Cat-Clueless Finds 2 Kittens

I've just posted in the Strays and Ferals section, but I was hoping someone browsing over here might see this first.


Hi, I've just found two very young kittens on my patio being harassed by my semi-pet turtle. They look to be quite young, and judging by the information I've read so far, I'm guessing they're about 3-4 weeks old. They have teeth but can't quite walk yet and keep on crying or something.

I have absolutely no experience with raising any animals aside from the aforementioned turtle. I have begun reading around but I'm not sure where to start as far as looking after them goes. They are surely the offspring of the stray cats that I see around my apartment ever so often, so I'm worried that they might have diseases or something. I have no idea what to feed them, although I have read that regular cow's milk isn't good enough. I have, however, attempted to put some ziplock bags filled with hot water in their little box, but they seem to ignore them altogether, so I'm guessing they're not cold.

Please, please, please could somebody help me out here because I really don't have a clue what I'm doing. The last thing I should probably mention is that I live in China where finding a vet is harder than finding a restaurant that serves civet cat. I do know one family that raised newborn kittens but I haven't been able to contact them yet.

Thanks a lot in advance~

In the US, you can find kitten formula. If that isn't available, goats milk will work. You are right, cows milk is not good for them. Make sure the formula is warmed to room or even to body temperature, and either use a tiny bottle or a syringe (no needle) to gently squirt it into their mouths.

At 4 weeks most kittens begin to eat out of dishes, so you could also offer them moistened food and formula from a low saucer. (They WILL make a mess with it!)

Thanks a lot for replying.
How long can you keep them on a goat's milk diet for? In the 5 hours or so since we found them I've fed them some egg yolk mixed with water and now they're asleep, but I don't know if I should wake them up to give them more or to let them just sleep. Right now, I'm using a straw for feeding them, just letting it drip down their throats as they don't see too keen on licking it out of a spoon. Will that affect them negatively in some way?

Oh, and one more thing. How should I wash them? I've heard that kittens absolutely have to be kept clean. Is that necessarily true?

Advice is appreciated, you wouldn't believe how weird it feels looking after such delicate guests for the first time.

I would let them sleep for a few hours. Be sure when you feed them, they are sitting on their bellies, with their head tilted back. Do not lay them on their back like a human baby, or the formula goes into their lungs.

At 3-4 weeks, they may not be able to pee/poo on their own. After you feed them next, use a cotton ball moistened with warm water to gently wipe their parts, and they should pee or poo for you.

If they get dirty from the formula, you can wipe them off with a warm damp wash cloth. Otherwise, they stay pretty clean.

They need to stay warm. I would be afraid to bathe them and get them chilled. I'm sure someone else will post about how to bathe them if they get dirty.

If you haven't found this site yet it might help a lot:
http://messybeast.com/handrear.htm

Also they might be old enough to have kitten glop (recipe on that site).

The easiest way to feed them will be with a syringe (like a baby syringe). I know they are easy to find here in drug stores or grocery stores but not sure if that is the same for you? Pet stores might also carry kitten bottles...maybe... All in all if they are eating that is all that matters.

Good luck!

Gasp, invaluable information there, the first time I fed them I put them on their backs because I couldn't get to their mouths. Well, I'll be more careful now, but I guess I've been lucky so far because they haven't coughed or choked severely yet. I have seen a few kitten recipes and I'll give them a go tomorrow, but otherwise, thanks a lot guys, that really helps me to get started.

Another very helpful resource is this site:
http://www.kitten-rescue.com/