Grandmother found a stray pregnant cat

My grandmother has found a stray cat and has been feeding it and letting it in her house. The cat was pregnant and gave birth to five kittens yesterday. mother and kittens are all doing well i only have on question.

Because the mother cat (Miss Maggie Muggins) is used to being an outdoor cat she is not really into using the litter box that my grandmother has provided for her. Last night she had an accident. She also isn't going to the washroom all day.

My questions are:

How often does a Queen go to the washroom after having her kittens?

How can we get her to use the litter box?

Thank you whoever can help

Since she was an outside cat,I would get a aluminuim cake pan from the store........like $1.00 at Wal-Mart and fill it with some dirt,sand,or potting soil.Since this is all new to her, she doesn't know to go potty in the litter box or to use litter.
I'm not sure about how often she will go as I've not had this experience before.If she's a good Mom,she'll stay with her kittens more than leave them alone until they get older.

Also, I wouldn't let her go out at all. She can get pregnant again right away. Is your grandmom planning on having her spayed? It would be the best thing she could do for this dear kitty.

Thank you for your suggestions. I was also thinking about stealing some poo out of my mother's litter box and taking it over and putting it in her litter. We will definitely try the potting soil. my grandmother is going to have her spayed and whenever she has let her out she stands outside with her to make sure she knows she won't be locked away from her kittens so she has never been out of my grandmother's sight.

Originally Posted by Janaleew

Thank you for your suggestions. I was also thinking about stealing some poo out of my mother's litter box and taking it over and putting it in her litter. We will definitely try the potting soil. my grandmother is going to have her spayed and whenever she has let her out she stands outside with her to make sure she knows she won't be locked away from her kittens so she has never been out of my grandmother's sight.

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Janaleew....explain to your grandmother that although she may watch this cat carefully, this cat is still intact and really should NOT be let outdoors until she is fixed.

-What if this cat gets scared and runs off, leaving your grandmother with kittens that need feeding an an intact mother outdoors?? It would be best for her to keep this cat indoors only until she is spayed.

If you are going to use potting soil....make sure you buy it from the store....do not simply grab some from outside as it could have bugs and other unwelcome guests.

Katie

I would also confine her to a small room (bathroom, laundry room) with her food, which should be kitten fod that is available to her at all times, and her litterbox all right there. I think you will have better luck that way. Otherwise a large dog crate will work. BUt please do not let ehr outside, even supervised, that is only asking for trouble.

I agree with Jen, put her in a room or crate, that will ensure that she uses the litter box and that she can't move the kittens.Alos, DO NOT LET THE MAMA CAT OUTSIDE!!!! My brother made the mistake of letting his cat outside a couple days after she gave birth and she got pregnant again, less than a week after giving birth. Remember, even if she is not in heat, she can still get pregnant.

If the momma cat is friendly enough to be held, etc, try to train her like you would a kitten, to use the litter box. Take her over to it, put her in, and move her paws in the litter (or dirt) in a scratching motion. This usually immediately tells the cat that this is where they need to go potty.

Bless your sweet grandma for taking this kitty and her babies in!

I dont really understand the fact that cats can get pregnant after giving birth. I once had an outdoor cat that did get pregnant, and she was always outside and never got pregnant after giving birth

It is wonderful of your grand mother to care for these cats. I agree with the previous replies you've had though.
The getting pregnant part differs from cat to cat. I have a cat who went in heat four days after giving birth. She sneaked out, left the kittens for twentyfour hours and got pregnant again.
You will not know how this cat is untill it is too late.

Originally Posted by JulieKit

I dont really understand the fact that cats can get pregnant after giving birth. I once had an outdoor cat that did get pregnant, and she was always outside and never got pregnant after giving birth

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Cats are induced ovulators...which means that if there is an intact male around, they can become pregnant again. Perhaps your cat was lucky and never ran across another intact male.

Can cats become pregnant while they are nursing kittens?
Yes, absolutely! It is typical for cats to go back into heat one to two months after giving
birth to kittens, and they can easily become pregnant at this time! Some cats may go
into heat and become pregnant again as soon as one week after having a litter!

http://www.sacanimal.org/cat_reprodu...ant%20again%22

Katie

NEVER let the mom outside.. What if she gets hit by a car and dies or someone takes her and she cant nurse the kittens????