>In the meantime, I am feeding 4 kits with a make shift feeder, trying to
>find a nipple small enough.
 
For those not familiar with what I'm about to suggest, an IV catheter is an
IV needle that has a small soft rubber tube around it in a second "layer".
Ask your vet to show you one, and take it apart so you can see it.  Normal
usage is to insert the whole thing into a vein, then pull out the needle,
leaving a tiny soft rubber tube in the vein to administer fluids.  That way
the patient moving around doesn't result in a needle going through the vein
wall.  It's a pretty neat device actually.
 
Could the rubber part of an IV catheter be used as a nipple?  It would fit
on a syringe, and maybe on a eyedropper for meauring feedings.  The basic
design is an open tube, so there might be a need to put light pressure on
the tube so the kit has to suck rather than having the fluid flow out
freely.
 
(That wouldn't be the case if using a syringe to feed.) You could probably
get one from any vet.
 
The tube is tiny, so any lumps in the formula would clog it easily.  If
feeding formula mixed from powder, you might want to strain it first.
 
>The kits were kept alive for about 30 hours with feedings every hour, and
>gentle rubbing the tummy for potty breaks.
 
I know this advice comes too late for you (this time anyway), but often
with baby animals the mother stimulates urination/defacation in the babies
by licking their urogenital area, and you can provide the same type of
stimulation by stroking them with a warm wet cotton ball or rag.  Might want
to hold them over the litterbox while doing this to catch the 'results'.
 
Sorry to hear about how most died despite the efforts of so many.  I hope
the one remaining will live.  I'm always impressed at how the ferret
community will go so far out of their way to help each other, even when
it's for someone they don't know.
 
-Ilena Ayala
[Posted in FML issue 2283]