Expert: Tina - 9/7/2008

Question
Hi Tina. I've got two females cats (sisters) about just over 1yr old but younger than 2 yrs. They both disappeared outside and came back pregnant. So a month ago the first lot of kittens came (the 1st cat gave birth to 4 kittens) and then a week or 2 later the 2nd cat gave birth to about 5 kittens. so all in all we have 9 kittens. We prepared two boxes with warm blankets etc for the separate litters. the monthers moved all the old and new kittens into one box. They took turn feeding the whole lot. This morning has been very strange becoz now the mothers are taking the kittens rather roughly out of these comfortable boxes and trying to stuff the kittens into my cupboard behind my clothes?? i tried to take them out of my cupboard and i shut all my cupboards close so they cant sneak in there, but now they are walking around each with a kitten in their mouth searching for perhaps a place of refuge?? i am rather confused??

Answer
I is best to leave the mother cats alone with the kittens and not disturb them. The mother cats are moving the kittens where they think it is safe. Do not interfere or bother them. The mother cats know what they are doing and they get worried when people interfere. Do not touch the kittens or mess with them.

Keep all of them strictly indoors, and once the kittens are a few weeks old, please take all the cats and their kittens to the vet and get the mother cats spayed. Then get the kittens spayed and neutered when they are 8 weeks old BEFORE you give them away.

I don't think I need to tell you how much time I spend rescuing kittens and finding homes for them after people allow their cats to breed. There are not enough homes for all these kittens and thousands of healthy adorable kittens are killed every day in shelters because there are not enough homes.

Please be responsible in the future and make sure your cats and their babies do not ever have any more babies, do not contribute further to the problem of unwanted kittens.