Confused...

Just about 4 weeks ago out young cat gave birth to five kittens. She gave birth in an old dresser that was missing some of the drawers and had a large wooden box in front of it. Now that the kittens are about four weeks old they have been crawling out of it and a little and wanting to explore and play... so we moved the wooden box out a bit so they could get out easier. That was a few days ago.. and the mother was fine with it.. now the mama kitty has been mewing like crazy and keeps trying to pick up her kittens and move them into another room. We put the box back in front and she's calmed down somewhat.. but every now and then if one manages to still crawl out she will pick it up and try to move it to another part of the house.. Is this normal behavior? I thought it was normal for them to be out and crawling around about this age, why is she throwing a fit?

It's pretty normal for first-time mothers to be a little overprotective of their babies. It would be best to confine mom and babies to one room so the kittens don't have too far to wander off. Otherwise they could literally end up just about anywhere in the house.

Please have Mom spayed in another 4-6 weeks, and the babies too. If you let us know where you live we can point you to low-cost services in your area.

Yes, it's normal. Mother cats have an instinct that tells them to move the litter if she sees the current nest as dirty or unsafe. It's possible that she's following this instinct. The wandering kittens may be causing her stress if they keep getting lost or falling. Make sure the nest has clean towels or blankets in it and that the kittens don't fall if they crawl out.

If you live in the USA...below is a list of low cost spay clinics:

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html

Katie

Thanks everyone for your replies! I just have two morw questions, how soon can I deworm momma kitty and the babies.. is it safe to deworm her while she is nursing? Also, since she has been nursing the kittens she has gotten REALLY thin.. I am wondering if it would be ok to start giving her a can or two of canned food (which she doesnt usually like) a day, or if we should get some Queen's milk and feed them ourselves?

Speak to your vet about worming her and don't give her anything until you have.

As for food, give her as much as she wants as often as she wants. Nursing a litter takes a lot of resources out of these girls. Offer the canned, but make sure it is a high-quality kitten food formula. She needs the extra calories right now.

Originally Posted by gayef

Speak to your vet about worming her and don't give her anything until you have.

As for food, give her as much as she wants as often as she wants. Nursing a litter takes a lot of resources out of these girls. Offer the canned, but make sure it is a high-quality kitten food formula. She needs the extra calories right now.

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You can feed her dry kitten food too if she doesn't like wet