Brought a kitten home and need urgent advice

  I hope I'm posting this in the right place and hoping to get a reply to this soon. I found a mother cat and her litter of kittens yesterday morning (there were six that I could see) near a construction site by my house and was unsure what to do with them. The mother was very friendly and her kittens were walking around her (they look about 3-5 weeks old). I've been wanting a cat for a while now, but I couldn't take all seven of them home with me so I panicked and figured that if I couldn't help and take in all of them I could just take one of the kittens home for now and give it better chances of survival. I realize now that this was probably the worst thing to do after researching kittens and I regret this decision so much as I only wanted to help her, not put her in more danger by taking her away. I bought formula and a bottle and a litter box but she fusses a ton when I try to feed her the formula milk and I don't want to have to tilt her head back too much since I'm worried she might choke. She's used the litterbox once so far (I put her there immediately after feeding) and has slept a few times (both on my bed and in a nest of blankets I made for her.) I am willing to learn how to properly care for her but I have also just read that the best thing I could have done was left her outside with her mother and so I'm very conflicted as to what I should do.

 I want to know if I should bring the kitten back to its mother as soon as possible? I've heard that the mother might not accept it if it has a human's scent but the mother was incredibly friendly with me when I first saw it and might take it back? I was being selfish and should have done so much more research before just taking it and I feel so so so horrible and desperately just want what is best for this little kitten. If that means giving her back up then I will do that, but if I should keep it at this point I really need to know how to take care of it. I have classes from the early morning around 7 and can't come back home until 4 pm. Does the kitten need to be bottle fed during this period or can it drink from a small bowl? I have family that might be able to stop in to feed her, but that might not always be the case everyday. I really just want to do what is best for her and I'm freaking out a bit.  I know this was incredibly irresponsible of me and I should not have taken her so carelessly and now I just want to help her as much as I can. 

   Sorry for all of these questions but like I said I'm a bit helpless at the moment and in need of some serious advice. Thank you so much in advance.

I think the very best thing to do would be to foster the whole family until they are old enough to be adopted.  Is there any way you could put them in a spare room?  That way the mama cat would raise them mostly and you could socialize them and make sure they go to good homes.  

Could you work with a local rescue organization?

I can try to go back and find them but I don't really have the space for an entire family of kittens and their mom (the kitten I have with me is in my room which isn't very big). If I call a local rescue place and tell them where I found the mother and her kittens would they help me get them out and find homes for them? I'm not entirely sure how to get the mother and the other five kittens to come with me. I definitely want to help them though as it is getting colder and the construction site really did not look entirely safe. Thank you for replying so quickly!

A very short reply for now, but you describing them walking around means the one you have is capable of eating on it's own, so offer canned pate food in a shallow dish.

Likely hasn't been lucky enough so far to eat more than nursing from mom so it might be a bit resistent, but get some on it's mouth or in mouth so it knows to eat the food.

I think ideally the rescue would help you get the whole family off the street.  It's great that you gave a kitten a home, but hopefully you can help them all.  Kittens do tend to do better in pairs, which is something to keep in mind.

If she is not able to lap food, you will do better to feed her with a needleless syringe at first.  You drip a a drop into her cheek, one drop at a time, until she understands that's where food comes from.  You definitely want to be sure that she doesn't aspirate any milk.  And feed her tummy down and head up, like she would nurse.

She'll also need to go to a vet so she can be dewormed.  She may also have fleas.

This kitten should be able to eat and drink on its own, as Catwoman said, so while you are gone during the day you'll need to leave a dish of kitten formula and a dish of wet food. Young kittens need to eat around the clock.

You'll need to take a pet taxi to the construction site and put the mom and babies in it and bring them to a rescue that does not euthanize. You might want to keep one more kitten so your kitten has a playmate to grow up with.

I guess the construction workers are feeding the mom, but they are probably not there over the weekend. You should take some cat food to feed the mom with.

Thank you all so so so much for the advice!! She's drinking from the bottle now and seemed fine when I got back home from classes (although she climbs out of practically every place I've tried to set apart for her). For trying to feed her cat food, is any fine or should it be some kind for kittens? I've also scheduled a vet appointment for tomorrow. I'll try contacting a pet organization for the rest of the litter and the mother cat. Would the ASPCA be a good place to contact if I'm in NYC?

Glad she is drinking the bottle now!

Any rescue or shelter willing to help is great. Just ask questions to make sure they will be safe there.

Rescues do not euthanize ever, just fyi.

The sooner the better though!

Canned classics like fancy feast or friskies is fine.

Fancy feast makes kitten too, pink and green cans and pink and blue cans.

kaskp said:

 
Thank you all so so so much for the advice!! She's drinking from the bottle now and seemed fine when I got back home from classes (although she climbs out of practically every place I've tried to set apart for her). For trying to feed her cat food, is any fine or should it be some kind for kittens? I've also scheduled a vet appointment for tomorrow. I'll try contacting a pet organization for the rest of the litter and the mother cat. Would the ASPCA be a good place to contact if I'm in NYC?

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Catched up on the tread now.   I do agree, if you can help this whole family, one way or another, it would be swell.

Yes, re kitten food, these labelled kitten food are better than these for adults, more suitable.  Although wet canned food is typically better than most dry foods, so almost any wet canned will be OK.  There are also good all round dry foods, alike Orijen, which is OK for kittens too.

Goat milk is always OK, both as emergency kitten milk, and as supplement later on, if you wish to give supplement.

Its largely a myth cat moms  abandon a kitten touched by humans.  It may be true for rabbits, but not cats.  It seems not even to be true for roe deers renown for this - as I have seen severeal youtube films when a roe deer kid fastened somewhere, friendly people got it out, and mom waited nearby and fetched that kid with her...

But I essentially do agree with you.   If you cant help all of them, so at least, save ONE of them, and give it a future and a home. Also, NOW is the time when they are easy to foster. Later on it will be more difficult.   So, even if what you did wasnt optimal, it was no evil deed, quite the opposite.  But it will be really good and praiseworthy deed  first when you have helped the others too...

As the mom is friendly, it shouldnt be impossible to get them help.   Semiferaley shy and protective mom, will be often pts, but they do try to help the friendly ones, easy to foster and adopt out.

I live in NYC too.  I would try rescues before the ASPCA.  And I do agree that timing is really important here.  It's getting cold and The older they are the harder to socialize.