So....You found a kitten or a whole litter of kittens. Right? Great! First thing....If possible, leave the kitten or kittens where you found them to see if the Mama is going to come back and get them. Many times the kittens are left in a vulnerable area unintentionally by the Mama. She's probably in the middle of moving them from one spot to another and got interrupted. However, if the kittens are in an area that is completely unsafe, use your judgement as to whether or not to take them into your care. Or, if they are obviously sick or injured, take them into your care immediately.

VERY IMPORTANT.....The kittens MUST be kept warm. If they are cold when you find them, you need to IMMEDIATELY get them warm. A heating pad that does NOT have an automatic shut off is preferable. You can start with it on Medium and turn it to low once the kittens are warmed up. Put the kittens in a large enough containment area so that there is space available AWAY from the heat source for them to go to if they get too warm. Trust me, if they get too warm they will crawl to a cooler spot by themselves. If, however, the kittens are still cold and insist on going to a cooler spot, they are most likely dying and they are trying to speed up the death process. There is nothing you can do to save them. It's nature.

I prefer using the powdered form of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) made by PetAg. You can buy it at PetSmart, PetCo and some other specialty stores. It's kind of expensive but it's the best you can get. If you cannot afford to buy KMR or if you are not in an area where it can be found easily, there is a homemade formula you can offer. The recipe is simple: One can of Carnation brand condensed milk, one can of water, one egg yolk and one teaspoon of Light Karo Syrup. That will get you through until you can get some KMR. PLEASE do not buy the formula's found at WalMart and other such stores. It does NOT have all of the ingredients the kittens will need and they will not thrive on it. Either use KMR or the homemade recipe. You'll have a better chance of them surviving. Also, do NOT try to feed kittens any formula until they are warm to the touch. A cold kitten cannot digest the formula. And, ALWAYS warm the formula (just like you would for a human baby) before you offer it to the kitten. If the kittens are older than 2 weeks of age (if their eyes are open) and if they don't seem to be satisfied after each feeding, add some Gerber Rice Baby Cereal to their formula. It's very good for them and it's also a good filler. Use your judgement as to how much cereal to add. Obviously, you don't want to add too much. You just need to make sure that the formula with the cereal will still flow through the nipple you are using.

If the kitten is under the age of 3 weeks, you will need to help it go potty. If you don't help it, it will die. The easiest way is to run warm water in a bathroom sink and hold the kitten so it's hind end is under the running water. Then you simply use your finger to gently wipe the genital area. If that's just too gross for you to even think about doing....You can use a Kleenex and wipe the genital area. Either way, it's something you have to do. Typically, you should help the kitten go potty either before or after every feeding.

The frequency of feedings will depend on the age of the kittens. Most people will feed on a schedule of every 2-4 hours around the clock. I don't do that. I feed on demand. Meaning, when the kitten wakes up and cries, I feed it. I do NOT feed kittens during the night when I'm sleeping. I have NEVER lost one to starvation. Trust me, the kitten will not starve to death because you slept all night instead of waking up every several hours to feed it. It will be fine. The ONLY time a kitten needs to be fed overnight is if it's a preemie or if it has significant health issues that cause it to require 24 hour care. So, get your sleep! You will need it. A well rested caretaker makes a well cared for kitten.

I am absolutely horrible at weaning kittens. I just can't do it. I cannot refuse to give them a bottle. So, I'm lucky to have a helper who does the weaning for me. LOL!! But, generally, kittens can start to be weaned from the bottle when they are between 4 & 5 weeks old. The easiest way to do it is to offer the KMR in with some canned food. Start out with more KMR than canned food and as they get used to eating/drinking from a dish or plate, reduce the amount of KMR and increase the amount of canned food. When they get their teeth (you'll know when they do), you can offer dry food moistened with KMR and/or canned food. And, as for litter box training....For the most part, using a litter box is instinctual for kittens. I don't know how they know this. But, they do. So, what I do is I use a small litter pan and keep it in their cage or containment area when they are between 3 & 4 weeks of age.

If you have any questions or problems please feel free to give me a call. I am NOT a Vet nor do I profess to know everything. But I will gladly give advice if I can. I'll be more than happy to talk you through whatever situation you are dealing with. My number is (325)659-3817. If I don't answer, please leave a message and I will call you back. Or, just email me. Either way, I'm available most of the time to help.