How to Take Care of Kittens

1

Provide a quiet place for the birth. Your female cat will chose a place where she feels safe to give birth. By all means, provide a large cardboard box, turn it on its side and line it with warm, dry bedding–but don't be disappointed if she has other ideas. Instinct tells her to find a quiet concealed spot, such as under a bed, behind a sofa, or inside a kitchen cabinet.

2

Do not disturb during the birth and first two days. The first 48 hours is a crucial time for the mother to bond with her kittens, so try not to disturb her. If she gives birth under your bed, leave her there. Moving the newborn kittens will distress the mother and in the worst scenario could cause her to reject them. Once she is firmly bonded, at around four or five days, if you feel it's necessary to move the kittens, do it then.

3

Leave food, water, and cat litter in the room. The mother won't want to leave her kittens for long in the first two weeks of their life. Always put food and water within stretching distance of her nest, and if possible, offer a litter tray in the same room so that she can stay within sight and sound of the kittens.

• If food is in another room, some mothers chose to starve rather than leave their newborn kittens to find it.

4

Feed the mother extra calories. She needs the extra calories to make milk for her kittens. Feed her kitten food, which has more calories than adult cat food.

5

Let Mom do most of the clean-ups. Instinct helps the mother to keep the nest clean. The newborn kittens do not urinate or defecate on their own, so the mother has to lick their bottoms before and after feeding to stimulate elimination. This way she keeps the nest clean. Try to disturb the nest as little as possible.

• If the bedding becomes soiled, wait until Mom hops out for a toilet break herself to take out the dirty bedding and pop in clean.

6

Check that the kittens are all nursing. If the mother cat is present, the kittens should nurse from her immediately after the last kitten is born. Newborn kittens will spend most of their time sleeping, waking up to nurse every two to three hours. If they do not appear to be nursing, or one kitten is being pushed away from the mother cat by its siblings, supplement with bottle feeding as described in Part 2

7

Consider spaying the mother cat. Having your mother cat spayed (removing her womb) after the kittens are done nursing (they should be weaned by about 8 weeks) is highly recommended by veterinarians and humane organizations. This helps prevent the suffering of unwanted kittens, and can also have some health benefits for the spayed cat.

• Be aware that a cat can potentially fall pregnant again as little as three to four days after giving birth, so keep her indoors to avoid this risk.