how to nurse baby kittens?

[gotigers]

my boyfriends dads cat had 3 kittens.. they are approximately 3 weeks old right now.. they crawl around.. but arent walking yet.. and of course they are still nursing on their mother.. anyway.. the kittens are kept inside in a little basket.. and the mama cat stays inside also. everytime me and my boyfriend go over there, we let the mama out to use the bathroom, and she comes back.. well anyway, yesterday my boyfriend went over there and when he left, apparently the mama cat darted out of the door and my boyfriend didnt even notice.. and we went back there today to find that the mama wasnt with her kittens.. they were meowing sooo loud.. they were sooo hungry, and we couldnt find the mama anywhere... we looked everywhere inside (b/c he isnt sure that she actually went outside) and we called and called for her outside... but she didnt come.. and she always comes when we call her.. so we are worried that she either did get outside and got hit by a car, or that she didnt get outside and that she is dead somewhere in the house.. its a two story house that is pretty cluttered so she could be anywhere).. we fed the kittens with a bottle and some milk replacement for kitties.. and they finally stopped whining and went to sleep.. we are going to keep going over there and doing it as much as we possibly can.. what what are some other tips on taking care of 3 week old kittens? i heard you are supposed to kinda wipe their butts with a warm cotten ball the make them poo.. but what else should we be doing if the mama cat never comes back? is their chance of survival good? please help, i would hate to see these kitties die or become very ill.. i just want to help them if i can.

[catlover962]

Hopefully, the mother cat will return. But right now you are dealing with orphan kittens, and I have provided a link that will give you lots of tips. You have challenges and rewards, and there will be triumphs and heartbreaks. Good luck.

[Claire304]

They needs to be kept warm at all times, put in a box with blanket and a hot water bottle, make sure they can't burn himself, better yet keep them next to your skin

get kitten replacement formula and bottles from the pet store, ask the assistant for help.......do not feed them cows milk, it will kill them....

feed every 2 hours, follow the instructions how to make up the kitten formula on the tin it will need to be luke warm when given to them

you will need to help them pee and poop, they can't do this on their own...that is why the mother licks their bottom after feeding them, it stimulates the pee and poop out,....it is so important to do this....you will need to get a warm wet flannel and rub their belly and bottom with it until poop and pee appears.....there is a chance the kitten will die if this is not done for them

don't forget to groom and clean him

if you do all of these things correctly then he will have a good chance of survival

[Jamie410]

They should be fine as long as u keep feeding them. My mom took a 2 day old kitten that was abandoned. And now she's 4weeks old and healthy. Just keep feeding them and rub there bck downwards to help them burp. U could get a warm cloth to help them poop, it helps to relax there muscles. But get a litter box and put them in it. Start training them and they should be able to start going on there own. Just be patient. And keep putting them in until they go poop. Move the sand wit ur fingers so they see what it is!! Also u should lil by lil get them to start walking... so they could start getting familiar with there home..keep them warm too.buy baby formula, but pretty soon when u see baby teeth they can start eating baby kitten wet and kitten dry food. Make sure its kitten food cuz it has all the vitamins. And its softer for there teeth to handle..hope this helps! If u need any more help feel free to email me. Goodluck
They are all the right age to try kitten food soon.. Cuz my grls started at 3weeks. Check there mouth for teeth

[Laurie007]

The chances of survival are fairly good at three weeks of age. The kittens must be kept warm as they cannot maintain their own body heat. If a heating pad is used in can be only set on warm and no hotter and it cannot be left unattended. Put the kittens in a box with a warm blanket and a cuddle toy to snuggle up to. Hold the kittens in the palm of your hands, tummy in the palm with the head tilted slightly upward as in the same position as nursing with the mom cat. Feed every 2 hours around the clock for at least another week then every 3 to 4 hours. Rub the rear with a warm damp cloth a few times a day to promote bowel and urine movement. At four weeks, because they have no mom, you may want to see if they will eat a very small amount of canned cat food. Turkey chicken or beef with no chucks, not shredded and no gravy. Also no fish or organ meats as it is too rich. This, of course will not be the main form of nourishment as their tummies are too small to hold enough food. Keep them on the kitten formula until 8 weeks of age but by 6 weeks keep a fresh bowl of water available at all times.
Always start out by putting the food in a saucer as a bowl is too difficult for young kittens. At about 12 weeks of age a bowl can be used. For now, just formula, kitten bottles, and lots of care will get them through these critical weeks.
If mom is in the house start looking in the back of closets. in dresser drawers, as they will crawl up through the back and under the box springs of the mattress. I hope mom is ok and returns safely, but if this is not the case, you can only do your very best to help these little guys. It sounds like you are doing a great job. Best wishes.

[foxylady_652003183]

i agree with all answers but one important thing i didn't see is when you are feeding the kittens if they are not sucking on the bottle you might have to squeeze a drop of formula on the side of there mouth and let them lick it off dont force feed them as you can fill there lungs with liquid and kill them. they only need a tbls each about every 4 hrs and later when they get bigger you can do it like every 6 hrs. This is very important as you dont want to drown the kittens. Just do drops at a time on the side of there mouth or in there mouth and let them lick it off and swallow it.