When the vet checked the kittens, yesterday, he said he thought they were barely 3 weeks old.

[Siwsan]

The thing is, I know when I first saw them on April 12. I'm guessing they were possibly a day old but definitely not more. Now I'm wondering if they just weren't getting enough milk from their mom.

I'm seeing a lot of lapping with their tongues, along with sucking, when I'm feeding them with the eye dropper so today I'm going to give them some milk in a bowl. The girls already lapped some up from a jar lid, the other day.

And they have started using the litter box!!

I'm going to try and get a very fast 'cat nap' (another sleep deprived night) before the 10am feeding/medicating. And I'm thinking that in a couple of days I'll be able to scale back the number of feedings - just increase the amounts. With the last litter, the vet said to try giving them a slurry of food when they were at 4 weeks. All I can do is try.

Being a kitten mom can be mentally and physically exhausting, but also abundantly rewarding.

[niyad]

1. Thank you for being such a wonderful and devoted kitten mom. Giving them

such a loving start in life, and providing us, their aunts and uncles, with hours of delight.

hhugggs.

[Siwsan]

3. I'm both thrilled and heart broken that I've already found a home for 2 of them!

I have until mid-June to spend with them. I'm going to make the most of that time.

[niyad]

4. I know that you will. And so will we.

[3catwoman3]

2. In one of your other threads, someone estimated that these sweet...

…babies were almost 6 weeks old, and I thought, “No way!”

[Siwsan]

5. I remember that.

The girls weigh about the same as Madoc and his brother did when I first brought them in, last Summer. The boys are a tiny bit lighter than the girls from Madoc's litter. The other vet judged them as being right at 4 weeks old.

They are already wrestling and playing with each other and really starting to bumble around. I don't remember Madoc's litter trying to climb the netting in the play pen, at such a young age. That really surprised me.

After I get the lawn mowing done, I'm going to spend some quality socializing time with them. Tomorrow I might try briefly introducing Arthur to the boys, just to see how the boys react. Naturally I'll hold on to him.

[blm]

6. 😻💐😻

[2naSalit]

7. When I was a kid...

I had a cat who kept having kittens but my parents wouldn't get her spayed, go figure. But I learned about caring for newborn and older kittens. One time she had her litter on the floor in a doorway in the barn, they had to be moved quickly, so I took a couple minutes to figure out how to lift such fragile beings without harming them while I prepared a box for them to nestle in. I decided that setting cloth next to each one and gently rolling them onto the cloth then gently roll them into the bedding in the box one at a time was the way to go.

I also devised a way to note each stage in their growth. I found that they start walking confidently at about ten to twelve days, their tails stay straight at all times- I called that the "pencil tail" stage. When they start using their tail to wag and they are no longer erect comes along at around three weeks of age and can start licking fluid from a dish at about six weeks but that part is relative to when they are exposed to that mode of intake.

The pencil tail stage is kind of how I determine their relative age when I don't know the date of birth.

Sounds like you have your hands full for a few more weeks. I know you will enjoy them while you can!

Thanks for sharing these experiences with us!

[Siwsan]

8. I'm just glad I have definite proof, to within a day, as to when these were born

Last year's litter was a guessing game. I found them on August 8. Two of the kittens were on a walk about with their mom when I took in the first 2. I thought she was in the process of moving them. Then she appeared with the two boys so I grabbed them up, too. When I took them to the vet a few days later he estimated they were 4 weeks old. (Different vet than from yesterday.) So, I'll celebrate their 1 year birthday on July 8.

These kittens were never out of the crate until Thursday. They had very little room to move about and start gaining their strength and coordination. Just in this short period of time, it's amazing to see the difference.

I knew I wanted to get them before they started following their mom and leaving the property. She'd have to move them when they started to grow. I sure didn't want to lose them and have them turn feral. We have enough of those.

[2naSalit]

9. Your choices...

And actions make sense are best for the babies. I do wonder about the mom and her lactation process and whether she will simply stop after a day or two. Perhaps you have a chance at capturing her if she comes near the house looking for them. Maybe bring them near a door where she could hear them, you might be able to lure her into a capture situation, maybe.

It's just a thought but she would probably be easier to catch at this stage.

Anyway, you have your methods and they are sound, and good on you for caring.

[Siwsan]

10. I'm hopeful that I'll be getting a Kitten Mother's Day humane trap, tomorrow

I REALLY want to trap Bruiser, the territorial Tom. That might buy a little time in catching the others, most of which are females.

[2naSalit]

11. That's a good idea too.

Hope it works out, he sounds like he could be a little too savvy to catch easily.

[wnylib]

14. These kittens might be more alert and energetic

since Spooky had a good diet from your feedings before and during her pregnancy.

[RockCreek]

12. I had a kitten abandoned at 3 weeks

I bottle fed him, and used a wet rag for "momma tongue". The first time he used a litter box, I knew because I woke up to a little scratching noise. Then I saw his little grey face pop up over the side of the mattress. I was thrilled he was using the box, and he just cooked his head at me and gave me this look that I read as "what's the big deal? I know what to do, and I started doing it as soon as I could get there. No need for you human to get so excited about it!"

[Siwsan]

13. Every kitten first just makes me so happy

Watching them try to climb up that netting never gets old. Especially when they are meowing at me. I think they are saying 'A little help, please!!' Hearing that little lapping noise when Bronwyn started slurping up the milk was priceless. I didn't even mind Arthur peeing on me, at 2 o'clock this morning.

[RockCreek]

15. Kittens are the best!

I had a feral momma cat foster 3 years ago. I was sleeping in the room she was on, and had put together great nesting boxes for her to choose from. I was woken up by a tiny "mew, mew". Feral momma had decided to have her babies on a soft surface < 2 feet from my head! The mews from the first one woke me up, and she had 3 more. And while she was pumped up on birthing and nursing hormones she let me touch her and her kittens! We had a spy camera in the room, and she would barely leave them the first few weeks. But soon after I came in and sat next to them, she would get up, go to the litter box, eat, etc. She was trusting me to be her kitten sitter!! They grew up into huge strong kittens and were all adopted. After the trust that Momma showed, we adopted her. The hormones wore off, and she is now semi-feral. After 3 years, she seems to move away from me more for show than anything else. And she sniffs my fingers. But the yearly vet visit is the only time I get to hold her and pet her. She fell in love with our huge boy cat, and as long as he is around she has no need for people or any other cats!

[Siwsan]

16. I don't know anything about Gryff's background. I suspect he and his sisters were throw-aways

I do know he's the most affectionate cat I've ever encountered. He's always jumping up on my lap, head butting, face rubbing, purring, trilling, nuzzling, making biscuits. If I DARE try to use my hands for anything but scritches he reaches out and pulls them back.

Madoc is more of a plop on my lap and wait for the anticipated affection. He does like to sleep on the pillow next to mine and gives me the occasional morning wake up kiss.

As for Spooky - she's just never really let me approach, until this litter arrived. And then no closer than about 3 feet. She's such a beauty, and I hope we can get her spayed. Well, I hope we can get all of these ferals spayed and neutered. Then they can come back and live on as usual. I'll still feed them and my neighbors will probably still be aggravated. Of course they've done nothing to mitigate the problem.