crying kittens

Question
I have 2 new kittens 4-5 weeks (brother & sister) old and they cry and poop all over the place and themselves.  I don't know what to do. I have 3 older cats and they don't want anything to do with them.  What do I do?

Answer
Andrea,

They have a bad case of Separation Anxiety.

One, they are too young to have been taken from the mother.They should not be separated from the momma cat until they're close to 12 weeks old. They should be weaned by 8 weeks but the  weeks between 8 and 12 weeks are very instrumental with the mom, and will help the kittens mature mentally and be more social, and friendly.

You may need to bottle feed these little ones. They need the closeness and comfort that a mother gives and bottle feeding gives them this.

They are probably pooping all over because of the food. Their tummys are not ready for big cat food yet and they are having trouble digesting and have tummy aches which can make them cry too. Change to mixing baby food (meats like plain chicken or turkey with nothing added, no flavorings, spices--DEFINITELY NO ONION POWDER) or high quality wet kitten food mixed with KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer--you can buy this in Petsmart/Petco). You can also puree dry food in a blender and add KMR. The point is that the first 'solid' food should be more of a 'gruel' (liquidy) because this is the consistency they're used to from the mother's milk. You can begin by offering a little on your  finger and ultimately have them lap it from a shallow bowl.

Be VERY careful of dehyration from diahrrea. That can kill them. You may want to take them to a vet and have them checked and get advice on their care and feeding or you may lose them.

Re: the litterbox--NEVER use CLUMPING litter for such young kittens. Use dust-free, unscented clay litter.