New Kitten Help!

brooke1086

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So here we go.. A couple months ago a stray cat showed up at our house. We live in the middle of no where so we really have no idea where she came from. She wouldn't let us anywhere near her so we just fed her when she was around and went on with our lives. We thought she might have been pregnant but that's unfortunately when she also disappeared.

Two days ago I was at the gas station when I heard crying coming from my engine. Well, I popped the hood and eventually found three tiny kittens. So far they seem okay and from what we've read they are about 4-5 weeks old. They eat a lot, are very active and look healthy. Our only problem is that they will not poop or at least not as much as we think they should. They are each going about once a day. Is that normal? We tried the whole rubbing thing and it works with one but not the others. We have seen each go on their own though in the litter box so we are not even sure we even need to do that.

We know nothing about cats but we want to take care of them. We are not in the most pet friendly area. The shelters said they will put them down and the closest vet won't see us until Monday afternoon. My husband thinks they are fine but I am starting to get attached to them and worried. Does anyone have any advice? I would greatly appreciate it!!

Also - they are eating wet kitten three times a day. Is that good or should they eat more?
 

handsome kitty

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They should be eating every 4 - 5 hours around the clock.  You can probably work it so the last meal and first meal are father apart so you can get some sleep.  As they get bigger they will need to eat more.  Can you get some Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) to mix with the wet food or serve in a dish.  Where are you keeping the kittens?  Normally they would just be starting to ween from mom about now.
 
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biancavd

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Is the mom still with them too? It's possible mom is still helping them poop, and if so she eats it. So you won't find anything.

If not, it doesn't sound like they poop a lot. If you can, keep a good eye on all of them for one day, and confirm whether they all poop, or if one is left out. As long as they can poop, I wouldn't worry about the quantity. If one does not poop, and not the day after, go to a vet asap. In that case, one of them can be constipated which can be deadly for kittens. If they are constipated, at some point you'll notice in their behavior. Their belly will be hard, they possibly throw up a lot, and get extremely lethargic. If this is the case, you need to go to the vet instantly.

At 4 weeks, some wet food is enough. I don't even give them that much at that age, because they still drink at mom. At around 4,5-5 weeks I slowly get them introduced to kibbles. When I see they can eat that normally, I put kibbles out always and give wet just as an extra. They can eat the kibbles as much as they want, continue to drink with mom and get some wet in the evening (Which they usually love).

If mom is not around: on most of the wet food cans you can see how much a cat needs at what age or weight. Try to follow that if you can, and see how far they get. I still suggest kibbles over wet food, but that's for you to decide. 
 
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brooke1086

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As far as we know the mom is gone. Today they have eaten twice and still have not gone. They look like they really have to go though which makes me even more worried. Are there any other tricks we can try?
 

Sarthur2

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It sounds like they can go on their own. What's happening is that their systems are adjusting to solids after a diet of exclusively mom's milk. It may take a few days.

If you're concerned about constipation, mix a spoonful of olive or vegetable oil into their wet food. You can also add a little extra water. This should soften things up and get them going soon.

I would give it more time.
 
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brooke1086

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a few seconds ago
Brooke1086
Hey everyone! So a few days ago we took in three stray kittens. We took them to the vet today and he said they look healthy and gave them their shots. We have to wait a month though before they can do the test for feline leukemia. Our area is not the most pet friendly and to be honest the vet was kind of a jerk. I tried to ask questions but he was basically shut me down. So can one of you help me?

How common is feline leukemia? I am now worried that my kittens have it and they will have to be put down - when I voiced this concern the vet said - "don't worry we can do it the same day and I will only charge you for two." I have gotten pretty attached to them and would hate to lose any of them. So again, can someone help?
 

Sarthur2

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Why would you think they have feline leukemia?

I also think you should change vets if you're not happy with this one. He sounds very rude to me.
 
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brooke1086

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I know nothing about cats. I just asked the vet whether they could have it and he said yes. Technically, he said there is always a chance with any cat but all I heard was yes. Since then I have spent way too much time googling all the diseases he said they could have. I may be taking all of this way too seriously but in my defense I am also eight months pregnant and really emotional. [emoji]128513[/emoji]
 

handsome kitty

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This not the time to google cat diseases.  Assume all is fine with your kittens.   Stay away from the health forum, too. 

I assume you know you shouldn't be cleaning the litter boxes.
 

Sarthur2

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I agree! You'll make yourself crazy.

Just try to enjoy the kittens. And look for another vet. They can have the record of their shots transferred.
 

newmamaof3

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I seriously wouldn't worry too much about it until there is something to worry about. If they are eating well and playful and seem to be doing well, just assume they are ok. Once they are old enough have them tested. Then if by some chance they are positive for the disease treat the symptoms as they have them. It's not a great thing but it's not an automatic death sentence. The biggest concern at this point (not knowing whether they have the disease or not) would be if you had other cats already that you have exposed to the new kittens without knowing their status. IMO feline leukemia or fiv is not a reason to euthanize as many cats can live for a long time with the disease(s) in latent states. We have adopted 5 recently, all either feral or from shelters and all were negative, so my experience has been that it is not overwhelmingly common. Good luck with the new babies and the new baby! Oh, and feline leukemia doesn't pose any risk to you, however I would let someone else handle the litter pan as cats can carry toxoplasmosis which is not good to be around while pregnant. Since you are in your last trimester, it isn't a huge concern as the risks to a developing baby are much greater diluting the first trimester and as hearing and vision are developing. Just let someone else handle the litter box to be on the safe side.
 
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