Need Advice

[Lori Jordan]

I just had kittens back in the summer time and by the time the kittens were old enough to be found homes our cat Alex was drained really thin now im no vet but it does take alot out of them ecspecially when they have large litters now i still have the two males left and mom cat dont want anything to do with them and our other cat callie actually produced milk and is still feeding them and there almost a year old...every cat that i have owned with kittens has always gotten thin through out the 2 months they care for there young

[Scooby4]

I noticed you said that you didn't believe the mother cat was doing it's job correctly because one of the kittens went to the bathroom when touched in that area. Well, I don't want to get too gross on this but this is helpful advice. It may also explain a few problems that may have happened with the kitty's.
Have you noticed that mother cats seemingly are always licking their kittens? There is more to it than just showing "affection". There is a reason behind this. Kittens can not stimulate their waste to expell like human children do. The mother MUST lick the genital area to stimulate waste "release". The mother then licks/eats this up. The kittens eventually are able to go to the bathroom on their own after a few weeks. About the time of them opening their eyes. This is also why you do NOT see much waste materials in the areas of birth/nesting area.
Since the mother was taken away, the kittens were unable to go to the bathroom correctly. This could have caused other related illnesses. Hence, why some kittens were not drinking or eating properly.
If the mother cat can NOT be around it's very young kittens, this is what you do. Take a WARM wash cloth and wipe the genital areas of the kittens on a somewhat regular basis. Especially 1/2 hour to an hour after feedings. The warm cloth will simulate the mother's tongue. You may have to wipe a few times but NOT too much. Don't expect too much to come out and it to be runny. Once the poop comes out solid you may not have to do this method anymore. I would stop it then and start regular training in litter boxes.
I hope this helps. I know you tried to help the mother cat. That is a good thing. I took in a stray or too myself. One I named "Rambo" who was an unruly alley cat. Turns out "Rambo" was a "RambA" and had kittens on my back porch. She abandoned them and they died. The next time she was able to take care of them and was a good mother. She was just too wild the first time around. Thank you for taking care of the cat!