Hi Danielle,
Welcome to TDKland. We’re the furriest forum around. Thanks for rescuing these wee abandoned kits. Without you, they had no chance.
Kits cry for three basic reasons; they’re hungry, they’re cold, they hurt. They first two you can address in this manner:
Kittens cannot regulate their body temperature so they must be kept warm. Kittens cannot digest food if they’re cold. If you haven’t already, make a nest for them. I think the best way is to place a heating pad, on LOW, covered by a towel and a soft blanket. Also, put a soft shirt of yours in their nest so the know your smell. Be sure to provide a “cool” spot for the kittens to crawl if they get too warm. Keep the kittens together so they can snuggle.
They have companions, so they’re not lonely. You don’t suspect they are in pain so I suspect the kittens are hungry. Since you’re feeding multiple kittens, feed the first kitten until he stops nursing, then begin feeding the next kitten, and so on. Once you have fed all the kittens, feed the first kitten again and repeat with all the kittens. Usually one to three nursing turns will suffice. When a kitten stops nursing, he/she has had enough. Do not overfeed the kittens because it can cause loose stools and diarrhea. A well-fed kitten’s belly should be round, but not hard and distended. Smaller or weaker kittens may eat less per feeding and will need to be fed more often. A kitten should eat about 8 milliliters (mls) of formula per ounce of body weight per day. For example, a kitten who weighs 4 ounces should eat about 32 mls of formula per day. To determine how much to give at each feeding, divide the total amount of formula per day by the number of feedings. For example, if you’re going to feed 32 mls per day and do 7 feedings per day (approximately every three hours), that would mean giving 4.5 mls per feeding.
Nursing bottles are marked with measurements, so it’s easy to know how much you’re feeding the kittens. Please note that some bottles use ml for measurement, some use cubic centimeters (cc). They are the same: 1 cc = 1 ml.
These are the absolute minimum for ages:
Newborn need to consume about 32cc daily,
At 2 weeks, 55cc daily,
At 3 weeks, 80 cc daily,
At 4 weeks, 100cc daily (add wet food to the milk to make a gruel),
At 5 weeks, 125cc daily.
Here in TDKland, we recommend Goats’ milk for kittens. Cats are lactose intolerant and can’t digest cows milk. Goats’ milk is full of nutrients, probiotics and gentler on their tummies. This can also regulate their poop. If you are using the Goats’ milk concentrate, mix it with pedialyte. Pedialyte gives an extra the extra boost. Keep in mind if they seem lethargic put a dab of Karo syrup or honey in their mouth. Sometimes this is all they need to give them the added energy boost to get them eating. KMR concentrate can cause constipation and KMR liquid the opposite. Here are some links with good information on caring for your wee kits.
If they don’t flinch or cry out when you touch them, I don’t believe they hurt.
http://messybeast.com/handrear.htm
Good Luck
PG