What to do if you find kittens If you find young kittens without their mom, it does not automatically mean they have been abandoned by their mother. The mother could be out looking for food, or finding a more suitable home for her kittens. If you find one or two kittens, their mother may be in the process of moving the family and is on her way back for the others.
Wait and observe from a distance for an hour or two.
In each situation, you will ultimately have to use your own judgment to decide how to handle the kittens, depending upon the litter’s needs and your time and resources.
Keep the following in mind when deciding what to do next:
Kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother.
If you bring the cats inside you should keep them separate from your animals until evaluated by a veterinarian.
For proper social development, kittens should be kept with their litter (and mother, if possible) until at least 8 weeks of age.
Kittens without a mother If the kittens aren’t weaned, and you take them in without a mother, they will require round-the-clock care and routine bottle feeding (every 2-3 hours, even overnight). Search “how to care for unweaned kittens” and you will find a multitude of great resources to help you feed the kittens. DCHS has limited resources and volunteers to bottle feed kittens. When kittens are at least 8 weeks old and have been fully socialized and sterilized, they (and momma, if she’s friendly) are ready for their forever home. Even if you cannot keep the cats until they are 8 weeks old, keeping them until they are 6 weeks old before taking them to a shelter gives them the best chance of living. Tips for judging a kitten’s age
Under one week: Eyes shut, ears flat to head, skin looks pinkish. Part of umbilical cord may still be attached.
1 week-10 days: Eyes beginning to open, ears still flat. A kitten this age is smaller than your hand.
3 weeks: Eyes are fully open, ears are erect, teeth are visible. Kittens this age are just starting to walk and will be very wobbly.
4-5 weeks: Eyes have changed from blue to another color and/or kittens have begun to pounce and leap. Kittens this age will begin to eat gruel or canned food.