Litter of kittens found..paging experts please!

[Cailleach]

Whilst out and about this afternoon I have found a litter of six kittens in a clump of ivy in the garden of a derelict house.

I estimate them to be about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks old. Their eyes are all open and they look in good shape, other than being totally filthy and riddled with fleas.

Being the soft stupid sod devoted cat lover I am I sat in the garden for three hours at a discreet distance from the nest and waited for the mother to return. Nada. So I packed them into my rucksack, brought them home via the vet (who kindly checked them over), gave them a bath (they were black-bright and stank of urine) and settled them in a box with a hot water bottle / towel.

I have kitten formula from the vet and have fed them about 3-4ml each from a syringe. They all fed well and promptly piddled all over me, which was encouraging, if a bit grim-smelling.

I know to feed them about that much every two hours, to rub their bellies to stimulate their bowels, to keep them warm etc etc. Is there anything else I need to do?

Yours, in anticipation of precious little sleep over the next few weeks,

C
x

Aww I love a kitten rescue thread.

No tips from me but just wanted to wish you all good luck.

lol at prefering a syringe, my big ginger and white hooligan was dumped in a carrier bag in a park with his siblings at ten days ole and hand reared at haworth cat rescue, the first time i saw him at 3 weeks he fit in the palm of my hand, hes now mahoosive and wheighs about 5kgs sounds like you are doing a good job with these little ones

Well done for rescuing them Cailleach! Sounds like they have well and truly fallen with their paws in the butter.

Any news on mummy cat?

Thanks Issey! :) I love ginger cats, they are the best.

Waiting for a call back from the vet re; the kittens not pooing. All are feeding really well though and are desperate to get out and run about (they've had a quick scamper round the bedroom this morning.)

Funnily enough my two adult cats were found as stray kittens in a neighbours garden - both needed hand-feeding for a while as they were roughly four weeks old but as they were partially weaned already this was not too hard to do.

They are now massive, sleek and healthy beasties who rule the roost, needless to say!

Hopefully will have pics for you later as my mum may be coming over today for a coo over the kits.

x

C

ohfour Mummy Mog lives miles from me so I don't know about her situation: I left my number with the neighbours round the derelict house where the kittens were found but have heard nothing since.

Aw - bless. You sound lovely - most people would have walked past or just dumped them at a rescue.

Have you decided which one(s) you're keeping?

Queen don't tempt me: we have two already! As the old saying goes, one cat leads to another...

Ah, so you do have one that you love! Although I suppose your furry masters should be the ones to choose.

Cailleach You're doing a great job, can't wait to see photos . I have a thread going atm as my parents are looking for another kitten after their two old cats both died within the last year. We are in South Yorks, so if you're looking for homes for them (when they're ready, of course) I'm sure they'd take one off your hands and I'll have to sit on my hands so I'm not tempted to have another too.

....... my big ginger and white hooligan was dumped in a carrier bag in a park with his siblings at ten days........

Lord love him, issey.

SoftKitty I will add you to my list of potential adoptees... so far I have four suggested homes, two off Mumsnet and two from people I know; not bad going!

If they make it, and I so hope they do, they will be ready just before Christmas.

Queen I see you understand cats very well ;)

The vets have called me back - due to one vet being off sick they can't see them until tomorrow am but the nurse I spoke to didn't sound unduly concerned by the lack of poos. She said diahorrea is a more urgent problem and not to worry, little kittens often don't poo much, esp. when first switching to formula.

Meanwhile BigFluffyWhiteCat has an upset stomach, so I have the opposite issue with the adult cats! I can't win!

More updates to follow.

Thank you! I so want one myself too but don't think it'd be fair on my 11yo tom.

I'd love one too but my 16 year old girl would probably hate it.

Quick update: the mini mogs have been to the vets and, mystery of mysteries, are not constipated. She dug around in their bums with a thermometer dipped in KY jelly and lo! there was poo.

Her theory is that they ARE pooing, probably via other kittens licking them, and are then eating it. Grim, grim, grim. Then I got them home and one promptly did a massive plop in the kitten box.

Anyway. They are undersized and underweight for their ages (which is actually more like 3 weeks old, not 2) but are otherwise in good health, well hydrated etc etc.

They are due back in ten days for worming and de-fleaing.

So all is well, and yours truly is vastly relieved.

CailleachMum has been over and has taken pics of them which I will shortly put on my profile, once they arrive.

Aww, I just want to cuddle them. But not when they've eaten each other's poo. Yum.

Will await pics!

Aaw kitties :) Why do I never find any?!

I'm in South Yorkshire too but can't have another cat, the Ginger Ninja wouldn't like it.

Pics are up! Not great quality but they give you the general idea.

Yours exhaustedly,

C

OMG they are gorgous nice pic of you too they look as if you are doing a pretty good job there girl

Ahhh, well done OP - marking my place, I love a good kitten thread

issey that's my ol' Ma there, not me ;)

She was smitten by them...sadly my Dad is violently allergic to cats, otherwise she'd love one or two.

Hey ho!

Oh my god, they are adorable!!! I want one!

Lovely pics. I want one. It's probably a good job you're up north as we recently lost one of our girls and I think the other is lonely. But I'm not sure a kitten would be a good idea.

Oh how GORGEOUS!!

Any news on mum cat?

Fluffy I have heard nothing about the kittens mum so I assume not. I don't live locally to where they were found but have left my details with the neighbours around the area and have asked them to keep an eye out for her.

Kittens are currently sleeping off the midday feed - am going to need a bigger pen for them soon as they are growing like mad...