New Kittens- HELP!

Our cat just had her first litter on 3/30 and I have a few questions about them, since this is the first time i've owned a cat that has had kittens.
1.) Is it ok to hold the kittens after they are born or will the mother become defensive and injur them if she senses that they have been touched by a human (similar to the way birds do) or is this a myth?
2.) How long will the queen continue to spot bleed?
3.) Does anybody know a good site that can walk me through the development of the kittens? (such as when they will open their eyes and walk around and things like that?)
4.) When is a good time to start litter training these kittens?

Thank you in advance to all responses... and I will be sure to post some pictures that I have taken as soon as I find my cord for my digital camera!!

Originally Posted by sweetthang07

Our cat just had her first litter on 3/30 and I have a few questions about them, since this is the first time i've owned a cat that has had kittens.

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Congratulations on the safe delivery of the babies and welcome to TCS! We are glad you found us!!

1.) Is it ok to hold the kittens after they are born or will the mother become defensive and injur them if she senses that they have been touched by a human (similar to the way birds do) or is this a myth?

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It depends on the mother cat. If she is comfortable with you and trusts you, then yes, by all means, handle the babies frequently, but not for long bursts of time. In other words, pick them up, do a quick but thorough examination for anything amiss with the umbilical stump, weigh them and then put them back in with Momma. If Momma isn't happy about you handling her babies and becomes extremely aggressive, then don't handle them unless you absolutely need to.

2.) How long will the queen continue to spot bleed?

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They can spot for approximately 10 day to two weeks with small drops of blood. If you notice more than just a little (and believe me I know that blood is one of those things where a little bit of it looks like a lot), then have your vet take a look-see to make sure everything is OK. Additionally, if the discharge is anything other than just a small drop or two of blood, a vet is needed.

3.) Does anybody know a good site that can walk me through the development of the kittens? (such as when they will open their eyes and walk around and things like that?)

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*grin* You've got one right here!

The kittens will begin to open their eyes anywhere from a few days to two weeks after they are born. There is an article here which may help you to determine what to do if problems arise with that.

They will sort of crawl around (I call it "commando-crawling") now in order to get to Momma to nurse, but you will start to see them venturing away from Momma in about 6 to 10 days.

4.) When is a good time to start litter training these kittens?

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Momma will normally start to introduce them to the litter once they begin eating solid foods on their own, usually anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks old.

Thank you in advance to all responses... and I will be sure to post some pictures that I have taken as soon as I find my cord for my digital camera!!

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Find that cord!!! *grin* We LOVE baby pictures, but make sure you either don't use the flash directly in their faces or wait for a day with good natural lighting to get good facial shots.