Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need advice

[woofmama]

My 14 yr old son and his three friends were over by the park. It's cold and raining here and they noticed some movement in the grass. There were seven kittens all huddled together. Two have severe eye infections, the other five look okay. Two look much bigger than the others, maybe around 3 1/2 wks old. The little ones still have the flattened ears but all have their eyes open. I ran to get some kitty formula and bottles. I haven't raised orphan kitties this young before, my sister has hand reared two, but she is a nurse with crazy hours. I will bring them to work with me tomorrow and contact all of the rescue groups I know to see if any of them can book an appointment with one of their vets. From the couple of attached pics how old do you all think they are?

I'm willing to foster them but if they need round the clock care I would have to bring them home and back to work everyday and have three large dogs who aren't cat friendly.

Justginger I hope you see this post. Any advice is welcome.

 

[lulu]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

The formula is the most important thing. I don't know if you know this, but they need a little stimulation to pee and poop. A little rubbing of the butt area with a wet wipe will do it. Also important to keep them warm.
Are you sure the mom abandoned them?

 

[woofmama]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

How old do they look to you lulu? Two of the kittens look a couple of weeks older then the others. Much more active, ears are higher and standing up. Those two ate some chicken meat (high end dog food, I own an all natural pet food store) but the little ones needed to be bottle fed. I know about the piddling for the small ones but just read that if they are over two weeks old they can potty by themselves. Because of the bad eye infections I thought it best to bring them home. It would haunt me forever to leave them in the hope mom might come back. They don't seem to have feral tendancies. None were afraid and let the boys hold them without issue. They were purring a bit after eating. Because of the different ages we think someone dumped them there.

I'll add more pictures to this thread tomorrow.

 

[lulu]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

They look at least three weeks old to me. I wouldn't have left them either. Since you took them in they'll have a chance at real homes and a good life.

 

[woofmama]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Here are two more pictures. Tomorrow I'll take good shots of all of them and post.


Pardon my kitchen in the background. And the dirty hands are teen boy hands not mine! My son just came to tell me they're all asleep.
He is very proud of finding these kittens, so cute! We are in for a long night,

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Oh, they are so cute! Maybe call some kitty rescue places and see what they recommend. They might be able to provide you with an agency who can give medication for the kitties with the eye infections at a reduced cost...there is a chance (as you probably know) that it may spread to the other kitties so they need to be tended to quickly. Good luck! ETA - and I see you have a little black kitten there. There is black kitty agencies...unfortunetly, they have a lower rate of adoption - up to 30% lower so an agency like this may help you find a home for that kitty because there are people out there (like me) who love black cats

 

[madelise]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

I'm sure they're all the same age. It would be weird that 2 are from a different litter. There are always bigger and smaller ones in the litter.


It's a bit late right now, so I'm not sure if pet stores or Walmart is open for you. If you have Lactaid, you can feed a little bit of that to them. Cats are severely allergic to lactose in regular milk.

Clean them up and keep them warm for tonight then head into a pet shop. Get a baby bottle for kittens, and kitten formula. The formula bottle has a guideline for how much to feed them and when. You can also pick up ointment for the eye infections.

Oh this is a fun fun age! They'll totally think you're mom and start following you around soon

 

[woofmama]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Okay have bottle feed them three times since last night. They are definately from different litters. Three of them are at least 4 weeks old. I feed them regular canned cat food and they ate with no problem. All three are running around playing. SOOOO cute!

The other four are maybe 2 weeks old.They can't walk on their own and their ears are very flattened to their heads. It's a struggle to get them to nurse from the bottle but once they start they are ravinous and eat about 2 oz each. I piddled them but none have pottied yet. Should I be worried about that? The three big ones potty on their own.

I think someone had two mother cats get pregnant and just dumped all the kittens together yesterday. They were in a heap and had no fear of humans.They have to be from different moms and are at least two weeks different in age. It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case.

Wish me luck today. I am going to see if a rescue will take in the two week old four pack and I will foster the 3 older ones.

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

I hope you have luck today woofmama. How cruel to abandon kittens like that - and obviously on purpose if there are 2 litters. Why don't people just spay their animals???

But good luck - I hope you can find help for them.... or you've just become a foster mom!!

 

[Snicklefritz]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

woofmama, you may need to change your name to meowmama Sounds like you're doing a great job caring for the little ones! Much dust and luck for finding them good homes!

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

"meowmama"!!! I like that Snicklefritz!!!

 

[Laila619]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Aww, how good of you to take them in. They're so cute!

 

[movie zombie]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

given the circumstances, they look alert and "good".

thank you so very much for helping these babies.

today is 1 week since Harley's demise and it is so wonderful to open this thread and find such cute faces and know that your loving heart is there.

thank you!

 

[lulu]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

A warmed up wet wipe rubbed on their butts should get the little guys pooping-it will be very watery. Just rub it in a circular motion.

 

[ruby59]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

What a terrific person you are to take those kittens into your home and care for them. They will now have wondeful lives thanks to you.

 

[PintoBean]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Kudos to you, "meow"mama, for opening your heart and home to these little love bugs , and for raising such a kind and responsible young man!

 

[iheartscience]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Oh my goodness, I am so glad they found those babies and you're taking such good care of them! I've never raised kittens myself but I'm sure a local cat rescue could help or maybe even take some from you. I hope the little ones start going to the bathroom.

 

[NOYFB]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Oh my - how cute!!! Such lucky little critters to have been found and taken care of by your family! It's a truly wonderful thing you're doing.

If you haven't already, try calling Harmony House for Cats http://www.hhforcats.org/ and see if they have room to accept them as rescues. They are cage-less and no-kill. And I am volunteering there, so if they do get placed there I can keep an eye on them

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

What a precious load of cargo you found! You are a doll for scooping them up and taking care of them (and your son is too!)! I wish you the best in finding a good foster home (or having luck keeping them in your own house) and getting those little ones back to good shape!

MeowMama!!

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

They are so cute! I'm so glad your son found them and you are giving them a chance at a healthy happy life.

After meeting you I was going to suggest we change your name to "HotMama" but "MeowMama" works too!

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Did you get in touch w the Humane Society / SPCA today? any hopes for a foster home for the 2 litters??

 

[NOYFB]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

BTW - I'm in LOVE with that first kitten - the black and white one!

I wish we could do Private Messages on PS! I want to get in touch with the girls I missed at the GTG and especially woof (err meow) mama....

 

[woofmama]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Okay ladies I just got home from work, long day! Aside from the kitten rescue we had a new glass front freezer delivered today and had to move half the store around. I'm dog tired,lol!

Great news on the kitties, Feral Fixers, a wonderful local cat rescue group came to the rescue. They assessed the kittens and agreed they are not from the same litter. They took the 2 week old babies and will bottle feed them until they're weaned. I kept the three older ones which we think are 4-5 weeks old. They are eating canned food, walking around and playful. The rescue is bringing me oral antibiotics for them to clear up their eye infections. I have to pick up ointment from the drugstore to apply topically.
They are going to live in my dogs xxl dog crate behind my counter until they are adopted. I will post their pics and progress on my stores FB page. My son wanted to name those three so they are : Trevor, Monty and Phoenix. All three crave human attention so they should be wonderful pets for someone. My sister has three rescue cats and is coming to see them tomorrow. She might call dibs on one of them. Maybe one will stay with me as a store mascot

As soon as the bottle babies are weaned I'm getting them back to foster at the store until they find homes. All of my customers went crazy over the babies today and were chipping in bottle feeding until they were picked up by the rescue.

I'm blessed to be drowning in kitten cuteness!

Thank you for all the well wishes! I'll post my biz fb in the old chicago gtg thread for LilM or anyone else who wants to follow the kittens progress.

Rosebloom-omg you're too funny! I used to be HotMama, now I'm old chubby mama But I could you for that sweet comment.

I'll put some pics in this thread tomorrow after work.

 

[Enerchi]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

YAY!! thanks for the update!! I'm so glad that it will all work out well - dust for healthy kitties!! DUST DUST DUST!!

 

[Smores84]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Adorable!! They're very lucky to be under your loving care

 

[lknvrb4]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

It is a great thing you did saving those kittens!

 

[bunnycat]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

Woofmama- you're amazing. Hats off to you for doing what you've done for those kittens- giving them a fighting chance.

The things people do to animals make me so sad (and mad). Tomorrow, here in TX, a man (preacher) goes on trial for killing a neighbors cat by putting him in a cage (for 3 days) and dropping him off a bridge.

They are so precious and we continually do nothing but squander them and their freely given love.

 

[woofmama]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

The three foster kittens at my store are thriving! Eyes look so much better, weight is perfect and they are very active. So many cutomers held and cuddled them. They will be very well socialized and make lovely family members.

This is the one tugging at my heartstrings. My son the rescue hero wanted to name him Trevor. He meows to be picked up and then falls asleep. He is the narcolepsy kitty My customer was holding him and he dozed off with-in minutes.

This is three of the two week old kittens. See the difference in size and development? Once they are eating solid food they're coming back to me to foster. I'm so grateful the rescue stepped in to help me with these babies!
It is sad to think someone was irresponsible and dumped these kittens. In my line of work I hear some truely horrific stories of abuse and cruelty. At least these little guys weren't hurt or starved. The world can be a sad place

Bastet I'm sorry to hear that took place, the poor cat must have been terrified. Evil man! He will stand before god someday, and a preacher no less.

With all we have found about all animals emotional intelligence I can't believe things like this happen. At least there are millions of people speaking out for these helpless animals.

 

[bunnycat]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

They would have been in bad shape it it hadn't been for y'all though WM!

Trevor is adorable, so completely the opposite of my maniac cat Tiny. I love lap cats and he looks like he's in serious training for that right now.

 

[hlmr]

Re: Help! Found seven kittens around 2-3 weeks old. Need adv

What sweet faces! Yay for you, taking such good care of these kittens and your son, who obviously takes after his mama!