Got home tonight to find two small kittens hiding under Mrs North’s car on the drive. They’re definitely not old enough to be out. Trouble is, we live in a small village and I’m not aware of anyone having had a litter and there’s no-one outside looking for strays. So, possibly lost or possibly dumped in the pub car park across the road.

So, until I can firmly establish they aren’t anyone else’s, we’re going to have to look after them. One of which is definitely the runt of a litter – smaller and with a deformed (stumpy) tail.

We don’t have any other animals, and my experience is only with dogs (and horses), so not sure what’s good/not good in terms of food. Mrs North has never owned a pet. I think cats aren’t as keen on milk as we think, but don’t know how true.

We’ve made a little bed with a box and old towel in the kitchen and put some newspaper down. They’ve had done milk and there’s a bowl of water.

What else do we need to do (apart from establish ownership/decide if we’re keeping them, contact the RSPCA and go to a vet)?

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Seems to be some good advice on the site in the link. Hope everything works out with them and you find the owners.

Cat’s protection league, if they’re still going. Found a litter of kittens when moved into student house 20 odd years ago and they came and got them.

Kitten care

Seems to be some good advice on this site. Hope they are okay and that you find the owners or keep them?

Thread is also useless without pics

Thanks guys. Don’t think the second link works funkmasterp.

At a guess, they’re 8 weeks old: eyes are adult yellow and they move well (even stumpy with the shirt tail). They’re probably 8-10 inches.

If we can herd them (hah!) out if the sitting room into the kitchen, we’ll tuck them up and make a plan.

Keep the advice coming….

Sorry, using the phone and it went a bit wrong. Link is same as first post. Do they seem relatively healthy and alert, drinking and eating? If so, just keep them warm and get them to the vets when you can for a checkup and some sound advice. Good luck and keep the thread updated 🙂

They’ll need some food as well as water. Kitten specific food.

Bet you still have them at Xmas 😉

Well done for taking them on…

Warmth, kitten food and a safe environment, love them, enjoy them and integrate them into yor life. Don’t over pamper but on balance don’t restrict exposure to fun/ risk

Litter – stat! 24hr Tesco near you?

Cats become less tolerant to lactose as they grow and giving them milk can get messy. But you can get special cat milk which mine loves as a treat.

Would dare feed any of mine milk. What results really isn’t pleasant.

No 24hr supermarket near. They’ll have to survive on water and the milk we gave them until tmrw morning. I’ll get kitten food.

Establishing ownership is key – I’ll get knocking on doors tomorrow morning.

We may well have them by Christmas – amazed to see how animal friendly Mrs North is! Miss North would love them.

Trouble is we have busy jobs and I’m often away with work. We find having a child tough enough – wouldn’t want to make it unfair on a pair of animals, beautiful though they are…

Scuse the grainy iPhone zoom (and the skanky kitchen put in by previous owners)….

They’re there for good – going nowhere.

Do they seem relatively healthy and alert, drinking and eating?

Yep.

Would dare feed any of mine milk. What results really isn’t pleasant.

Too late, I guess. Ignorance on my part – would have asked neighbours (who own a similarly pitch black Tom), but they’re in bed. In fact, they’ll be the first port of call tomorrow to see what they know.

They’re there for good – going nowhere.

Had to stop myself calling the little one (back of the picture, short tail) “titch” for fear of instant attachment.

They’re there for good – going nowhere

Yup…
Have you checked in the engine bay for their little brothers and sisters?

Keep them, they chose you.

They are cute. Reckon you’ve just got two pets. Congratulations!

Care leaflets here: http://www.cats.org.uk/cat-care/care-leaflets/essential-guides

If you can’t trace the mum then probably best to pop to the vet in the morning.

Yup…
Have you checked in the engine bay for their little brothers and sisters?

Her car is cold. I did fear they might climb under my inlays car before they left. I’ll take a look in the morning (incl under mine, which is warm tonight). It’s rather dark outside!

They were outside the front of the house for a while before they ventured to the back and into through sitting room window. Suggests to me it’s just the two of them.

There was definitely no other sound of a cat calling her young when we were outside. My MIL was the one who suggested they’d been dumped (and my mother – the eternal rescuer of animals (she has a small flock of sheep!) – via text support…!). Am not yet sure.

This is going to be a busy bank holiday!

Thanks all.

Food wise I would ask the vet next to me but she’s passed out (ill not drunk).

You want to avoid any processed meats but maybe try some small amounts of cooked fish or cooked chicken. Either white fish (fish fingers without the breadcrumb) or tuna. I am not sure if that is the best thing so only small amounts and see how they get on. I assume at that age they are on solids.

Water to drink.

Make a litter tray out of a cut down box and some shredded newspaper.

Somewhere nice and warm to sleep, warmth and nutrition is key to any young animal.

If you can’t trace the mum then probably best to pop to the vet in the morning.

Do people chip cats like they do with dogs? Oh, and is it possible to tell if they’ve been vaccinated?

Cats are great for busy families, more self sufficient than dogs

Don’t worry. They will train you as to what is needed. Dogs have owners, cats have staff..

They look gorgeous

Make a litter tray out of a cut down box and some shredded newspaper.

Hmm. Haven’t done that. I suspect tomorrow morning will be clean-up time….

Have found a vet nearby. Will call them in the morning and see what they can do to help (other than open my wallet…).

Dogs have owners, cats have staff..

Another rung down the domestic ladder for me then….

Got 3 siamese. Love cats. Just got a border terrier and he is brilliant but I’ll always be a cat person. He’s the only dog I’ll ever own but I’ll have several cats (siamese) til I’m old and grey.

If you do keep them get them both neutered as soon as they are able. Please.

In answer to your question. Yes, all our cats are microchipped. And cats don’t really need vaccinations like dogs do. Never had any of mine done (6) over the years and none have ever had any issues. They’re much less likely to pick things up than dogs. As they don’t play with other cats the way dogs do with dogs and they only really eat things that I feed them or they catch themselves.

Cats are cheap as chips to own too.

Aww!, Love them! Especially the one thats deficient in the tail department! 😀 Keep them. Sure, you’ll call them sometimes & they’ll show you their arse but nothing relaxes you after a stress day than stroking a kitty 🙂 Loddrik – Siamese are my ultimate cat. Having a ‘meow’ conversation with them is great 8)

Nothing useful to add. Kitten food and litter trays ASAP as already mentioned.

Our new arrival

[video]https://youtu.be/0dxyQ2NRVjE[/video]

Our two joined the household under similar circumstances. Found them dumped by a river. At some point in the journey from the river to cats home “we” decided to keep them. They’ve destroyed carpets, smashed glasses, pissed in my tool box, and shed hair everywhere, but they’re good fun.

I Rescued mine.

Well done on becoming a cat owner. No advice other than what’s been said.

Never envisaged myself a cat owner – always wanted a dog when work settled down. But life isn’t like that (we had two goats among other animals when I was a child because my mother rescued them).

Off to get food and see about litter tray. Will also phone nearby vet once they’re open.

Congratulations on the new additions to your family.

Get some kitten food and a litter tray and you are set.

Get them checked out at the vets as soon as possible to start getting their vaccinations in order/give them a health check.

Make a litter tray out of a cut down box and some shredded newspaper.

The one time I tried that my cats took it to be a comfy bed.

You’re doomed! Now they’ve infiltrated your home they will stay, grow and one day they will achieve the universal cat ambition of killing and eating you. Be sure not to let them weave around your legs, especially at the top of the stairs.

Very exciting!

You need:

2 litter trays/litter
2 food bowls and 2 water bowls. Keep a gap between food and water areas.

Kitten food. Simple stuff like chicken/rice combos.
Until then, a bit of cooked chicken maybe, but IANAV.
Only water to drink usually.

Yes, get them checked for chips at the vet. If not chipped, they are yours (if not going to cats protection/ blue cross) and get them chipped with your details. Also get them jabbed and neutered.

Get some ping-long balls – best kitten toy ever! Endless fun.

Good luck and have fun.

Until then, a bit of cooked chicken maybe, but IANAV.

Poach a chicken breast, either in a pan or in the oven in a couple of centimetres of water – no spices/salt/pepper/oil/etc – only the chicken and water.

25 mins in a pan should do it, a bit longer at 180 in the oven. Then cool it down, feed to your Kitten Overlords and become officially awesome.

Back with food + two food bowls. One litter tray only (will rectify if staying). Will double up the water bowls.

They’re both hoovering the food down – starving little mites!

Quick shower form me then we’ll speak to the vet.

Don’t know what the ‘if staying’ is all about – you know they are!

Good man!
We have two rescue kittens, one is runty, and referred to as tiny, despite the name on the paperwork.
I’d be calling yours stumpy and titch.
Don’t be tempted to overfeed; chances are they’ll sick back up a big meal if they’ve been without for a time.

While I try to get through to the vet, another pic of the tiny twosome:

Def won’t be doing overfeeding – I have (not very) fond childhood memories of the results of greedy labradors….

Don’t be tempted to overfeed

A good point, at the moment they will be in “don’t know if we will get another meal mode” and apart from being kittens and full of energy will be driven to eat anything put in front of them. Small meals several times a day are the way to go. Later you can move to 2 meals a day/biscuits to graze on.