Kitten questions.

My foster cat had a litter of 5 healthy, beautiful kittens 3 days ago. I think I have a few weeks before I have to start worrying about it, but what do you folks usually do when the kittens are big enough to get out of the nesting box? Mother and kittens are currently in their nesting box in their own warm, carpeted basement room, and it's pretty empty, but there is a couch and small table, as well as a built-in bookcase with some various items stored in it. I might flip the couch over onto it's back so there's no space for kittens to get underneath it. Should I just get a larger box to confine them at night when I sleep to keep them out of trouble? I've had kittens before, but only one at a time. I usually confine them to a bathroom with food, water, litterbox and toys when I can't watch them so they don't get lost somewhere in the house. I also have a mesh sided baby playpen, which I'll probably use when they're supervised, but I don't want to risk them getting their claws caught in the mesh when I'm not close. Tips?

My foster cat had a litter of five on 8/31. All are healthy and nursing. I've read that at some point newborns will pick a "favorite nipple" and go back to it each time, but that doesn't seem to be happening. I am noticing that two or even three kittens will try to go to the same nipple, even trying to knock off a kitten that's already nursing. Obviously, it's not really fighting, but they do swat each quite aggressively and I'm concerned because their little claws are so needle sharp. If their eyes were open, one could get injured. I've try moving kittens to another available nipple, but they just try to go back. It's not always the same kittens or even the same nipple. Is there anything I can do?

For your question about how to keep your kittens together, you can confine them in this bigger pen, but it will hold for just a week, not more.   Sooner or later you must let the out to make their searches and their small adventures.   

Try to kitten-safe as well you can, and for the rest - they must try out their abilities - even if it is risky, and now and then someone will get injured.

The great humanist and friend of children Janusz Korczak  did in fact wrote about "every childrens right to its own death".     You shall protect and help those who need help, but you shall not overprotect nor protect in absurdum.   Life has its dangers.

Good luck!    @gmm80

If kittens fight over nipples, as long as they are all gaining weight at a steady rate and none of them are dramatically behind the others in terms or weight or weight gain, things are fine and you can just let them continue as they are   Please do try to weigh all the kittens every day though as this will be the best indicator of whether something is wrong.

Yes, I have been weighing them every day. The two smallest are 5.71 oz, the largest is 6.77 oz. But they are all nursing and have nice fat tummies. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye out and if anyone seems like they're not getting their fair share, I'll move the others and let him/her nurse alone.

My foster kittens still have a few weeks to go before they will learn to use a litter box, but I'm getting conflicting information from the Humane Society staff here about the type of litter I should use. The kitten handbook they gave me says "NOT scoopable litter", but they provided me with scoopable litter, as that was all they had. I mentioned it to a staff worker today and she said it's not a problem when the mother cat is around, because she will show them how to use it.  I know the concern is that curious kittens might eat it and clumping litter can cause a blockage. Even though the shelter is supposed to provide all the supplies needed for their care, I will buy some non-clumping litter myself if the clumping litter might be dangerous for them, but I don't know how much of a concern it really is. 

I've read some articles about using binder clips on a cat's scruff to calm or immobilize them for minor procedures, and there's an old thread about it on this site. It appears someone did finally invent something designed just for this purpose: http://www.clipnosis.com/default.asp, and I wondered if anyone had actually tried them? I can't say I've seen them sold anywhere, it appears the website is more geared toward selling to vet offices, but you don't have to be a vet to order them. 

Thanks for asking that question about litter!  You should be aware that when the kittens begin eating solid food, they will also start pooping solid poop and that is something mama is not likely to be eating from them (different than her recycled milk which is what they pass when she is nursing).   So once there's solid food going into kittens, they will be pooping.  Often they scream at first because the sensation is unfamiliar.  Usully they run and head for the corners of the room.  Therefore, you need to direct them to a litter pan AND they are likely to eat whatever litter they discover (it's a baby thing, once they start eating they taste everything) so DO NOT USE CLUMPING LITTER AROUND THE BABIES.  It's OK to have it in mama's box if her box has high enough sides that babies cannot go in.  Otherwise, change mama to non-clumping for awhile. 

What I do for the babies is take the low cardboard boxes that cat food comes in, fill those with beach sand or sandbox sand and put one box in each corner of the room. They seem to go for the corners instinctively and you can also start putting them in the boxes right after you feed them wet food.  When they have all done their digging and sand eating etc., you can dig out any tiny tootsie rolls and scoop out any tiny wet spots.  Once a day you can dump the whole box and put in fresh sand, and I only use the same box a few days and then throw it away and use a new one.  Start hoarding boxes now.  After that stage (a week or so)you canI change out the low cardboard boxes for tiny littler boxes, also in all the corners.  Once nobody is eating the sand, yu can try normal litter (wipe it out of their mouths) and when they finally use the litter without eating it at all, you could go to clumping litter.  Personally, I never give them clumping litter because I am too afraid of them eating enough to clump in their intestine and block it.  Mama still has the BIG box to use and the kittens can climb into the tiny ones. By the timethey can get in her box, they areno longer eating litter.  (If they are longhaired, be sure to avoid litter that will stick to their feet and force them to lick it off, this is true for adults as well as kittens!)

That binder clip information is interesting -- thanks for sharing the link!  For years we have just used everyday clothespins for that same purpose.  The wooden ones seem to have just the right amount of grab without hurting.  You can get tiny ones for kittens also.  It's a great idea, the Clipnosis clips, I wish I had thought of it, somebody may get quite rich on this idea.  But if you don't need to buy them in bulk, or to look professional using them, you may just want to use a clothespin.  I think my last package of those cost under $3.00.