1 week kittenes

Question
QUESTION: hey,
i have found under my window a box of four kittens less than one week of age. i knew they are orphan. i traied so hard to feed them milk with an eye dropper and provide some warming to them. one died yesterday! i really want to help them. i cant stand their screaming and shouting all the day, its heartbreaking. i also thinks they sufferes from dehydration and flea and they are too week. tell me what to do? knowing that i am capable to take them to the vet.

ANSWER: Hi Bassant, You have certainly taken on a big job ! Well the first thing is to keep the kittens warm, secondly get some fluids into them. If they do not have their eyes open yet I would try them first with some sugar water. See if you can get that down them. Once you have given then all a bit of sugar water (about a dropperfull) then try to give them some milk. You can buy kitten milk replacer at a vet hospital or pet food store. Just follow the directions. If they have fleas that will be making them very weak and can kill them, so the fleas need to be picked off of them and killed. change the bedding at least twice a day and keep battling the fleas by hand. You can put some flea powder into the corners of their bed but they are too young to put it directly onto them. Don't have them TOO hot, just on a heating pad turned on Low. Please keep in touch !
Teresa

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Teresa,
Thanks alot for your help. unfortunately, 2 kittens died today. and only one poor kitten is left. I took her home, warmed her, gave her the sugar water with a syringe -4 ml- exactly..and gave her a baby formula milk (PediaSure Powder Milk) which is rich in synbiotics, probiotics & prebiotic-FOS. I bathed her and dried her with a hair dryer. I rubbed the kitten's abdomen and bottom with a cotton ball and she pooed well. there is no diarrhea though she is still severely dehydrated. I also noticed her tail shivering...she refuses the warm nest that I made her in my closet and wants to sleep in my arms. I really want to warm her, should I put her in the nest and don't care for her shouts?? what should I do next? I want to know all about raising orphan kitten. how often should I give her water sugar and milk? and what is the exact amount of milk or sugar water I should give in each fed? and what else can I do to make her get better and overcome her weakness?
Please advise as necessary..
         Yours sincerely,
         Bassant  

Answer
Hi Bassant, Well it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job. It is too bad that 2 of them did die. It sounds like this little one has quite a bit of life in her if she is already deciding that she prefers you to a nest in the closet! If you are able you can certainly keep her warm by holding her. Just wear a shirt with a pocket and put her in the pocket and then put another shirt or jacket overtop to keep her warm and draft free. She should be fed every 3-4 hours and you can lessen the sugar water so that by tomorrow she is not getting any of it... just the milk. Keep rubbing her and cleaning her. you can use a warm wet paper towel and massage her so that she can urninate and defecate. She should have feces that look like yellowy paste. That is a sign that she is doing well. And she should pass a bit at every feeding time. I don't know how big she is or exactly how old she is but until I hear back from you I would suggest that she takes 6-8 mls(ccs) of formula at each feeding and just a ml(cc)  of sugar water. Can you weigh her? this is a good way to monitor her progress. If you can weigh her twice a day you should see her gaining weight steadily each day. Also can you let me know how much she weighs and whether her eyes are open and then I can give you a better idea of volume to feed her. Keep it up ! You are doing great !
Terea