CAN I HAND-REAR A NURSING KITTEN/PUPPY EVEN THOUGH I'M AT WORK ALL DAY?
YES!! You can, but you will have to bring it in to work with you. I did it for years (now I am self-employed and can keep them at home, but I wasn't always).
Mostly, nursing kittens and puppies are silent except for a few minutes a day. They eat and then go back to sleep for hours at a time. It is best to keep them in a cardboard box, small carrier, or even a backpack--most people won't even know they are there with you, and the people who do know will be very happy they are there :) I sometimes kept a tiny box of kittens in the closet when I worked at a nursing home, and no one had any clue they were there. You might need to ask a boss for permission, but can explain that they are very quiet, are kept in a small and unassuming enclosure, do not smell, and only require care for a few minutes every 2-5 hours (depending on the age).
What does it mean to care for a nursing baby?
Well, it means assuring that they are warm (body temp for kitts/pups is a bit higher than that of humans), since they cannot produce enough body heat and definitely cannot regulate it. An external heat source is essential to life until about 7 weeks of age (more if they are kept in an environment colder than room temp). A warm water bottle is perfect. Cover it in a little fuzzy blanket (I cut up fuzzy blankets, sheets and towels in to squares so that I can keep washing and replacing them). Be absolutely sure there are no corners for tiny nursing babies to fall in to head-first...they have the tendency to do this, and can die this way. I make sure all corners are stuffed with blanket and that the nest is flat and fluffy. Also, the formula they drink needs to be warm and fresh. I make a new quantity every feeding (I only make what I know they can eat), and put anything unfinished back in the fridge. Even an empty bottle needs to be kept in the fridge to prevent the milk residue from spoiling. If you don't have a fridge at work, wash the bottle with soap and water and let it dry between feedings. Kittens and puppies cannot digest cold milk, and it can actually kill them. Make sure their bottles are warm! You can test the temp on your wrist, just like you do for your human babies.
Until the babies are wiggly enough to climb out of things, I use either a backpack or small box (typically a 6-bottle Coke box, which seems to have been built especially for this purpose) as a kitten/puppy house. Don't worry about zipping the backpack almost completely or covering the box--they won't suffocate, and it is better to try to trap heat and keep out pathogens by closing up. When they start climbing around and making you nervous (maybe about 3.5 weeks), you can move them to a small pet carrier covered with a towel. MAKE SURE that the space between the bars on a carrier is small enough that the babies can't get their heads through!
Bring extra cozy, fuzzy stuff to replace anything that might get soiled. Most kittens can't go to the bathroom on their own until about 3 weeks, but some start earlier. Once they start, you will have to replace the bedding at every feeding.
The feeding and cleaning routine occurs every 2 hours during the first 1.5 weeks of life, every 2-3 hours for the next week, 3-4 hours during the third week, and then 4-5 hours until they start eating on their own (usually around 4 weeks of age). After they start eating and until they are eating regularly and reliably enough on their own, you will still have to give a few bottles a day. Since babies can't poop/pee on their own for a while, you will have to help them by rubbing their bums with a cloth or cotton (or even moistened paper towel) at every feeding. I use little squares of towel, and then just wash them. Rub lightly, until nothing else comes out. This is what their moms would do. Most babies will only poop every few days, but absolutely need to pee at every feeding.
After they eat and pee/poop, you can burp them and cuddle/kiss them for a few minutes, but they need to go back to their warm nests and sleep. Resist the urge to play with them and keep them awake. Set an alarm--tiny kittens and puppies will NOT wake you up when it's time to eat again. If they wake up and make noise, it is already a desperate situation. Wake them up on time, make them eat, and put them back to sleep.
The whole feeding/cleaning/prepping the nest will take about 2-5 minutes per kitten once you get the hang of it. No biggie!! :D
For more in-depth care instructions, check out the rest of my blog. This is the Cliff's Notes version only.