Found newborn kittens with tangled umbilical cords, what can I do?

I can certainly understand being scared about this! I would have the kittens (along with their mother) seen by a vet now for this, as the cord will likely have to be cut away. It the cord is too tight around the legs and tummy, it can cut off the blood supply, which is why it's important to have it removed right away. You can try to cut the cord carefully yourself to remove the kitten, but if you are frightened to do so, it's certainly fine to take them into a vet now to have this done :-)

The sac and cord need to be removed. In theory you could do this at home, but I would recommend having your veterinarian do this. Cord needs to clamped close to the body, then tied to prevent possible hemorrhage from occurring. The use of thread or dental floss could be utilized if you choose not to have a vet do it. The kitten needs to be kept warm and fed every 2-3 hours for the next 7-14 days. A kitten milk replace will be required.

Ensure the mother has cleaned their noses and nothing is obstructing their breathing. If the mother has not broken the cords you can tie off the cord with some cotton or dental floss sterilized with boiling water. Tie two very tight knots at least one inch from the kittens belly and half inch apart and cut between the two knots with sterilized scissors. She may eat the placentas when she is completely done with the [queening](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats) (delivery). If she doesn't, you can dispose of them after a few hours.

Go ahead and gently clean the sac off of the kitten. You may need to tie off the umbilical cord if Mom is not attending to it. (Normally she will chew it off.) you can use a warm hand towel from the dryer to clean the kittens and stimulate them. Mom may not show interest in nursing until she is done delivering. Good luck to all of you and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Poor Kittens. You can try to clean them up and take them to her with the rest of the kittens. If she still rejects them then I would try to start bottle feeding them with KMR kitten formula. You would need to feed them every 2-3 hours. You can use a syringe or a kitten bottle. You will also need to stimulate their rear ends using a damp warm cloths after each feeding to help the pee and poop. Just be forewarned that kittens that are bottle fed from day 1 take a lot of nurturing and sometimes do not survive. I hope this helps!

Hi there and thanks for posting. Kittens can get very cold very easily especially when they are wet and not dried off properly. It appears you are trying to keep them clean and dry which is good. A warm clean towel can help dry them off if they get wet. What is also concerning is if the kittens are not nursing regularly. Very young kittens need to be nursing every hour or so. You may need to get some milk replacer from your local pet store and hand nurse the kittens if mom is distant from them. I hope this helps!

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.