PLEASE HELP!!!....Advice needed for catdaddy with kittens!!!...

[kaoK'okung]

Hi everyone...as some of you know, the 6 month old kitten I rescued, Zilla, had a surprise for me. She gave birth to 2 beautiful kittens, Zorro and Zena.
Anyways, this is new territory for me as I have never experienced this gift before except as a kid when I took it for granted. During the spring and summer I work 2 jobs, about 65 hrs a week. The kittens will be 3 weeks old next wednesday, so they will be weened fairly soon and also start needing food and water, also mobility will be become an issue.
My concerns are these: should I limit their mobility to 1 or 2 rooms at 1st, and how should I approach feeding them??? (I will not be home on the average of 9-13 hrs a day, except Sun. my day off)...can this be managed by myself or should I pay someone to come and feed them???...What precautions should I take for exploring little furballs???...What kind of food??? (obviously soft, but are there foods specifically made for kittens of this age???...ANY help, suggestions, advice, insight, thoughts, (prayers..lol)...are welcomed!!!!!!!.....(this is such a great community, if last year hadn't been so hard on me I wouldn't have been away so long!!!)...THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(Zorro is the blk one and Zena the grey)......

[kaoK'okung]

oops, pics didn't show....here they are.....(forgot to upload)....included pic od Zilla, she is one long kitty....

[Picasso]

Well I really dont know much about kittens myself, but I'd assume if they are still so young, you should just leave it to the mother to take care of them. Aslong as you feed the mother, she'll have plenty of milk for the kittens.
Can you post more pics of them as they grow please? :D

[cassiesmom]

BOUNCE cos I don't know much about baby kittens but I know there are other PT'ers that do!

[catmandu]

I would go with Baby Kitten Royal Canin Dry , and maybe the Whiskas and Friskies Pouches all mashed up.
Or the Science Diet or Nutro Kitten Canned Food.
A Little Human Baby Food , Meat Varities helped with Gary and Ivon.
The Momma Cat will do all the rest.
And I would keep them in one room so they dont get lost.

[moosmom]

First of all, the kittens shouldn't be weaned before they are 8 weeks, if possible. 3 weeks is way too soon.

Keep them isolated to one room with mama, for their own safety and well being. Let them have peace and quiet. At 6 weeks, you can begin weaning with a saucer of canned kitten food mixed with KMR, a milk supplement in a can. Put a little on your finger and put it to the kitten's mouth to lick. Put their mouths to the stuff and they'll get the idea.

Unless you plan on keeping them all, I'd keep them isolated. Especially since none of them have had their shots yet, and also if there are any other pets in the home.

If you plan on keeping them and there are other pets, you will need to be introduced gradually.

[AbbyMom]

Be sure to "kitten proof" the room that you'll keep them isolated in. When they get to around five or six weeks they become very very rambunctuous. They'll eat anything. When they start teething, they'll chew anything.

Take down curtains and shut closet doors. Remove all lamps that can go. Put in cardboard boxes that they can play in.

Good luck cat daddy!

[kaoK'okung]

Thanks so much for the advice...what concerns me the most is the amount of time I will be away when they are just learning to eat solid food. How many times a day does a 6 - 7 week old kitten need to be fed?????...I will continue to update pictures and news of my adventure with the 2 furballs of joy. (at least I am hoping, because their mother, Zilla, is a krazy, non-stop, bouncing of the walls terror:)

Also, for those of you who asked, I think I am going to keep them. Zip is almost 16 though and stresses easily after losing her sister of 14 years, Shy last year. So we'll see. I want Zip to have very good golden years. She deserves it.

[DonGato's Person]

Hmmm...

about the kittens...I can't really think of any advice, but I bet I know where you can find some:
1) talk to a vet.
2) look for cat care books at the library. I'm sure you'll find something there.


GOOD LUCK! ;)