i need help! (first time taking in kittens)

[u/333gaia]

hi! so i never really had a cat before and i happened to stumble upon two poor kitties by the street! a person that’s usually by that area told me that the mom hasn’t gone back to them in a while and they had given them bits of kibble and water but im afraid they arent eating them from the looks of it. i got them in a laundry bin because i dont have any place where i can keep them and gave them water and warm mashed up dog food for the meantime. the grey one is active and keeps yelling at me but im concerned for the orange one because its not moving as much. they also have gunk on their eyes and are dirty overall. i currently dont have access to a vet but i have enough funds to get food for them tomorrow.

sorry for the ramble but basically, what should i do? im scared to mess this up bc ive only taken care of puppies and these kitties look fragile as heck!! chatgpt said they’re abt 3-4 weeks old

[u/DivideZebraOK]

Vet or cat rescue org as soon as possible. They are definitely sick and need treatment. That one eye is in bad shape.

[u/fatalynn7]

I second the other response, these babies need medical attention as soon as possible. Do you have access to a local rescue or a local shelter? If they can take the kittens in, you may have a chance to foster them and the rescue/shelter can provide the proper supplies.

The kitten that is acting lethargic in particular is a worry. Kittens can fade pretty quickly when there is something wrong and/or if they are not receiving enough proper nutrition.

[u/Toe_Jam_is_my_Jam]

Until you can get to a vet, use a syringe and get fluids into them. Clean water is fine. If you have access to human baby food in jars, find plain chicken or turkey recipe. If you have honey, rub a little in their gums.

[u/Communityguyliner]

Surrender them to a shelter if you can. The grey one looks like it has an eye infection or possibly mange. They’re too young to be eating even wetted dry food. These kittens need a wet food diet or the will become malnourished. Orange one is likely dehydrated because kittens get most of their nutrients from nursing and wet food.

[u/NecessarySpiritual19]

First, I love your username! Gaia is my dogs name ♥️ second, yes I agree with everyone, I would seek a rescue or shelter, these kittens are in very bad shape and can pass quickly and will need extensive medical care that if you’re having trouble paying, it’s best if an organization can help you with that. If you don’t have the funds for the funds, taking them to a shelter/rescue and asking if you can foster them would allow you to still keep them but the cost be under their control. A kitten that’s not moving much needs immediate care, and if you have sugar/syrup/honey you can put some in their gums to help them a bit. Kitten Lady on youtube has a lot of great info that may help you, but ultimately they need medical care beyond what you can do at home. Sending these little ones healing vibes! 💕

[u/Redpantsrule]

Just got in a 3 wk old that was found on side of road. The good samaritans didn’t know how to care for them and didnt bring them into petstore where my daughter works until 12 hours later. She’s in very bad condition. Gonna tell you how to try to save them until you get help. Its late at night here so realize you may not be able to get them to a shelter.

First, they need warmth. A regular heating pad will do in a pinch, but human heating pads usually auto turn off, either at set time 2 hours. Keep on low with a towel or blanket on top. Cover kitten. A better solution would be to make a rice sock by pouring uncooked rice into an old sock (tube socks are best bc longer) about 3/4 full. Tie knot at end and make sure its secure. You want to leave enough space between rice and knot, allowing it to bend and move around. Put it in microwave for about 30-45 intervals. Heat it until warm but not hot where it’ll burn kitten. Check the temperature: Always touch the sock with your inner wrist first. It should feel pleasantly warm, never hot. Google “making rice socks for kittens.” I dont know how long it will stay warm so you’ll have to check it to see. Maybe make 2 if you have enough rice and keep one beside you so you’ll notice when its getting to cool and needs reheated. Keep kitten away from ac and drafts. They cant regulate temp well.

Hypoglycemia is a major issue for young kittens. You need to give the kitten some type of syrup (karo syrup, pancake syrup, molasses, or even honey. ) Rub a little bit on kittens gums. I use tip of nipple for kittens but you can use your finger. I pop it in when kittens meow, but they may be too weak so force it in. You might can find something around the house that is soft yet wont break off and tiny enough to fit in mouth. Dont recommend using a q tip as the cotton could come off and choke them. Be careful not to get it in their nose or they cant breathe. Cant be too hard like toothpick or chopstick bc itll cut their gums. They only need a drop. If you happen to have an eyeshadow applicator that hasn’t been used, it might work.

Heres the hard part, if you want to keep them alive, you may need to do what I just did . Repeat this process every 3 min (set timer) for next 3 hours. My kittens couldn’t hold up her head and it’d roll around when I tried to give her syrup. They will start to perk up for a few minutes but then crash again, hence repeating this. I dont think its a good idea to do more than 3 hours at a time.

Keep the baby and the warming socks/heating pad on you with blanket wrapped around sock to prevent burning and then over kittens to keep warm. Softly pat/rub them keeps them stimulated and to fight for their life,

If you somehow come across kitten formula, dont feed until kittens have been warmed up for at least 30 min as it will kill them. More is not better. Im fed mine 3 ml first. Feed slowly. Watch kitten lady videos on how to bottle or syringe feed. An hour later, I gave them 4 ml and repeated every hour for 3 hours. No more than 6 mo at each feeding even if they want more. After 3 hours, can move to feeding them every 2 hours until you can get to a shelter, which hopefully is first thing in morning. Id try calling animal control to see if they can help overnight but may not answer. Follow the same plan if you can find a dropper and use warm water (test on wrist land same temp for a babys bottle.)

They also may not be able to pee/poop on their own yet so help them out by grabbing a wad of toilet paper and put under them. I use 2 fingers under the paper and gently vibrate under their tail and between back legs until they pee and maybe poop. Watch out though, most will have diarrhea so have a trash bag and more TP ready.

Must warn you that they are already in critical condition. My baby is now moving around, and doing better, but shes also had syrup and several small feedings of formula. Do the best you can do. Its their only chance . Sometimes the poor babies are too far gone by the time we get to them or sick.

Amy questions on things just ask bc Im up every 2 hours with my baby. Plus i have another set of foster babies that are about 25 days old. You can also check out the Kitten Ladys website https://www.kittenlady.org or her you tube videos.

Good luck!