involved in rescue work.  There are just not enough resources.  Keep trying to contact shelters/rescues.  Have you tried looking online?  Plug in "rescues near zip code" and see what pops up.  Depending on where you are, there may be some you aren't aware of yet.  I use shelters/rescues up to 100 miles away from me - if one can't help, sometimes another can.

You are doing fine so far.  Hang in there - these babies are way better off now that they have you in their corner!

Those little ones are adorable! That is a hard situation. Again keep contacting shelters/rescue resources and hope for the best!