Mommy moved the nest

sarahkay

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I brought home a pregnant stray who now has 6 kittens, they are 8 days old today. Her nest was originally in a laundry basket lined with towels on the floor of our spare room. This morning I discovered she moved her babies to the bed. The mattress sits on the floor, but it is 16 inches high. The kittens are barely crawling and eyes just beginning to open. I'm worried about one falling off. The only thing I can think to do is remove the bed from the room. I thought of leaning it against the wall, but if she still wanted her kitties on it, that would be an even further fall. Can a 16 inch fall cause damage to a kitten?
 

Winchester

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Can you put some kind of padding or something around where the kittens are on the bed? I'm thinking they might not move very far right now. 16 inches isn't a lot, but the drop might do some damage to a wee one.

Did you change the nesting material in the basket? Sorry, if it sounds like a stupid question, but just checking. If you've not changed the bedding yet, do so as that could be why Mama has moved her babies....the scent of the blood and the birthing liquids, Mama will move her kittens away from that to protect them from predators, even though there are no predators in the room. If you've not already done so, change the nesting material in the basket. Then, gently, move the kittens back into the fresh basket. Mama will follow and, if things go OK, she may not move them again.

When our Whisper had her kittens in a prepared laundry basket, she moved them to under a bureau. We immediately changed her nesting blankets and after a day or two, we moved the kittens back into the basket. She never moved them again.  
 
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sarahkay

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Thanks Winchester!

I did put clean towels in there after the birthing process was over with, but had not changed them again. I just changed everything out again and will try putting them back. If she moves them again, I will take your advice and pile up some blankets around the bed in case of a fall. Thanks again! :)
 
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sarahkay

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I guess Mommy likes them on the bed, and under the covers. I moved them and she moved them back. So I've put blankets around the bed. Everyone seems happy and warm :)
 

di and bob

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Keep us posted on your little family, EVERYONE likes kittens! I hope you find good safe homes for all of them and then get mama spayed, I had a mama cat that someone dumped at our house and she had three litters and 17 kittens in one year! One litter was only 70 days apart from the other! Good luck, I'll keep them in my prayers.
 
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