Need info help ASAP!!!!

vik61

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They are beautiful!

I am so sorry for the momma, but glad you found them--what timing, eh?

When it rains it pours.

I will be following this, anxious to get all the good news.

Glad they are old enough to use the litter! It would have been much more work...
 
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crittermom

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Well, we made it through the night.
I haven't had to feed something every 2-3 hours since my son was born 6 years ago.So, this was something!!I am VERY happy to report that they ARE using the litter pan.I have seen them go into it and poop/pee.

I didn't get much sleep as I was so affraid that when I woke up every couple of hours, that one or more might be dead.
It was a week ago today that we saw a cat dead on the side of the road.I am assuming that was their mommy.I haven't seen any other strays around here.
It's wheird that they either chose to go to Bandits dog house.....or he found them and put them in there.
Can you imagine a WEEK without food?No wonder they are so tiny.
I have copied down both recipes and will get the ingrediants today.
Thanks for the advice and well wishes.Keep your fingers crossed they all make it!!!!
 

murfins

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I am so happy that you found this little monsters (they are unbelieveably cute) and that you all have made it through the night and things are going so well.

You are awesome for caring for these little ones.


It is amazing that they either found their way to your dogs house or your dog brought them to his house - animals are amazing creatures, aren't they?
 

huggles

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wow !! what a story!! WTG Bandit (even if you didnt do anything lol)


how wonderful of you to take this bunch in and that Tania was able to give you so much support. So pleased to hear they made it through the night, they sure are adorable


Good luck!! simply wonderful of you
I look forward to following their story
 

katiemae1277

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Gorgeous babies! I wish you the best of luck in caring for these kits! I think you'll do fabulously! So glad you found them, or rather Bandit found them?
 

wookie130

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I'm so proud of you (and Bandit) for rescuing these little doll-babies! How frightened they must have been without their momma!!!! To tell you the truth, it's the heat that may have been their saving grace...young kittens need to be kept warm, and since they were shaded, they probably were being kept at slightly above the right temp at the time! It's fabulous that they are using litter at this age...trust me, this saves you from the added task of having to stimulate them. As far as the larvae on them, gently comb each of them out with a flea comb to get as many eggs as possible out, and then warm up a 50/50 solution of distilled water and apple cider vinegar...dip a wash cloth in it, and gently rub each kitten down from back to tail with the solution. Follow it up with a nice rinse in water. The other option would be to give each kitten a quick bath with water, and just a drop of Ivory dish soap. Bundle each kitten up in a heated towel, and snuggle them dry, if too much struggling doesn't occur. Once they're dry, run the flea comb gently through again. Make sure you check for ear mites too.

A vet visit is in short order, so that he/she can check for parasites/worms/infections/disease. Please keep them quarantined for all pets until you get the "all clear" from the vet. Keep them warm, and try finding some KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement formula)...available at Wal-Mart, or in most grocery stores. A bottle kit should be available right next to the formula in the supermarket. There are all kinds of bottle-feeding tips and tricks on www.kitten-rescue.com , but in the interim the goats milk will suffice until you get the formula. The Kitten Pedialyte recipe on this site, which someone has already posted for you, is fabulous in treating dehydration...and it's super easy to whip up and store.

Please let us know if you're having trouble with the bottle-feeding, or if something comes up that you're not sure about. You sound like you're doing wonderfully.

Bless you for taking on such a big task!
 

friskycatz

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Hope this helps!

Feeding

Unfortunately, cowâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s milk is not nutritious enough for kittens - they will slowly starve to death on it. It also causes diarrhea which is extremely dangerous for young kittens. If you can't get to a pet store right away, consult our recipes for a goatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s-milk based Emergency Kitten Formula. Your first purchase should be a pet nursing kit and kitten formula, available at pet stores. The nursing kit usually includes a bottle, several extra nipples, and a cleaning brush. Cut an "X" in the tip of your first nipple with scissors. Kitten formula (brands include KMR and Just Born) is more economical if purchased in powdered form to be mixed as needed. Pet supply catalogs offer very good values on these products. We recommend www.countrysidepet.com or www.valleyvet.com.

Some fosters prefer the Catac brand kitten feeders, which feature a specially shaped bottle and nipple, but these are harder to find. You know that you have made the nipple opening just big enough if, when the bottle is held upside-down, formula drips slowly from it. Too small an opening will make kittens work too hard to get their formula, tiring them out before they've had enough to eat. Too large an opening will force too much formula into them, too fast.

Before each feeding, sterilize the bottles and nipples by boiling them in water. Formula should be warmed to room temperature. You can do this by microwaving it in the bottle for no longer than 10 seconds (never let it boil), or placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Before each feeding, you should also sterilize your hands with antibacterial sanitizer or water with a touch of bleach added. It's a good idea to re-sterilize after you're done with the kittens each time. This way, the kittens and your own pets will be protected against one another's germs. An alternative to this is to purchase a box of latex surgical gloves and use a new pair for each feeding.

Many fosters like to keep a special t-shirt, sweatshirt, or apron in the room where the kittens are kept, and slip it on before feeding and removing it afterwards. Some viruses can live on clothing, and this can help prevent cross-contamination to and from other animals in the house. Kitten positioning for feeding is very important; this is where the crucial surrogate-mom bonding happens. Different people have different "styles" of bottle-feeding. Kittens are most comfortable in a position similar to the position they'd be in if they were nursing from a momcat. One position is simply to place the kitten on its stomach on a towel or cloth on which it can cling; it will "knead" its paws on instinct. You can also sit cross-legged on the floor with the kitten inside your legs, and let the kitten place its paws on your leg as it nurses. Remember to keep a towel on your lap for this-- and use a fresh, clean towel each day.

Open the mouth gently with the tip of your finger and slip the nipple in. Once your kitten gets the hang of it, they will search out the nipple enthusiastically! You will feel a real "vacuum effect" when the kitten gets into suckle mode. To keep air from getting into the kitten's stomach, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle, keeping a light pull on the bottle. The kitten should be allowed to suck at its own pace. If a kitten refuses to take the nipple or won't suckle, try rubbing it vigorously on its forehead or stroking its back. This replicates the activity of a momcat's cleaning and can effectively stimulate the kitten to nurse. Sometimes you will hear a "clicking" noise which means the kitten's nursing instinct is in gear and should be ready for the nipple. Sometimes a kitten is simply picky; there are two kinds of nipples out there, one shorter and one longer, so you might have to make sure they don't prefer one or the other.

Kittens who seem too weak to nurse can often be stimulated by rubbing some Karo syrup on the lips. If a kitten still refuses to nurse, and this happens beyond the first few "getting the hang of it" times, it indicates illness. The kitten should be put on Amoxicyllin; if it does not respond in 10-12 hours then you should take the kitten to the vet.

Kittens have been known to accidentally suck formula into the lungs; if this happens, hold the kitten upside down until it stops choking. A kitten should eat about 8cc of formula per ounce of body weight per day (1 ounce = 30cc so this is just under 1/4 ounce of formula per ounce of body weight). Nursing bottles are marked with measurements so it's easy to keep track. Weigh the kittens daily to calculate the amount of formula they need; a kitchen or small postal scale should be used. Kittens under one week old should be fed every 2-3 hours; at two weeks old they can be fed every 4-6 hours; after three weeks old, until they are weaned, they should be fed every 6-8 hours. Divide their needed daily intake by the number of required daily feedings, and you'll know how much they should eat each time. Kittens who are extra weak or recovering from a "crash" may need to eat more frequently.

Keep in mind that the younger kittens are, the more accustomed they are to staying "latched onto" a momcat's nipple all the time, nursing small amounts periodically. If you notice that your kittens are not eating enough in one feeding, increase the frequency of feedings.

If you're feeding multiple kittens, you'll have better luck with them eating the required amount if you feed them each several times, taking turns. Feed the first kitten until it stops nursing, feed the second, etc. Then go back to the first and repeat this round-robin. Usually after 2 or 3 nursing turns, a kitten has had enough for one feeding.

When a kitten has had enough formula, it will usually get some bubbles around its mouth and its tummy will be very rounded, almost pear-shaped. After feeding, you should burp the kitten just like you'd burp a human baby; hold it upright against your shoulder and pat it on the back. Do not overfeed kittens, since this can cause diarrhea and a host of other problems. Kittens under four weeks will go happily to sleep after they're fed and full; older kittens will want some serious play and cuddle time.

It's natural for kittens to suckle on each other or on your fingers, even after they're finished eating. This is harmless unless you notice that this kind of activity is causing irritation to other kittens' fur or skin.
 
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crittermom

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Thank you all!!! So much wonderful advice.

I have a 16 year old daughter and a 13 year old son that I have enlisted to help me with the kittens.We all sit around in a circle, so I can watch them, and we feed 3 at a time.I let them do this ONLY during the day.Nights are MY job!!
I can tell they miss their Mommy so much.They meow for her and search her out.How sad!! I only wish I would have known Mom was pregnant with them and could have caught her before she had them and was hit.Now, all I can do....is take care of them and hope for the best.
As for the Vets, I am going to try and get them in ASAP!!! I don't have air conditioning in my mini-van and right now it's just too hot for them.We HOPEFULLY will be getting some much cooler weather next week.I can ONLY hope!!!If not, they will have to tolerate it as best as they can.
I got the goats milk, because when we had a litter of Rotties 8 years ago.....that Mom didn't feed......our Vet suggested Goats milk to supliment them.I got the ingrediants for the kitten glop and the pedilite.So, hopefully with those, the goats milk and water, we can keep them alive and they will grow up to be wonderful,loving,well nurished kittens.
 

kumbulu

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You're gonna kill me for not telling you this yesterday LOL but because they are a little older, they only need to be fed every 4 hours. Keep offering them dropper-fuls until they are full and then move on to the next kitten. Once you get the bottle, feeding should be easier and quicker. Most nipples don't come pierced, so heat up a needle in a flame until it glows red (don't burn yourself - I hold the needle with pliers) and then quickly pierce the top of the nipple, in and out. Rinse the nipple well and suck gently on it so you can tell it will work. These babies are a bit older, so the hole needs to be slightly bigger than you would do for newborns. When you feed, unscrew the cap a little so that bubbles rise into the formula as the kittens feed. Don't forget to burp by patting them on the back as you cuddle them - one finger for each week of life, so these ones need patting with three fingers.
 
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crittermom

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You're gonna kill me for not telling you this yesterday LOL but because they are a little older, they only need to be fed every 4 hours.
No I won't!!!
You helped me out more than you'll ever know.

Plus, I went to the site that you suggested and saw that it said every 4 hours.
 
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crittermom

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Here are some pics taken from today.
Hello fans.Our skin meowmy said she needed to add some pics of us.Hope you enjoy them!!She is such a good meowmy.





More to come in next post!!!
 
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crittermom

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Here's some more
 
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crittermom

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I clean the garden tub about 8 times a day
They track litter all over it.I clean it with backing soda and warm water.
They appear to be thriving.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by crittermom

Here are some pics taken from today.
Hello fans.Our skin meowmy said she needed to add some pics of us.Hope you enjoy them!!She is such a good meowmy.





More to come in next post!!!
Good to see you feeding them in the prone position....so many people want to feed kittens like babies....on their back, but this can cause fluid to get in their lungs and the kittens can die.

Katie
 

momofmany

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If your kids are helping you, here's a trick that my hubby and I figured out with our last orphaned litter of 4: Create an assembly line. Our orphans wouldn't use a bottle so we had syringes which they actually sucked dry and we didn't have to force feed them. When we brought the food, we'd both start out by giving them a few cc's to settle them down, then Steve would take over feeding them one by one. When they were full, he'd hand them off to me and I would stimulate them to burp then wipe them down. I kept a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth handy and would repeatedly rinse (squeeze the rag nearly dry) while I washed them from head to butt. When you hit the butt end, switch to cotton balls or toilet paper to get out the initial load, then clean them off with the wash cloth. Also keep a warm dry towel handy to dry them off when you are done.

My orphans were little piglets and most of them would wind up with formula all over their bodies. They were harder to clean than to feed.

You are an absolute angel for taking these babies in!!!!! Please keep the pictures coming!!
 
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crittermom

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Another night down.

Thankfully I don't have to stimulate them to go potty.They do that themselves.

As for the feeding them, I start out with 1 make sure it is getting the hang of the syringe and then had it off to one of the kids.I check to make sure the kit and the kid are doing it right and then down the line.We fed them, let them play for a few and then we start all over to see if any are hungry.Ususally they aren't.
The pic of me feeding the kit, was me trying to get it interested in it.I then wrap them in a towel (loosly) so they feel as though mom is there and have the kids place them on their laps in the prone position to feed them.The kids love to help me out.I make sure they wash their hands and change their clothes before they handle Corwin/Blaze/Neela.
I'm going to try and mix hard kitten food with the kitten glop and let it soak for a while until it is moist.Then, I'll mash it.....warm it a touch and offer it to the kits.If they take to it,that's good.If not, I'll happily bottle/syringe feed them until they get the hang of it.
 
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