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It should smell slightly sweet, like powdered milk.

Make sure that the powdered formula you are using is fresh by opening the pop-top and smelling it.

It can be purchased at pet food stores, veterinarians' offices, or online. We highly recommend the powdered type to prevent diarrhea. Both brands are available in both canned and powdered formulas. Two major brands of formula are available: PetAg KMR® Powder and Farnam Pet Products Just Born® Highly Digestible Milk Replacer for Kittens. We recommend that you use only powdered kitten milk replacement formula from the start, or as soon as possible, to prevent diarrhea.

Powdered kitten milk replacement formula is better for kittens than the canned liquid formula.

Newborn kittens need to be fed and stimulated for elimination every three hours around-the-clock.

Determine the age of the kittens by comparing them to the photos and descriptions on the Kitten Progression: Week-by-Week.

Warm up the kitten slowly over one to two hours by wrapping him in a polar fleece towel, holding him close to your body, and continually rubbing him with your warm hands. This is life-threatening and must be dealt with immediately. If it feels cold, then the kitten's temperature is too low. You can tell a kitten is cold if the pads of his feet and ears feel cool or cold. Never feed a cold kitten! If the kittens are cold, you will need to warm them up slowly.

If you feel you must take the kittens in, wrap the carrier you will transport them in a towel for warmth, but make sure you leave air holes uncovered so the kittens won't suffocate.

Prepare for bottle-feeding and proper care before you take the kittens off the street.

How do I care for and feed the kittens that I found?.

You can only try to be the best surrogate guardian possible and hope for the best.

Be aware that sometimes, no matter what you do, some neonatal kittens do not survive and can fade very fast.

offers great tips on caring for newborn kittens.

After you have observed the kittens for 12 to 24 hours and are sure the mother is not likely to return, or if the kittens are clearly in poor health or injured, then by all means pick them up and care for them.

If you determine that the mother is friendly, the best approach is to take her and the kittens indoors until the kittens are old enough to be weaned, sterilized and adopted.

Place them in a sheltered area, away from direct sun, rain or traffic and continue to watch for the mother.

If the kittens are in immediate danger such as underneath a car, or one that is flooded, find the nearest safe area to which you can move them that will still allow the mother to find them.

If you really want to help, provide food and water dishes for the mother far enough away from the nest so you do not disturb her or the kittens, or draw predators, such as raccoons, to the nest area.

Do not interfere with the kittens or their nest since this may stress the mother and cause her to abandon her family.

This is because establishing a new nest is part of the cat's instinctual behavior to safeguard her young by not remaining in one place too long.

It is common for a mother to move her kittens to a new location.

The mother stays continually with her litter for the first day or two after giving birth, she will need to leave them for short periods of time to find food.

Instead, watch them from a distance to see if the mother is there. To ensure the best chances of survival for 'found' newborn kittens, Animal Services advises residents to consider the following recommendations:

What is the redemption fee for a lost pet?.

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If no owner has been found or come forward after the three-day holding period, you are free to adopt the pet.After compliance with notifying Animal Services and efforts to find an owner, there is a three-day holding period to allow a possible owner time to claim the pet.You may hold the pet in your home while efforts are made to find a possible owner.If the microchip scan reveals that the dog is registered to an owner, you must contact the registered owner within 24 hours.In the comments section of the form let us know you want to adopt and keep the animal if an owner is not found.Use this form to notify Animal Services about a found dog or cat.You can have the animal scanned at a private veterinarian or at the Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center

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If you find a dog or cat with no license tag or other identification you are legally required to notify the County's Animal Services Department and have the animal scanned for a microchip within 72 hours to find out if the animal is registered to an owner.

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