UPDATE: We found a local rescue for the kittens! Thank you all for your advice and insight! They also offered to try to find and spay mama when they get the chance, so a win-win all around!
You've found the kitten lady, which is good. Job one is to get some food/liquid in them with kitten formula and bottles from a pet store. They'll need to eat about every three hours and you'll have to stimulate their little butts with a warm wet cloth to get them to poop/pee. They need to be kept warm, as they're not good at regulating their body temp. And now that you're raising them (or some other human is), they can and should be gently touched a lot. It's good for them and starts socializing them.
Good luck!
Please check out The Kitten Lady on youtube, she gives great advice.You will have to be committed to frequent feeds unless you can find a rescue shelter/ person to help. Not easy, but doable if you are determined to sa e them.
Unfortunately it does sound like she’s rejected them. It’s common if the Mum felt threatened, scared or stressed in any way. Because she has come back, sniffed them and not been back since it’s highly likely she won’t return. If in the future you’re ever in this situation it’s best not to touch them. If you need to pick them up/move them use a towel or something. Leaving your scent on them can cause the mother to reject them. Best bet is to raise them and rehome them but if this is not something you’re able to do I recommend searching your area (google, facebook) for any rehoming services or even recruiting the help of family/friends
I hope it all works out for you and for the little floofs
Oh man! We really tried not to handle them without a towel, maybe the towel had our scent on it as well? I will check out Facebook in our area to see if there are any resources there, thank you for the advice!
Hey it's probably not your fault at all. You know how human moms especially when young can freak out and abandon babies to the point we had to pass laws that permit them to surrender little babies? Same thing.
Are you in central Iowa? I don't know the first thing about natal care but five is a lot of work I could maybe help...
They also need a little heating pad to lay on, kittens cannot regulate body temp.
Thank you for the reassurance. We really did try to get her to come back, and we didn’t mean to startle her in the first place. We’re in NW Indiana, but thank you for the offer! And yes we have a tiny heating bean bag thing but I think we’ll need something bigger.
Definitely not your fault! Sometimes these things do just happen. It sounds like she was a stray and they’re very easily startled. The important thing here is you’re doing everything right to look after them.. like “not-the-nicest-guy” said keep them warm, clean, fed every three hours and socialise with them. Heating pad is a really good idea!!
UPDATE: We found a local rescue for the kittens! Thank you all for your advice and insight! They also offered to try to find and spay mama when they get the chance, so a win-win all around!
Thanks for taking care of them. Glad you were able to find a rescue to assist!
You've found the kitten lady, which is good. Job one is to get some food/liquid in them with kitten formula and bottles from a pet store. They'll need to eat about every three hours and you'll have to stimulate their little butts with a warm wet cloth to get them to poop/pee. They need to be kept warm, as they're not good at regulating their body temp. And now that you're raising them (or some other human is), they can and should be gently touched a lot. It's good for them and starts socializing them. Good luck!
Watching kitten lady videos helped me raise my 2-week old. She’s a sturdy 8-year old now ❤️
Please dm me I live in Indy and can take them
I have lots of experience w bb kittens
Please check out The Kitten Lady on youtube, she gives great advice.You will have to be committed to frequent feeds unless you can find a rescue shelter/ person to help. Not easy, but doable if you are determined to sa e them.
Thank you so much, her channel is amazing! If we can feel even a little more confident caring for these little guys, that will help so much!
Where are you?
Northwest Indiana, just outside of Chicago
Are there any local rescues you can reach out to? Not shelters, but actual rescues that foster neonatal kittens in the area?
Ok so this is perfect, I wasn’t sure what word to use to try to find a place for them to go, I will search for rescues for neonatal kittens! Thanks!
Because you put your scent on them, there to young
Unfortunately it does sound like she’s rejected them. It’s common if the Mum felt threatened, scared or stressed in any way. Because she has come back, sniffed them and not been back since it’s highly likely she won’t return. If in the future you’re ever in this situation it’s best not to touch them. If you need to pick them up/move them use a towel or something. Leaving your scent on them can cause the mother to reject them. Best bet is to raise them and rehome them but if this is not something you’re able to do I recommend searching your area (google, facebook) for any rehoming services or even recruiting the help of family/friends I hope it all works out for you and for the little floofs
Oh man! We really tried not to handle them without a towel, maybe the towel had our scent on it as well? I will check out Facebook in our area to see if there are any resources there, thank you for the advice!
Hey it's probably not your fault at all. You know how human moms especially when young can freak out and abandon babies to the point we had to pass laws that permit them to surrender little babies? Same thing. Are you in central Iowa? I don't know the first thing about natal care but five is a lot of work I could maybe help... They also need a little heating pad to lay on, kittens cannot regulate body temp.
Thank you for the reassurance. We really did try to get her to come back, and we didn’t mean to startle her in the first place. We’re in NW Indiana, but thank you for the offer! And yes we have a tiny heating bean bag thing but I think we’ll need something bigger.
Definitely not your fault! Sometimes these things do just happen. It sounds like she was a stray and they’re very easily startled. The important thing here is you’re doing everything right to look after them.. like “not-the-nicest-guy” said keep them warm, clean, fed every three hours and socialise with them. Heating pad is a really good idea!!