heartbroken

I am devastated right now. My cat had kittens and they are 11 days old. She had them under the dresser in the bedroom and they were fine. But today she tried to move them to the kitchen and put them in the cabinet! I tried to stop her, I very nicely took the kitten from her mouth and moved it back to the old place and put her back too. But she immediately got him and tried for the kitchen again. She kept on trying. It must have been over a dozen times. Finally she settled on another spot in the bedroom and calmed down. I had things to do and left for awhile. When I returned, I checked on her and noticed that 2 of the kittens were gone, the 2 she had been trying to move all day! I went back to the old spot and found they had scooted away and were alone. I took them and gave them to her but they were both so cold and they both died. I feel so guilty, if I had let her take them to the kitchen they'd be alive, but you can't have cats in the cupboard. I feel like she misunderstood when I was trying to teach her 'no', like maybe she thought I meant 'no' to those 2 kittens and she abandoned them! Or were the poor things stressed from being moved so much? I am feeling so guilty and heartbroken. Was it her fault or mine?

No I will never have kittens again, I am too emotionally attached. This was a mistake and she will get spayed. But I hope she will not hold this against me and hate me. Please advise.

Goldie I am so sorry This must be so tough for you to go through This was not your fault. I think it's possible that mom knew something was wrong with those kitties and that's why she was trying to move them. Someone else who knows a little more about it will post I am sure. I just wanted to let you know that you were in my prayers and again I am so sorry that you have to go through this

Goldie, typically a momcat will move her kittens three or four times before she settles. She will move them if she is stressed, if she percieves they might be threatened. She will move them to find a warmer spot, one less in traffic. I am sorry the kittens died. If she moves the babies, work with her, she won't keep them in the spot long. I have had cats give birth in cupboards, closets, under beds, in my sock drawer, in my dryer on top of a bunch or warm clothes. You want to let her move them, and wherever she puts them respect the spot and build it up to be safe. One year a momcat got into my canning jar cupboard at the foot of the stairs. Instead of asking her to move, I piled soft bedding in the cupboard, propped the door open and put a temporary ledge up so the kitten's couldn't fall out and tumble down the stairs.

This was no one's fault, it was just a matter of the kittens not staying warm enough and not being contained in something so they won't wander around. Please don't beat yourself up about it- there is nothing that can be done. Wherever she is right now, if all the kittens are with her, then just work with her and make her and the kittens safe. Use a cardboard box and cut out the sides and use that to make a sort of containment field for her.

You can also bookmark this website in case you see a kitten off by yourself and you need to help it www.kitten-rescue.com

Good luck, please PM Kumbulu or Sandie or myself if you have any questions or simply post on the board and someone will help you

I am so sorry that you and your mama kitty are going through this sad time. I think squirtle is right, though. She may have known there was something wrong, and was moving them away. I am sure she did not abandon them because of anything you said. Hugs to you and scritches to mama kitty.

I'm sooooo sorry....but please don't beat yourself up...you were doing what you thought was right.

Katie

Goldie, you just wanted to protect your cat and her kittens and did what you though was the right thing to do. Mom-cats have an innate ability to know when something is wrong with her kittens and she may have sensed these two were ill. Please don't beat yourself up about the two little ones. Try and concentrate on the new little lives in your home.

Thank you all for your help and kindness. I didn't mind if she put them in the cabinet but the doors don't have latches, and there is a place inside where the shelves drop off behind the stove exhaust all the way to the ground and I was afraid they'd be falling out on the counters or down that hole. She thought she had picked a good place but I could see she hadn't. I can't help feeling guilty because I think she somehow got confused about who she had moved and forgot them, either that or she thought I didn't want those which hurts me. She's so sweet and I don't want her to think I didn't love or want her babies because I do! I don't think they were sick though, one of them was the biggest and loudest of them all and the one she always moved first. They both were orange and white with big pink feet pads and I can't help thinking how precious they'd have been, all purry like their Mom, sweet little feet bouncing around, and they should have had a chance. I am so sad, I wish I could go back and do it again, I didn't know and I feel so bad.

This morning she is in a shelf in the laundry room. I don't like that spot either but I did what hissy said and made it as safe as I could. I put stuff up blocking them from falling in the floor. I hope the others will be okay but it will always feel bad about those two pretty sweeties who didn't make it.