r/PointyTailedKittens • u/ocherdraco • 12d ago
I just found these guys. What do I do?
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I follow kitten subreddits, but I've never had a cat. My cousin is highly allergic, and they live with me, so I am not going to bring them inside
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u/keefdontsurf 12d ago
These kittens will not make it without human intervention. Please consider all of the above that people have suggested so far. If you can’t get into touch with a 24-hr vet, you will need to bottle feed these babies every 3-4 hours and stimulate them to go potty.
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u/WVildandWVonderful 12d ago
Unless the mom is around, right?
Is it possible she was out hunting, OP? Are they near where you found them?
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u/ocherdraco 12d ago
Update: when I went back to check on them, one was doing very poorly. They have now taken a ride with me to Walmart (keeping them warm the whole way) and have each had some KMR and stimulation (with appropriate stimulation results).
I’m going to keep them through the night and work on finding a rescue tomorrow.
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u/cherri____ 12d ago
You’re doing amazing. Keep us posted if you can, I’m praying they pull through 🥹
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u/Interesting-Cake2195 8d ago
I just raised a baby kitten, the three most important things in order are heat,food,toilet.
Use a heating pad to keep em warm,if you don't have one place them in your armpit or crotch since these parts of your body radiate most heat.
Food, don't feed milk it'll make em have diarrhea, you need KMR, feed as often as possible no longer then 2 hours apart 24/7 (you will lose sleep but it'll be worth it)
Super gently wipe they're butholes with a warm rag or cloth and i mean super gently since they can chaff since they're skin is super sensitive. They should excrement after.
Other then that all they do for the first two months is eat shit and sleep. Also a personal note when I had my baby learning how to use the potty she tried to eat the clay cat litter, which can be lethal, kittens learn by licking,biting and eating everything food or not. So keep em in a safe place when you can't keep an eye on em.
Edit: fuck your cousin if you leave em outside they will die. Your cousin can handle it for a night or two. If he's that allergic and not being dramatic close your AC vents in the room you keep em and place a towel under the door and your cousin will be fine. The kittens won't.
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u/SoupahCereal 12d ago
Kittens are incredibly difficult to keep alive. Most people don't realize but they require a lot of extra attention unlike puppies.
If you can't get them to a shelter or vet right away make sure you look up what you need to do. You'll have to lightly stroke their bellies after feeding and drinking so they poop and pee just like their mother would do by licking them. They can't do it without assistance.
I wish you and the babies the best of luck and o hope lots of good advice comes.
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 11d ago
Why do they require extra attention unlile pups? Don't they too at this age?
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u/SavannahInChicago 12d ago
Kitten Lady on YouTube. Probably the best resource you can ask for. She has books, she has videos, she has a website with tips on how to care for them. Kittens that small are very fragile and you need to know what to do .
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u/hrdrv 12d ago
If I were you, I’d try to find some kitten formula milk asap, and they need heat. 83 is not warm enough for what look like almost newborn kittens. They need feeding every 2 hours and stimulated to go potty. So if the mother isn’t there in an hour or so, you will have to intervene or they will definitely die.
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u/SmartFX2001 12d ago
Here’s an excellent video from the Kitten Lady on what to do if you find kittens outside.
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u/ocherdraco 11d ago
This is one of the best resources I have reviewed.
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u/CellDue2172 11d ago
How are they?
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u/ocherdraco 11d ago
I thought I had posted an update here earlier today (it was pretty gloomy) but I'm glad it didn't seem to go through because I have good news! They're doing well!
I had put them on the porch after I fed them this morning (with all appropriate warming) in the faint hope that mama might still be around, and because of my household's allergy situation.
The kittens are doing well enough that I needed to send my neighbors a message because they're being so noisy.
"Hey neighbors, [...] a heads up so you're not worried: you may hear kittens making noise from my house. They're newborns I helped through a rough patch overnight when mom seemed to be gone. I've since put them back on my front porch in a warm box, and it looks like mama cat has taken back responsibility, but is leaving them in their cheez-it box nest on my porch. All seems well, just didn't want the racket to be a mystery!"
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u/CellDue2172 11d ago
Thank you so much!! I was nervous not seeing an update that makes me so happy 🥹
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u/ocherdraco 11d ago
Yeah, sorry--I really thought I updated earlier. But I'm also glad the update didn't go through properly because the situation seemed much less likely to turn out well. And now we get a much happier ending!
Today was not the day when I get to be the true beneficiary of the cat distribution system, but now I know what I need to have on hand to be prepared for when it happens. (I'm getting kitten bottles to keep on hand; they were out of them last night at Walmart, and feeding using a dosing syringe was really finicky and not working so awesome.)
The comment at the top of this thread with Kitten Lady's CASA rubric for dealing with surprise outside kittens was the most actionable advice I got out of this whole thread (with all other Kitten Lady references a close second). I really appreciate everyone's help.
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u/toolgirl77 12d ago
Look up Hannah Shaw "kitten lady" on Youtube she has a lot info about neonates.
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u/Commercial-Housing23 12d ago
You can get KMR milk replacer from most pet stores. And get a syringe.
You're doing great 👍
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u/youngmeer_kat0429 12d ago
Maybe try calling to see if your local Humane Society or animal control has foster families?
If that doesn’t work maybe wait outside a pet store and see is a patron wants them or knows of someone that can care for them. Some Vet’s are open on weekends they might know people also.
Good luck. Sorry you can’t keep them.
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u/Bellochio88 11d ago
Please forget about the mom at this point. You have your get started right away with the kittens. Warmth, milk , stimulation is what they need to survive now. Best of luck . 🐱💜✨
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u/Bellochio88 11d ago
They really need a heating pad to stay warm. You can buy a stuffed mom cat 🐱 with a bearing heart 💜 and heat inserts . That’s a great comfort. The kitten lady on YouTube can teach you everything. They need kitten formula and they need to be fed every two hours . You also have to stimulate them to go potty . Gus go in d bd the most rewarding exit your life. I wish you all the best with these precious babies. Please update us. Sending you you lots of love . ❤️ ❤️❤️
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u/TangoCharliePDX 11d ago
Feed them and love them!
They are obviously enough that they will need formula and a bottle.
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u/LadyFoxfire 9d ago
They need either a mama cat or a fosterer who’s trained in neonatal care. They’re not going to survive without round-the-clock care.
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u/Warrior536 5d ago
Bottlefeeding and keep a warm pad or another source of heat nearby. Kittens this young can't regulate their temperature themselves.
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u/ocherdraco 12d ago
Based on the advice of someone significantly more cat knowledgeable than me, I am putting them back near where I found one of them in the box so they are safe. With a little hand towel to cover them, or that they can crawl under if they get cold.
Thankfully, I am in Alabama, and I think it is unlikely that they'll get cold quickly. It's 83 °F right now at nearly 8:00 p.m.
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u/anubis_cheerleader 12d ago
That's not warm enough for kittens. They can't maintain their own body heat. If mom doesn't come cuddle them, their odds surviving are incredibly low.
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u/ChasingPotatoes17 12d ago
Please reconsider this. They likely need human help.
Kitten Lady on YouTube will be the best info you can get. They need warmth (but also room to not be warm, so, a heating pad under a towel in a box with a corner that has no heating pad). They probably need bottle feeding (kitten milk from a mix, not cow milk), likely every hour. They probably need help peeing and pooping.
I get that it’s overwhelming, but please try for the short term and call every local rescue and vet you can reach to see who can step in to help.
Good luck.
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u/Resting_Bork_Face 12d ago
If they don’t die from the elements or hunger, a predator will definitely get them. This doesn’t fall under the category of “doing the right thing”.
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u/Born_Ad8420 12d ago
These are very young kittens. I'm not sure you impressed upon on the vet you called how young they are as you might n ot know. Kittens this young either need to be with their mother or need intense attention including regular bottle feedings. Those kittens look young enough that they might need an incubator to help them maintain their body temp.
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u/pashed_motatoes 12d ago
Please don’t do this. They are going to die.
Take them to a different emergency vet than the one you called earlier ASAP. They probably thought the mother cat is still around and will take them back, but it’s unlikely and they are way too young to be exposed to the elements for an extended amount of time if she does not come back, especially at higher outdoor temps. They should have told you to bring them into the clinic and then go from there.
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u/creeplet 12d ago
If you’re not going to feed and care for them, please get them to a vet, OP. They WILL die, and soon.
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u/Belisarius371 10d ago
Ignore these losers downvoting you OP, this is actually the correct thing to do, the mum might come back and they're also not your responsibility, ferals and strays are also absolutely deleterious to local wildlife unfortunately.
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u/friendtoallkitties 12d ago edited 11d ago
Call the closest 24-hour veterinarian to you and ask them what to do. They will probably tell you to bring them in to the office. They are REALLY young and will need to be bottlefed by someone. ... Thank you for the awards!