Found newborn kittens: What housing and potty care do they need?

Hello. Use a cardboard box as a nest box. Put in a towel, & then a disposable diaper to absorb liquids. Change as needed. Put a heating pad under 1/2 of the box, so the kittens can move as they need more or less warmth. Feed a Kitten Milk Replacer, either a premade liquid or a powder you mix as needed. If you cannot find a kitten milk, this is a formula you can try: 1/2 cup whole milk 1 egg yolk 1 drop multivitamins ( pet or children's ) 3 crushed Tums ( or calcium based antacid ) Feed every 2-3 hours during the day, but do not wake them to feed them. They should do OK all night. If diarrhea persists, you can temporarily add more water to the diet to meet fluid needs. Consider taking a stool sample to your veterinarian for parasite analysis. At 3-4 weeks, start to introduce a solid, soft diet. Good luck & thanks for rescuing the kittens. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

[Kittens ](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens)on formula or mother's [milk](https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-constituents-that-make-up-milk-for-cats/) will still have bowel movements, however it may tend to be more watery or liquid rather than the solid movements of a cat on solid food. Mother cats will lick a kitten's bottom to stimulate defecation and urination, and this can be done by a foster parent by using a warm wet washcloth to gently rub their bottoms to stimulate a bowel movement. If the kittens are still unable to go, speaking with or scheduling an appointment with your local vet is best. For keeping [kittens](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-myths-about-kittens) warm during feeding, you can create a little kitten "burrito" by wrapping them in a warm towel or blanket. This will help them to retain their body heat while drinking. Making sure the kitten formula is also slightly warmed up will help prevent a decrease in body temperature.

If you're unsure how to care for orphaned kittens, contacting your local humane society is a good first step as they often have programs to help foster parents learn how to raise kittens and can provide services such as food and medical care for the kittens. I'm also including an article on orphaned kittens that may help you. Most kittens this young will still need help with stimulation to go potty, however if they still do not go potty or seem ill or in discomfort, vet care is best. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-raise-orphan-kittens/

I recommend first to have the kittens examined by the vet to make sure they are healthy and free of infections or parasites. If they are healthy, I recommend to start littler box training. Here is a link which may help: https://www.petcoach.co/article/litter-box-training-for-your-kitten/ Similar to crate training a puppy, I recommend to keep the kittens in a small room with their litter box. They can come out for breaks while being supervised but otherwise, they should be in their room. This includes sleeping there since you are having trouble with them urinating on your bed. Also make sure you are using a large, uncovered litter box with a clay-based clumping litter that is easy for the kittens to climb into. The box should be scoped at least twice a day for right now. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If you choose to care for them, your primary goal will be to keep them warm, stimulate their bowels / urinary tract, and feed them up to every 2-3 hours at first. The use of a blanket and heating pads may be required for warmth. If you do not have a heating pad, I would recommend going out to obtain one in the morning. As for stimulation, you need to rub their bellies and behinds to get them to go to the bathroom after each time they eat. As for feedings, you will need to obtain kitten milk replacer and a bottle. The kittens should be fed in an upright position as to avoid aspiration of the liquid. It is a tiring job and they still may not make it, so do not take it personally if things do not work out. You can certainly try to keep the kitten with mom if you think she isn't going to hurt them, but I would monitor them extremely carefully. If there is any indication of aggression remove them entirely. Hope this helps.

Kittens need to eat frequently! What goes in must come out, and on a liquid diet it will be mostly urine. You need to rub and rub and rub the anus with a warm wet washcloth to stimulate defecation. This is a great article on raising orphan kittens: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951456

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your new kittens. They are having trouble using the litterbox due to the diarrhea they are experiencing. Diarrhea is usually accompanied by urgency and an increased frequency of defecation. This makes it difficult for young kittens to make it to the box in time. They will need to see their veterinarian and have fecal testing performed. From there medication can be prescribed. Once the diarrhea is resolved, I suspect they will use their box again. I hope this information helps you!