Removing kittens from where they are now isn’t always the right answer.
You just found a group of tiny newborn kittens and their mother is nowhere to be seen. Before you scoop them up, evaluate the situation. Mother cats may leave their kittens for several hours at a time. If the kittens are warm and don’t appear sick or in distress, their mom is likely nearby, getting food or hiding from you.
The kittens’ best chances for survival are with their mom. Her milk is much better quality than kitten milk replacement. She’s able to keep them warm and stimulate them to pee and poop, as well as help them learn to be cats.
If there is a mom, then provide her support with food and fresh water to nourish her babies. Do not place food too close to her nesting babies as you might also attract predators.
If the kittens are truly abandoned or appear sick, cold, or nonresponsive when you touch them, you need a different game plan. The younger the kittens are, the quicker you’ll need to act and the more care they’ll need.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU GIVE THEM COWS MILK. We’ve all seen it on TV or the Movies where they give a cat cream or milk and that is a big mistake. Cats are lactose intolerant and it can give them major gastric distress. There are cat milk supplements such as KMR to help feed kittens.
During Kitten Season many rescues are overwhelmed with abandoned kittens. The first thing you want to do is make sure they are warm and place them on a towel with a heating pad. Kittens need to be fed frequently so getting to a pet store ASAP for kitten milk supplements is essential. When they are young they do not know how to pee or poop on their own, you have to stimulate them. There are great videos on how to do both feeding and potty them.
If you reach out to a rescue or shelter and are willing to foster till ready for adoption, you will be saving two lives – the life of that kitten and the life of one the shelter won’t euthanize because no one can help. Rescues and shelters need your help – most are volunteers with busy lives too and they can only help as many as they can physically and fiscally handle. So your being a part of the team makes a difference in saving lives.