Expert: Norman Auspitz - 6/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: My cat just had babies today. She is handling them VERY ROUGHLY and I am terrified that she is going to accidently kill them. I know they will neglect them if they are sick, but being rough? This is her first litter and I just want the best for all her babies and Her as well! Please help, and Fast!!!

ANSWER: Heather,

First time mamas can get a bit frantic with the kittens.  So you need to tell me a couple of things:

First, is she trying to move them from where they are to somewhere else?

Second, will she let you near them?

Third, has she actually punctured any of the kittens?


Kittens, like cats, have very tough skins and it is not unusual form mama to be a little rough in handling them.

Usually within a day, mama settles down and they all nurse happily.

Hopefully, the kittens are in a secured area (i.e. no other pets and no young children can bother her and the kittens).  Also, it is better if the area is a room so she cannot get out to move the kittens all over the place. If she feels the kittens are not safe where she has them, she will try to move them.  It often looks like mama is going to bite their heads off when she goes to move them.  Too much moving of the kittens is bad for them.  This is why she needs to be in a secure area.

If she is in a secure area and still wants to move the kittens, she should be crated for a couple of hours.  The kittens will be fine as long as they are in a warm (not hot) draft free area.  Usually she is so happy to be back with the kittens, she forgets about moving them and settles down to nurse.

If she will let you near them (some mamas will growl at us for the first couple of days and actually try biting us if we fool with the kittens), then you need to examine them very carefully all over, but, especially on the head, the neck -- front and back, and the back end, for signs they have been bitten.  If she has not punctured any of the kittens, as rough as she may be handling them, they will be OK.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The answer to your first question is yes. When I first found out she was pregnant, I made up a medium sized Pet-Porter with a pillow, puppy pads, and towels. (Puppy pads because it is my favorite pillow!). The first night she was in it, she tore everything up. So I put it in the utility room without re-making it. Well, the day of her delivery, my husband let our two dogs out to potty. He thought that she escaped out that way, then thought she ran out when I walked through the front door. I told him she had to still be in the house. So we went to work and everything, and when I came home, he opened the utility room to let the dogs out again and she RAN into the bedroom where I keep her food and started CHOWING DOWN! I didn't think anything of it because she has been eating like a horse since she was pg. Well, I went to pet her, and realized something was different... I ran to the utility room and started looking around and found the babies in the Pet-Porter. Obviously it was dirty and I didn't want the babies or Allie laying in blood so I changed everything and put it in the guest room so she would have all her privacy and darkness they so love. I have several pictures of the kittens on myspace so to answer your second question, yes she is fine with letting me near them. She tries to hog all the attention, but she is fine with me holding them. I have not gotten to hold them today however, because I have been working all day and she has moved them underneath the futon we have in the room. I hope this explains some of the things going on in this crazy house. Oh, and my two dogs cannot get to them. I make sure of that! Thank you!!!
~Heather

ANSWER: Heather,

As long as the kittens are behaving normally and show no signs of damage, I would leave her have them wherever she wants. I expect, she will handle them less frantically once she settles into a routine.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again Norm. As you may have seen by my comment when I rated you, the babies are doing fine and well. We have four sets of beautiful blue eyes peering at us at all times. But I have a new question now. Our lease is up August 19th. We were planning on staying here, but we have found a house that we are going to move into. The babies will be 12 weeks old August 21st. We are planning on moving the animals around the first of August. What is the best way to go about moving Mamma and Babies? Thank you!
~Heather

Answer
Heather,

And I do thank you for your very kind ratings!!!!!

By the time the kittens are 12 weeks, they should be weaned.  We usually start the weaning process when the kittens are about 4 weeks and by 6 weeks, they should be on solid food.

We usually use a good strained meat baby food (only ingredients are strained meat and broth or gravy) to start weaning them.  We put a little in their mouths and after a while, they begin to take to it. There is usually one stubborn one who takes a bit longer.  After they get used to the baby food, you can start moving them to cat food by mixing it in with the baby food gradually, until they are getting all cat food.

While doing this, you will want to get a weanling sized litter pan and put a bit of mama's dirty litter in it so they can get the idea of where they need to go.

By 12 weeks, they should be exploring and mama may even have had enough of the kittens.  So, moving at that time will be no problem at all.  After they move, you will want to start everyone out in one room with food and litter pans, until they get used to their new digs.

Best regards... Norm.