Kittens with eyes shut

Question
Hi we live next to the woods, and we have had cats around there for years. (Not our own) We have just discovered 3 little kittens underneath some sticks when we were trying to clean out some of the mess around our property. The 3 little kittens were not with their mother, and their eyes are still shut. I want to take them and care for them, but I think they need their mother still. What should I do?    -Vicki

Answer
Hi Vicki, It is possible the mom had just run off when she saw you coming.. or that she was out finding something to eat when you found the kittens. Are they crying or sleeping?? If they are sleeping and seem fine then I would just keep an eye on the area and make sure mom comes back. what a strange place to have kittens! Perhaps you could put a barrier or wooden box near them to shelter them a bit? If mom is not back in 4 hours I would assume the kittens have been abandoned or mom has met her fate and is unable to return to them. Then you will have to take them inside and decide if you want to hand raise them. The best option is to find someone with a mom cat already and just sneak these extra babies into the litter. There are a lot of new litters at this time of year so there should be a foster mom available somewhere. Start with the shelters and an ad on craigslist... and then if that doesn't work I will help guide you through hand raising.. groan.. It is a lot of work. Teresa