So my cat moved her.kits after we had to remove a dying kitten...she moved them to a laundry basket. Now that theyre getting older, 2.5 weeks to be exact, they are getting too cramped in the small basket. Just tonight i moved the old birthing box to where the laundry basket was and and put the laundry basket full of my dirty clothes to the place the birthing box was. She has cleaned a few while while standing just outside the box but not exactly in the box. Should i be concerned she wont go in bevause ive replaced it? Ive started a new thread because my old one has become stale with not many responses...and i feel as though this is a common question so id appreciate if we could just keep this question separate so i can get some good answers. If anyone wishes to read my back story see thread titled "help w/ very preg cat...MINE AND MY CATS FIRST LITTER!" Thank you guys!!
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moving/changing nests
- Thread starter lala3
- Start Date
I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Are you saying you just swapped the location of the nests? Or is her laundry basket now gone?
Regardless, it may take her a little while to adjust but she won't just stop caring for her kittens. She will either accept the change and start using the box, or she will start hunting for a new place to move them. Hopefully it's the former but, if it's the latter there's a few things you can do.
If she keeps going for the laundry basket I would either 1) remove it completely and hope she settles down without it or 2) say goodbye to it and cut it up (presuming it's the plastic kind that you can cut). If you can spare it and can cut through it cut an opening on one of the long sides. Keep about 6 inches on each side so she still feels secure, and leave a little lip on the bottom so they don't just tumble out. Essentially just cut a door that's big enough for her and them to get through.
If you choose to do this again be sure you are covering the whole basket really well with a sheet so that they don't get stuck in it, and use extra lining around your doorway so they don't get hurt on the cut plastic. It's not ideal but if she's determine to have her laundry basket it's your best bet. At this age they need to start walking and exploring- just staying confined to the basket isn't good enough anymore. I would still keep their area small and set up food and water dishes as well as litterboxes close by so they can start getting used to all that.
Some kittens will start on wet food as early as 3 weeks but it's more common between weeks 4-5. Mainly they learn from watching Mom. Make sure you are giving her wet food at least twice a day. Then, one day you will see them checking it out and playing in it- that's means they are ready for their own plate!
With starting solids comes litterbox training. Make sure you have several small boxes set up for them (high sided cookie sheets or the cardboard boxes wet food comes in work well) and have Mom's nearby too. Again, they learn from watching her. If/when they do have accidents just pick it up and put it in the box so they start to associate it with their smell. I highly recommend getting some puppy wee wee pads for this stage as they are going to get plenty messy between learning to eat and learning to use the box. I use them as "placemats" under food and water bowls and surround the litter boxes with them. It makes clean up so much easier! Finally, make sure you have a good enzyme remover (like Nature's Miracle) on hand to clean up their accidents and only use a non-clumping litter for both Mom and babies. At this age kittens taste everything and clumping litter is meant to expand when wet. If ingested this can cause a life threatening blockage.
Regardless, it may take her a little while to adjust but she won't just stop caring for her kittens. She will either accept the change and start using the box, or she will start hunting for a new place to move them. Hopefully it's the former but, if it's the latter there's a few things you can do.
If she keeps going for the laundry basket I would either 1) remove it completely and hope she settles down without it or 2) say goodbye to it and cut it up (presuming it's the plastic kind that you can cut). If you can spare it and can cut through it cut an opening on one of the long sides. Keep about 6 inches on each side so she still feels secure, and leave a little lip on the bottom so they don't just tumble out. Essentially just cut a door that's big enough for her and them to get through.
If you choose to do this again be sure you are covering the whole basket really well with a sheet so that they don't get stuck in it, and use extra lining around your doorway so they don't get hurt on the cut plastic. It's not ideal but if she's determine to have her laundry basket it's your best bet. At this age they need to start walking and exploring- just staying confined to the basket isn't good enough anymore. I would still keep their area small and set up food and water dishes as well as litterboxes close by so they can start getting used to all that.
Some kittens will start on wet food as early as 3 weeks but it's more common between weeks 4-5. Mainly they learn from watching Mom. Make sure you are giving her wet food at least twice a day. Then, one day you will see them checking it out and playing in it- that's means they are ready for their own plate!
With starting solids comes litterbox training. Make sure you have several small boxes set up for them (high sided cookie sheets or the cardboard boxes wet food comes in work well) and have Mom's nearby too. Again, they learn from watching her. If/when they do have accidents just pick it up and put it in the box so they start to associate it with their smell. I highly recommend getting some puppy wee wee pads for this stage as they are going to get plenty messy between learning to eat and learning to use the box. I use them as "placemats" under food and water bowls and surround the litter boxes with them. It makes clean up so much easier! Finally, make sure you have a good enzyme remover (like Nature's Miracle) on hand to clean up their accidents and only use a non-clumping litter for both Mom and babies. At this age kittens taste everything and clumping litter is meant to expand when wet. If ingested this can cause a life threatening blockage.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Shes come accustomed to her box now. The laundry basket is still there cuz i didnt wanna completely threaten her kits safety and thank you for the other tips. Ill refer back to this wheb my kits get around 3 weeks to figure out how to handle it the food and litter training
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
After the kittens go to their new homes (when they are 10-12 weeks old). The kittens can be spayed as soon as they reach 8 weeks and minimum of 2 pounds, but most are closer to the 10 week mark by the time they reach that weight. Some people do spay Mom when they do the kittens, but I prefer to wait until the kittens go. I think it just makes things easier. That way, she's not recovering from surgery with a bunch of crazy babies pouncing around on her!
However, if you think you are unlikely to make two surgery trips to the vet then do her when you do the kittens. It's better to do it early than not do it at all!
However, if you think you are unlikely to make two surgery trips to the vet then do her when you do the kittens. It's better to do it early than not do it at all!
