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New momma cat. We took her in as a stray and well she was already pregnant we found out later. She gave birth a little over 2 days ago now. We had set her up a box and she chose to have the kittens in there. Now she has moved them to a place I really do not think is good for them. She moved them to the basement in a box that was on the floor that has random stuff in it. It is not lined, and the basement is kinda chilly. We are not quite sure what to do. We do not want to touch them but I am afraid they are in a place they wont survive. Is it ok to touch them? What do we do if she rejects them if we touch and move them. Would it be better to use plastic gloves to move them if we do? Hope someone can answer soon not sure how good of a place she decided to take them too is.
Cats are not like birds; they don't reject kittens (usually) that have been handled by humans. In fact, you will want to start handling the kittens (without gloves, unless they show signs of mange), otherwise they will turn out feral and/or unaccustomed to human contact: when a human comes near or tries to handle them, they'll run away, hiss or even bite and scratch.
So, I would actually move the mother cats and kittens inside the house, if possible. Get a cardboard box (or something similar) and line it with towels so that the mother cat will have a "nesting area." You can also place the box in a closet to give the mother cat a better feeling of security. Nesting dens that have some kind of "roof" usually provide a heightened sense of security.
Mother cats notoriously move their litters, and usually to small niches and nooks where they are assured that her kittens are safe. Even a mother cat who trusts you implicitly will (instinctually) do this.
Whatever you do, try to interact with the mother and her kittens as much as possible, and also look for signs of any health issues. At some point, they should be taken for a routine exam and tested for Feline Lukemia by a veterinarian. If the entire brood is going to either stay with you or be adopted by others, being able to interact with humans and a clean bill of health are very important.
bring themback upstairs, a chill will kill kittens in a heart beat. shes looking for somewhere very quiet for them, so try moving them along with momma to a room thats not as frequently used, a tucked away closet ect, somewhere that can be very easily closed off. and dont give her acess to the basment (because she will try and move them back down there lol)
id also spend a few minutes each day handling each one, not much, just a minute or 2 per kitten, picking them up, touching them and putting them back, around 2 weeks old increase the amount of time you spend with them, getting them used to their toes touched, petted ect. if you spend a little time with them every day they will be wonderfull family pets
Hopefully someone will read this, my cat just had a kitten and she keeps taking it into a hole in our couch. we carefully moved the couch to check on it and don't feel it is a safe place for the kitten. We put the kitten in a box with towels in a closet and she keep taking it back to the couch drops off the kitten and then leaves it in the couch (it is actually on the floor underneath our couch) Momma cat kind of hisses or growls at the kitten when we put it in the box and won't have anything to do with it........ It is about 5 1/2 hours old.......
Hopefully someone will read this, my cat just had a kitten and she keeps taking it into a hole in our couch. we carefully moved the couch to check on it and don't feel it is a safe place for the kitten. We put the kitten in a box with towels in a closet and she keep taking it back to the couch drops off the kitten and then leaves it in the couch (it is actually on the floor underneath our couch) Momma cat kind of hisses or growls at the kitten when we put it in the box and won't have anything to do with it........ It is about 5 1/2 hours old.......
Why not block the hole in the couch? Is she nursing the kitten?
Not only can you touch the kittens, but you should as they get older so they will be people friendly. A cat usually moves its kittens when they don't feel safe where they are. Can you move the cat and kittens upstairs and block off the basement? Do you have a nice quiet place upstairs they can be, someplace quiet and warm, a place that offers her some privacy?
why not block the hole in the couch? is she nursing the kitten?
+1 !!!
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