[Roxy]

The female who has ginger kittens, had a litter two weeks ago .....looks like a ginger tom, ginger female, and ginger and white like the one killed last night on the lane.  They are in the cat run, and the mother comes and goes during the daytime, and is shut up with the kittens at night.  Not sure why, or even when, but it seems she has decided she does not want the kittens now. 

Yesterday morning, they were yelling and shouting, and she tucked into her breakfast, and then disappeared.  Lunchtime racket still going on, so I searched for the cat and put her in with the kittens ......much growling, and she sat up on the feed tubs, and ignored both the kittens and the noise.  I left her there until early evening, but it was obvious she was still ignoring them.

Fortunately, I do have a little feeding bottle for such emergencies, so  I filled it with watered down goats milk, and tried to get milk into them.....its hard when they have been on the cat, and not the bottle from day one ....like a goat kid who has already been on the mother, and now on the bottle .....awkward springs to mind.  Anyway, got enough down to shut them up, and took them back to the caravan in a plastic container.  Charlie the caravan cat was not pleased, and sat on the shelf all night glaring at the lodgers.

I fed them, put them on the puppy heat pad, and went to bed, with the alarm set to wake up in two hours for a feed.  Did not need the alarm, the kittens were meowing, climbing out of the box, and then crying because they were cold.  Fed them twice in the night, and they took the milk better, and wiped their little bottoms with a tissue dipped in hot water, to make them wee!!  Got up very early as the cryng and climbing out of the container was continual.

I have had the cat abandon kittens before, and that was because she know there was something wrong, and they did all die.  I do wonder if this is the case, but until now, she was feeding them, and they looked fat and healthy.

I have brought them back to the farm so I can feed them through the day.  There again, the cat went out every day and did not come back until night to feed them!!

I do have other cats with kittens, but one has kittens a couple of weeks older, and the other has 6, a few days old, so she has enough on her plate.  I could ask Flo our dog to help, she is excellent at tippng kittens over, and giving them a good wash!!

[HappyHippy]

I hope it works out for you Roxy.
My first thought, like you, was that maybe there's something wrong with the kittens 
Could it be that there's maybe a problem with her milk and she's come back into season ?
Can you post a photo & I'll send some reiki to them.
Karen x

[faith0504]

Fingers crossed they do ok, and everything works out for them 

[Rosemary]

Poor wee mites  Hope they do OK.

[little blue]

poor little things, hope they & mum are not poorly.

Definitely let Karen send Reiki - its amazing!

A couple of weeks ago, I'd have said we'll put them in with the bottled piglets - but they are finally growing & the goat is giving less milk, so not a great option now.

good luck

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi Roxy,

   sounds like you are doing a brilliant job with them. A friend of mine recently had a feral mum abandon her kittens in a similar way and they have turned into friendly, chubby little lumps of kitteny lovelyness

I hope yours do too.

Buffy