I Found Two Kittens In A Storm Drain And Have All Of The Questions

[Doggirlturnedkittenmama]

So about 3 days ago I found two kittens in a storm drain while out for a walk and coaxed them out with food. I took them to the vet and the doc said they're about 10 weeks old. He tested one for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency and he tested negative. He also started them on their vaccines and deworming.
I took them home with me and they've been doing pretty well. They are eating and drinking and took to the litter box pretty easily. I don't really know much about cats. I've got a bunch of cat people in my life, three have rescued strays before and I'm getting a lot of good advice. But I'm naturally paranoid and had a few things I wanted to ask:
1. When I was getting them out of the storm drain, I took a handful of wet cat food and sort of lured them out until I could scoop them up. In hindsight that was probably not the safest idea for me, but it got them out. One of the kittens was eating out of my hand, missed the food and got the tip of my middle finger (it was very clearly an accident and I was pretty much asking for it). Enough to break the skin but not enough for it to bleed or even really hurt. I've been watching the sight and it seems to be healing fine. No redness or swelling or any other sign of infection. The kitten hasn't been showing any symptoms of illness that I can see. They also haven't been injured as far as I can tell. No scratches or bites. Is this something I should talk to my doctor about? I've heard that if a stray bites you and you report it they might take the cat for observation or even put it down. Is that true and does it include accidental biting?
2. The vet said to take them back to the vet in about three weeks for their next booster and next round of deworming. I want to make sure they're healthy, but I have no idea what kind of questions to ask. Is there anything I should ask the vet or anything I should watch the kittens for that the vet might like to know?
3. I've been feeding them a combination of wet food and dry food and they've been eating it up. One had diarrhea and threw up the first day, but I read that's a side effect of the deworming? Since then they've kept it down and have had pretty normal stool. I've been trying to figure out how much to give them. One source said that an adult cat should eat a can per 2 pounds and a kitten should eat twice as much. Another said that they should be fed as much as they will eat several times a day. I don't want them to overeat and make themselves sick, especially since I'm not sure how regular their meals have been up until now. Do you have any suggestions?
4. Is there anything else you think I should know that I haven't thought to ask?
Sorry this got so long. Thank you very much in advance for any advise you can give me. Me and the kittens really appreciate it

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS and bless you for rescuing and caring for the kitties Here's my input:
Feeding- Since it has been 3 days since the kittens have been eating regularly, I would free feed a good quality (not corn based) kitten food. If they overeat, you will know because they will yack up undigested food shortly after eating or have diarrhea. Diarrhea and loose stools can also be the result of adjusting to food changes, esp if it is a corn based food, which can even cause blood in the stool. I am only a humble, unemployed feral cat rescuer so I feed Purina Cat Chow Naturals and/or Purina Kitten Chow to my field cats but it beats their alternate diet of bugs, garbage and a few rodents - they have recovered from URIs just from improved diet. If diarrhea is a problem, try adding plain canned pumpkin, about a heaping teaspoon per 5.5oz can of food. If that doesn't work, take them off regular kitten food and switch to boiled chicken or hamburger (season with salt and maybe a wee pinch of poultry seasoning, if the odor of boiling meat bothers you as much as it bothers me) with boiled white rice, for several days, until their guts smooth down. If the diarrhea or vomiting is bad, add electrolyte replacer such as diluted UNflavored Pedialyte or homemade replacer and give only broth for 12 hours or so. You can get more advice on www.kitten-rescue.com which is our own TCS member Hissy's site.
Re: the bite - You did a good job on your hand - just monitor as you would any cut. Be alert for fatigue and joint or muscular aches. If you feel worried you can use use Sambucol elderberry based supplement for immune support against viruses. If the local authorities take the kittens on a report of the bite, depending on the jurisdiction, they could either be only quarantined (for which you may be charged) or killed and the heads sent off to a state lab for testing. ( your county health dept would have online press releases if rabies, or other disease is a concern in your area, and your media would glom onto that big time). They sound healthy to me.
I would do lots of play, especially with a teaser, and jingle toys, to see how their hearing and reflexes are doing.
You will probably get better advice soon. Also, we LOVE pics so much that "upload file" bar is directly below the "post reply"

 

[StefanZ]

Re the little bite. I do agree with you, there are no real danger of rabies. But the cats teeths arent sterile, so there is some danger of other infections. So beware... If you are sensitive, contact with a doc may be wise - antibiotics, tetanus shot...

Do NOT tell them it was this homeless cat. The law regulations are pretty strict, and they will demand the kitten is at least isolated and observed. Some may even insist on putting it down and destructing the body.

Tx for helping them - and congrats to being blessed by this gift from Above, also getting your Karma niveu essentially raised up.

 

[verna davies]

Hi and welcome to the site. So pleased you were able to catch them and that you have decided to keep them.
The feeding and bite questions have been well covered so as far as questions for the vet are concerned, I would make a list of your worries and take it with you but the vet should automatically check their heart, eyes, ears and importantly their mouths.
Enjoy having them and post lots of photos please.