We've just got new boy and girl kittens, advertised as 9 weeks old and ready to leave Mum. They were delivered to us as we don't have a car, we'd corresponded with the owner and seen a picture of the mum, explained our living situation and experience with cats etc.
When the kittens arrived, they were much smaller than we expected and in a bit of a state - they were caked in poo, had gunky eyes and were sneezing, and their back legs were sort of cramped and wobbly. They were in a filthy cat basket and the owner didn't really speak to us, just dropped them off and left. We texted to ask what sex they were and were ignored.
Since we've had them (a few days) they've recovered quite a bit - we bathed them, they've been ravenously hungry and thirsty. I've been gently stretching and massaging their back legs and they are now starting to jump and play and walk more confidently.
They've just had their first vet appointment and we explained all of the above. The vet said: they both have worms as they weren't wormed when they were born, they are 5 weeks old rather than 9, they have cat flu and they were probably kept confined in the cat basket in their own poo, hence their filthy condition and their difficulty walking. She asked us to consider reporting the owners for cruelty.
They are the most adorable, affectionate, sweet little things and they're becoming bolder by the day, but any tips on nurturing them and meeting their needs, given that they are too young to be away from Mum? I know we should have asked more questions when they arrived, but frankly we felt they were better off with us than where theyd come from.
Also - daft, but I have an horrific phobia of worms (I thought they would be wormed before we got them, as previous cats have always been). Is it going to be utterly horrendous when they expel them, or will I not see much? How long will it take to get rid of them? Sorry if that sounds silly but I'm really phobic and really stressed about it.
If you got this far, thank you :)