Mom moved babies!!! HELP!

We are fostering a mom and her kittens who are 1 week today. They have been upstairs (a finished attic area...carpet, track lighting, etc) and have been in a carrier that is snug with a blanket, etc. Mom has been content right there with food, water, litter box.

I've gone up once a day to make sure babies are ok...still breathing, etc...but we don't make a habit out of handling them or anything. Mom comes downstairs to be loved/patted a couple times a day, but she doesn't stay down long.

I went up just a bit ago to check on them and mom has moved them!! I have no idea where...I can't find her or her babies (I am guessing she is with them). Our attic area has side closet doors that open up to decent sizes storage areas. I am guessing she was able to get into the area (she is skinny, small cat) and has them in there somewhere. Problem is, we are totally utilizing that area for storage! Boxes, etc...and it just is stuffed.

Do I need to go in and "unpack" the area to find them or should I just let them go? There is insulation back in the area (not the pink/yellow fiberglass type....it is like "wood-chips") and some of it is dropping to the floors due to some small holes in in it...and that scares me. Plus..when these babies start walking....that isn't going to be the best place for them to be.

Still, though....should I worry about them or let them go?????? I am not worried about mom...she does come down a few times a day.

It would be good for you to try to find mom and her babies...and when you find them It is best to contain them to one area so that she cant move them again and the babies and her will be safe....It is also good to handle the kittens so that they get used to human contact.

I would send mom upstairs and just watch her. Cats are smart and she may or may not show you where they are. Listen for any kitten crying and try to find them.

I hope they are NOT in the offset part where they could be in trouble. I handle kittens from the minute they are born. As long as they are not out of sight of mom, its ok to handle them. Makes the kittens more used to people when eyes open and they are a lot friendlier in the long run.

OK! I found two....and they are fine. But the last one wasn't with the 2!! Mom was right there, as well.......but WHERE is the third baby???? Do cats hide babies in different places or keep them all together???

OK....I am really freaking out here.....so I had to post a new thread...because I don't know what to do.

I've found two of the three kittens that mom moved....I isolated mom and the two and then went and tried to find the third. The closet area she had them in is that of a redone/finished attic area where the sides are made into storage closets (and we utilize that space). I moved some things around and I do NOT see that third baby. I don't even HEAR that third baby.

I am terrified. That baby was actually a little bigger than the other two and seemed fine...and I don't want to NOT find it only to assume mom killed and ate it. UGH.

But I don't want to find it dead, either. Would mom hide babies in different locations or keep them together????


ETA: 453p...mom brought the third out randomly! Hiding in another area of closet!!!!!!!!!

oh thankgoodness my heart sunk reading this glad all are well

Oh thank goodness the third kitten was found!!!

Glad you have everyone together. I suggest you confine her to a very large cage/dog crate and keep everyone together. Is it possible to keep the family in your bedroom with closed door?

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Glad you have everyone together. I suggest you confine her to a very large cage/dog crate and keep everyone together. Is it possible to keep the family in your bedroom with closed door?

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I'm keeping Salem & the babies in the computer room, b/c it's not in use. Do you have a spare room of any kind that you could keep them shut up in??

I'm glad the third baby was found!

~KK~

I am SO glad you found them all and they are fine.

I agree with everyone else: you need to be handling these kittens daily and socializing them. My fosters will be 4 weeks old come Monday, and I have started bringing them downstairs with the family for about a half hour/hour each day and introducing them to the dog and resident cats. Most of the time I do this while mom cat is eating upstairs, then she comes down to check on them when she's done. I take cues from her on when playtime is over.

Yes I agree I have been handling my babies from day one as well. My 4.5 week olds run to me when they see me and climb up my leg. They are also socialized with my dogs they play with them as well. It is very important to socialize the kittens so that they will be good pets.