Dropped off on the doorstep?

Pet Haven's voicemail had a message on Saturday.  Two kittens had been dropped off on the front doorstep sometime - during the night?  early a.m.?  The teen children in the home found them and dad, who was at work, suggested putting them in a box with some towels to snuggle in since they were shivering.  When picked up Sat. evening, Baker and Widget, were very quiet, dehydrated and very thin.  Baker, the boy, is a gray tabby and has medium length hair.  His sister, Widget, is a short haired black.  They've been getting sub q fluids and are being fed or force fed 5 times a day. They're eating canned kitten and Baker doesn't eat well on his own, so his mouth is opened and a bite scraped onto the roof of his mouth.  His sister is perking up faster and is eating well when it is offered now.  Neither is drinking water yet nor have they tried the tiny pieces of dry kibble.

These kittens respond with an upright tail when you talk to them so someone handled them and talked to them.  It's sad when someone who cares about animals finds themselves in a situation that forces them to put them on a doorstep in the hopes that they might be found  and cared for.  

What happened to mom?  They're very thin.  

Was she not fed well and couldn't nourish them properly?  Maybe she was a 'mouser' and expected to provide for herself?

Were they taken from her too soon?  

Was she an inside/outside girl and was hit by a car?  

Pet Haven is unlikely to ever know their background but questions like these are worrisome. 

We need to continue our outreach and fund raising so that financial assistance can be supplied when the family wishes to keep their loved pet but can't afford to alter it.  Then there will be so many fewer 'surprise' kittens who are too young to leave mom and who won't end up outside alone.   When every humane society and rescue group sees a slowing of kittens coming into the shelters, there will be more teenage and adult cats who can find homes.  Unaltered cats and dogs lead to more and more kittens and puppies.  Too many cats and dogs, kittens and puppies are being euthanized  because there are not enough homes for them.  Please help.  

Do you know someone who needs to have their animal altered?  Put them in touch with a rescue group who can give them some guidance to a subsidized program.  Offer to help them pay for a part of the surgery at a vet clinic near them.  Help a group fund raise to accomplish these surgeries.  We all need to work together on this problem.