Expert: Jessica - 1/27/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
My cat had kittens 6 days ago..she has been fine until today, she had her kittens on our couch, she has been digging into the couch all day and she tends to walk away alot. i was thinking about moving them but i dont know if i should.
what can i or should i do?
and how warm does the room have to be or how many blankets should i give her, she has 2 right now but, i dont know what to do.

ANSWER: Hi Crystal.  I would leave the kittens where they are if you can.  Mom is likely to move them to a place she finds more appropriate any day, and this is probably why she's walking away a lot.  She may be searching for a new area to move them to.  Cats generally move their babies once a week, or more often if they're outdoors.  But if you move them to another area yourself, you may stress mom out.  You can try placing them in a cardboard box on the floor by the couch to see if this pleases her at all.  In most cases, I find this encourages mom to stay put with the litter until they're weaned.  But as far as dramatically changing their location, I would avoid it.

A cardboard box should be big enough for mom to stretch out comfortably in, with a little extra room, and should be about eight inches (20 cm) tall.  Two blankets is fine, and as long as the kittens are generally with mom, the room can be normal temperature ranging from 68-75 degrees Farenheit (20-24 degrees C).  Kittens can tolerate much warmer temperatures, and slightly cooler temperatures if mom doesn't leave them for longer than 15-30 minutes at a time.  If mom leaves them for a couple of hours at a time, the kittens need to have access to a heating pad, which should be set on low heat and placed under the covers in the box.  Be sure there is enough room for the kittens to move off the heating pad if they're too warm.  Otherwise, the room should be 85 degrees Farenheit (30 degrees C).  However, if she's leaving the kittens for that long this early in the game, suspect she is beginning to neglect them, and start supplementing their feeding with kitten formula.

Just FYI, mom can be spayed 14-21 days after the kittens have stopped nursing completely.

Congratulations on your babies!

Jessica



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

QUESTION: Hi, thank you for the info. I have tried putting a padded cat bed on the couch and she seems to approve. One more question though. One of the ktitens has one eye a little bit open ( not fully) and one eye closed thats a bit crusty. Should i leave it for the mom and do something about it? they are officially 6 days old today.

ANSWER: You should definitely use a cotton ball moistened with warm water to gently wipe away any crust that you notice around the kitten's eye every time you notice it.  Kittens are prone to eye infections, especially just as the eyes are opening.  Sometimes this is caused by a virus, and sometimes it's caused by a bacterial infection they get from close contact with their mother, such as chlamydia.  Most adults don't show any symptoms of this infection, but it can be severe in kittens.  If the crust around the eye seals the eye shut, it can cause permanent eye damage, including blindness.  If any discharge is noted by the time the eyes are fully open, if the eyes do not fully open within a few days, or if the eye area appears red or swollen (whether the eyes are open or not), the little one should see a vet.  An antibiotic eye ointment will be prescribed to use in the eyes as they open to get rid of the infection and help protect the eyes from serious damage.  If the infected eye is not yet open, an oral antibiotic might be prescribed.  The kittens are very young for oral antibiotics, but I have had kittens as young as a week old saved by the use of oral medications.

Good luck!

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

QUESTION: Hi again
i tried to take the crust off, but it is like stuck to the fur. and its meowing. the one eye is fully open but the other one isnt.
So i dont know how to get it off. is there anything else i can use?
i have tried using a very soft cloth with warm water on it. but the kitten is really fussy.

Answer
I wouldn't use anything on it besides water or perhaps a little bit of mineral oil.  The best idea would be to hold a warm wet cloth to it for several minutes in order to soften up the crust, and then try to gently wipe it away.  If this still doesn't help, a touch of mineral oil might lubricate it a little.  However, be sure not to pick at the crust as this can damage the skin, and if the condition doesn't improve within the next day or two, I would definitely consult a vet.