5 1-week-old orphans

Hi everyone.

I recieved 5 1-week-old orphans last night. My daughter and I are bottle feeding them every 2-3 hours and they have drunk 8 ounces of kitten formula today. I made a rice bag wrapped in towels to warm be warmed up for them to sleep with. They are pooping and peeing quite well, although I can't really tell who is doing what.

I am concerned about cleaning them, because I don't want them to get a chill. The poop and pee is going on their siblings, so I have been wiping them with a warm wet washcloth. This helps, but not completely. A couple of them make a rattling sound when I hold them, and I can't tell if this is a purr or a breathing problem.

Their eyes are open, but unfocused. Their ears are still kind of flat, and they don't have teeth yet. But they are very strong, and their little bellies pooch out nicely.

Please be aware that I am a single mother on welfare, and cannot afford any big expenses like vet bills.

I will post pictures as soon as we get some batteries in the camera.

If you haven't already, please take a look at this site:

www.kitten-rescue.com

There is a wealth of information there for those caring for orphaned babies. Best of luck,

Gaye

You can use plain organic talcum powder to remove the poop. You only need a little on a dry cloth, dust it on lightly, let it sit a few minutes then wipe it off with another dry cloth. I wouldn't be getting them wet at all. At this age, they can't afford to get a chill. They are so fragile.

Be sure they are out of drafts, especially when you are feeding, and be sure that you are feeding them when they are on their bellies and not their backs. Even if they are ill, unless you have a skilled vet that handles young kittens, there isn't much they can do. You can help their breathing by purchasing a baby vaporizer and running it near their sleeping nest at night to clear up congestion. There is also a product called little noses, but you have to be very careful and put this solution in on the tip of a q-tip otherwise you could drown them.

Good luck with them. Gaye gave you a website created by myself and another member Tania who also does bottle babies. We tried to give everyone as much information as we needed the first time we were presented with an orphaned kitten and had no clue what to do.

Should something happen to these kittens, understand that this can happen in the best of circumstances as well as the worst. Don't beat yourself up about it, sounds like you are doing everything in your power to help these baby kittens and I thank you for caring

No doubt, excellent advice from Gaye and Hissy.........they are two of our top notch when it comes to caring for these fragile little lives...........

We'd love to see pics when the time is right...........

They have now survived a day and a half in our care. I already printed out some of that website, and a few others that were helpful on ages and amount to feed.

They are all strong little guys! Natural climbers, every one. There is one runt. He whines more, and does not take naturally to the bottle like the others do, but he gets enough and his belly is nicely pooched after eating.

It's good to see the others take the bottle quite naturally now, and suck vigorously.

I know things can change fast, but at this point I think they all have a good chance of making it.

I will print out your instructions about talcum powder and give that a try.

Still no pictures. I forgot to take the batteries over to my daughter's house for her camera. We'll try again today.

My daughter has all her friends involved in helping to feed.

awww really glad to hear they are doing well hope it contuine's

Raising my bottle babies has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

So far this year I have had no calls to take more from the local charity, which I suppose is a good thing because it means non have been handed in.

Kathylou, just one word of advice. As cute and sweet as these lttle ones are, try and keep the number of people caring for them and feeding them to a minimum. It's just that you said your daughter has all of her friends involved in feeding. If she can choose just one or two to help, that would be better.