I bottle-fed 3 kittens years ago. We kept them in the bathroom too, in a basket, on a heating pad with a lot of towels between them and the pad so it was just barely warm. I remember warming up the bathroom and rinsing each one thoroughly in warmish water, then blowing them dry with the hairdryer, being extremely careful not to over heat them or blow too hard. It doesn't take much if you towel them first. They have no mother to lick them clean.

Are you giving them KMR?

We kept one of the kittens, and even as a grown cat, if I was blowing my hair dry, she would come so I could blow her too. She loved that even as an adult.

I hope it all goes well for you and the kitties.

They are eating solid food, but I give them one bottle a day just for the next week or so to let them wean off the nipple and also to supplement nutrition. The mother was feral and they want them socialized to people so I am the mama right now. I think I will give them baths tonight when my husband can help. I have two adult cats that I adopted so these will go up for adoption when the weight is enough-maybe 6 more weeks, so I want to get a handle on the smell because I don't think I can take it for 6 weeks. Good thing I am retired and home. I am cleaning and changing litter 3 times a day. I only give then very small amount of litter in a small cardboard lid with plastic around it so I can change it often.

Is the odor from the kittens, or their urine/feces? Have they been tested for parasites or other nasties that might be causing a bad odor?

Thanks for taking the little guys on!

Kittens really shouldn't need more cleaning than their bottoms checked and their little faces wiped to keep them clean. I would pick up each kitten and smell them. If their fur smells normal then you probably need to get a fecal sample to the vet. Parasites, or bacteria, can make their poop smell really bad. Also, I would toss the cardboard litter box and change it to a deep (about 2") baking pan or a shallow plastic storage container. If you have plastic lining the cardboard their little claws can create tiny holes which will let the urine and other smells reach the cardboard.

You may find this site interesting.

I am changing the cardboard if it gets wet-I have at least a dozen of them- will talk to the vet staff and get samples for them to test. I had a plastic shallow litter box and they were pooping all over the edge. The cardboard is better for them. I am sure they will be big enough for the plastic one soon.