Newborn kittens' umbilical cords tangled around leg. What to do?

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.

Set up a secure location for mom and babies that is sheltered from the elements and predators until you can get them to a rescue or shelter unless you intend to take responsibility for them. Offer her food and water, kitten food ideally for her, as much as she wants. Keep an eye on them but I wouldn't try to remove the straw or untangle them, Mom may take care of that herself.

Normally when kittens are born the umbilical cord is tied off at the base where it meets the belly and the remainder is snipped off. The remaining piece will usually dry up and fall off on its own (like you are describing). If you suspect an infection and see signs such as oozing debris from the area, pain around the area, redness, pus forming, etc, then it should be looked at by a vet. Otherwise, keeping the area clean, and dipping it in some iodine may help it to heal and ward off infection. If you're having trouble affording veterinary care this site may help you figure out some ways to make it more affordable: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

With these types of deformities it is best to take them to the vet to see what structures are involved before removal is attempted. I would not let the mother over groom or lick or it may separate them also.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Tiger is adorable! Can you post a picture of the chord? If it is long I would use a piece of thread to tie it off 1/2 cm from his belly and trim the excess off. The small stump will dry up and fall off. He should be kept warm with a heating pad on low and have the ability to roll off the heating pad if he wants until 3 weeks of age. He should be fed every 2-3 hours until 3 weeks of age. After every feeding he needs to be stimulated to urinate and defecate by gently rubbing his anus and genitals with a soft wet with warm water towel. Kitten formula can cause constipation. If that develops try mixing 2 different brands of formula together and adding extra water. I do recommend early weaning in bottle fed kittens due to the GI issues with formula. So around 3-4 weeks start canned kitten food mixed with the formula. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would use a piece of thread to tie off the chord a little above the belly buttons (where is attaches to the kitten) then use scissors to cut the chord off (away from attachment). It will be fine. The stillborn kitten will be fine if you just cut it. For the alive kittens you should tie off a few millimeters above where it attaches to the body. I hope this helps!

Unfortunately most of the time there is permanent damage to the foot. While a cat can live with three legs, most of the time, if the blood circulation has not returned to the foot, it will get gangrenous and the kitten will get septic and will need to be euthanized. This is an emergency and you need to take the kitten to a veterinarian right away to check the circulation. I am so sorry you lost those kittens.