1-1/2 week old kitten - please advise...

Please get your kitties to the vets. It sounds like an URI and that can zap them pretty quick. Pile the carrier high with warm bedding- even make some rice sock heaters and stick them inside. Cover the carrier for added warmth- but get them in, at this age they can go downhill quite quickly.

Jodie, get a warm, wet cotton wash cloth dripping wet and gently dab it on the glued-shut eye being careful not to pry the eye open until you have melted the goo. Once you can see the eye beginning to open a bit on it's own, then you can pry GENTLY to get it open the rest of the way - you will find one of two things: 1) either there is an infection present, in which case you will see evidence of pus and a vet visit is needed, or 2) the eye is clear and fine with no infection present.

As for being sick, newborns do sneeze a lot. It doesn't always mean they are sick. What with the weather constantly changing this time of year and the heat coming on and going off again, you may have a dry environment in your home (like I do) and dry dust particles may be blowing around. Kittens are taking it all in and developing immunity - I don't suggest a trip to the vet unless you are seeing physical evidence of an infection. If kittens have runny noses (with a green discharge) or if they are not nursing normally, running a fever or losing weight, or if Momcat seems to be pushing them off to the side, then YES get them ALL in including Mom. But for now, the risk of taking them in really is much greater than leaving them where they are.

The only thing the vet can do at this stage is to prescribe antibiotics - and if it isn't a bacterial infection (as evidenced by the green snot) then antibiotics are not going to do a dern thing to get rid of any problems and in fact, will allow the kittens' developing immune systems to take a vacation - it isn't a good idea. If it is a virus then it must run it's course in order for the kittens to develop strong antibodies on their own. Now some viruses do trigger a secondary bacterial infection, but you will know that long before it gets to the critical stage.

How is their weight and other progress? Is everything progressing normally? Good growth and weight gain? Is Mom nursing everyone properly and is everyone's belly nice and round? Everyone pooping and peeing OK?

~gf~

Good news! Glad everything is going so well! Yes, pictures, pictures, pictures!!!! The more, the better! 8-)

Are you going to get the mom spayed as soon as she is done with the kittens so she doesn't get pregnant again? When I adopt out kittens I either have them fixed before hand and charge a little larger adpotion fee or else charge a fee and tell the new owner that they will receive their money back when they get the kitten fixed themself. Just do something to be sure there are no 'accidents' when the kittens get bigger in their new homes.

Oh ok cool, just wanted to make some suggestions but it looks like you have it all figured out!