4 week old kittens

Question
We have four 4 week old kittens. I am sure of there age because we know the day they were born. Actually, as I write this, they are one day short of 4 weeks.

The mom was a stray and she had them under our deck. The weather was supposed to get down to freezing so we brought them in the house with mom. Mom was a very friendly and a loving cat.

Just this morning she died. It was awful, I was getting ready and my daughter came running to me saying that the cat was choking. I ran down to see what was going on and when I got to her she was already gone. It has been a very sad day and I still can't believe the mamma cat died. I just don't know what I could have done. She would cough sometimes when she ate so I figured she may have choked on her food, IDK :(

Anyway my question is how do I care for the kittens? We bought bottles and replacement formula. The kittens do not want anything to do with it. They wont latch on to the nipple. I have tried to use karo syrup and I have tried to stimulate their bowls but nothing is working. Can they safely eat solid food at this age? Can I give them the formula in a saucer?

We are really worried that we wont be able to take care of them. My daughter is so worried she is in tears.

Thank you for your help.
Bobbie

Answer
Bobbie,

You can certainly try these babies on soft kitten food mixed with kitten formula. My secret weapon in cases where kittens won't accept a bottle and refuse to try food from a dish is to mix meat & broth baby food with formula & use a brand new oral syringe to feed the babies. Since momma died unexpectedly I'd suggest taking the babies to the vet to be checked to be sure they're healthy. I would also suggest using a kitchen scale to keep an eye on these babies weights to be sure they're getting enough nutrition to grow properly. If you have any further questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact me again.

Kind regards,

Ali