Kittens excaping! Little runaways.

I didn't think that the kittens would want out of the box already? I was up ALL night last night (maybe slept an hour and a half in total). I kept hearing scratching on teh carboard box that they are in.. and eventually I would get up to see what was going on. I'd look under the bed and there would be one or two kittens on the floor, and about 2 hanging for dear life on the edge of the box. (it's only about 4 or 5 inches high) So all night I was getting out of bed, crawling under the bed, and putting the babies back in the box.

Is it normal for them to want out and explore already? They are only 2 weeks old.

Should I just cut open the box, or simply put them on a blanket on the floor?

The box is under my bed currently.. because Checkers kept moving them under the bed.. so we put the box under there so she would stop.

I don't have a taller box, and Checkers wouldn't be able to get into a taller box.. so I'm sort of stuck as what to do here.

Here's how it's set up right now.

At the age of 2 weeks, one kitten we had stood on all her 4 legs - never tottering - and climbed out of the box. We named her Hillery, for Sir Edmund Hillery, and got a taller box.

As for your dilemma...

Hmmmm.... tough dilemma you have! Is there anyway that you can put a baby gate up or something so if the kittens were to get out, they wouldn't get too far? I'm sure Checkers would make sure that they got back into the box - thats quite the toughy since its next to your bed tho

They sure are getting big - how sweet they are! I've never noticed how pretty Checker's colouring is!

Good luck!

I had to laugh when I read this. Even tiny kittens are little Houdinis, and they seem absolutely determined to go 'somewhere else'.

Here are four-day-old little ones determined to escape before their eyes even open:




I think Checkers kittens would be OK exploring your room. You'd either have to keep the door closed or tape a piece of cardboard across the doorway at knee height so Checkers can jump over it and you can just step over it.

Of course, you will have to be very, very careful when walking around in your room and tread carefully.

Yep my bottle babies were escaping at 2 weeks as well. Luckily I could put them in a cage but when I was feeding them they used to climb out and get all over the place. Tommy my other kitten used to pick them up and put them back so I am sure Checkers would do the same if they wander too far.

After a while I used to leave the box open for an hour or so, so they could exercise their little legs, they used to follow Tommy and Charlie around it was like the elephants in jungle book. Charlie (the biggest) Tommy (a bit smaller), then the two bottle babies scurrying after them.

Oh you have so much more fun to come

She is a beautiful Mommy. Her kittens are adorable.
You received some excellent suggestions here.
Be really careful where you walk and keep the pictures coming.

Tania...the pictures of your kittens trying to escape, cracks me up.
There little eyes aren't even open yet.

Yes its typical. That is why you need a large cage to keep them in till they are about 4 weeks old. Otherwise you have to keep looking for them in the room and they are still very small to get into little hiding places and you won't find them.

Can you move the family to a small bathroom where they don't have a lot of hiding places? That's what we'd do when we brought in the kittens - put box, food/water and towels in the bathroom and keep the door shut with the light on unless we would supervise. They still would have plenty of room to wonder around and not get into trouble.

See.. I have a few problems.

When we agrees to foster home, mum said she had to stay in a bedroom or the top floor at least. So I ahve her and the babeis confined to a bedroom. I cna't let her out anyway, one of my boys isn't neutered yet, will be in about 2 weeks, and she of course isn't spayed, and I'm not about to let her have another litter. I am Pro Spay/Neuter all the way

I have a dogs crate... but I think they would be able to crawl right through the bars.. not sure on that. But Momma likes to get away from them.. so I dont' think caging will work anyways, unliess I rigged something up.

my mum doens't want them out of the box.. but what she doens't know can't hurt her.

I might have a bana box I can try.. I'd just have to tape up the holes on the side.. but I dunno if checkers can get into it.

Just for your info on the boy - he will be able to get a cat pregnant for about a month AFTER he is neutered - so keep him away from any unspayed female for about a month.

I would make sure there are no small spaces in your room for the kittens to crawl into or under. And check the bed to be sure they can't climb up under the lining.

Little kittens can be crazy escape artists! I usually set them up in a dresser drawer to prevent this kind of problem. I take out the next-to-bottom drawer and then it makes a perfect nest for Mama to have her babies. The babies can crawl around in there but they can't climb out until they have some real motor skills, usually between 3 and 4 weeks. When I find the first one out, I just make a little staircase of old textbooks so they can get back in.

Well I thought of something that I can do maybe. I can empty out the closet and block teh door the best I can, while still being able for checkers to get in and out without any problems. She's really off balance lately.. falling over and over jumps things. I am going to see if the shelter will make an appointment for her next week. Then that way I can even hopefully littertain them as well? I don't want them pooping all over the bedroom when they get older :S

I don't know if this will work or not.. we'll see tomorrow when I try it out. If not then they will have to go on a blanket under teh bed I guess.

Yeah, I wouldn't let her come in contact with Orion anyways. I'm paranoid of him and her fighting. and she hasn't been tested for Feline AIDs or feline leukemia.. so I don't want to take any risks.

I had a kitten that tried to get away shortly after she was born! I named her Dora the Explorer. We kept momma and kittens in a room by themselves so that was helpful for us. As far as litter training, they need but a bit of help. They emulate their momma, and start going to the litter box pretty much by themselves. But you need to get them a special litter that is non-clumping or it could make them very sick because they tend to explore and eat the litter a bit.

Kittens are amazing with how quickly they learn to use the litterbox on their own. If you give them a shallow litterbox (a pie tin works great) with a small amount of safe litter (non-clumping clay is fine), they will usually figure it out with minimal if any problem. The only exception I have really found to this is if they have coccidia. For some reason that makes cats much less likely to use the litterbox, even if it's a relatively mild case. So if they take longer than a day or so to grasp the whole litterbox concept, then definitely have a stool sample evaluated by a vet to rule out any health issues.

yes its normal our kitten is 17 days old and we had to get a bigger box because he was trying to escape.

I always keep my orphaned neonates in a top-opening cat carrier with a fleece bed inside until they're about 3 weeks old. Inevitably, I end up hearing frantic screams from one or another kitten who was feeling adventurous and climbed up the side of the bed, only to fall over the edge and onto the (relatively) cold, hard plastic below! Silly little bugs.

I don't like babies wandering loose too young, because I'm afraid they might get cold, or fall asleep somewhere and miss a feeding! Also, until they do litter train, they will poo all over and make a mess. It would be too gross in your bedroom.

If they are blocked into the closet by a babygate or cardboard wall, that will help. When they are confined, their Mom usually keeps them very clean. Make sure to have a chair or something for Checkers to get in and out. And I'm Checkers got to see a vet!

Well the babies are under the bed on a blnaket for now.. I can't put them in the closet because Checkers can't jump very well.. I'm suprised she can make it on my bed.. but when she jumps down she always falls over.. But the kittens are really good so far.. I haven't seen them come out from under the bed yet.. tehy will sometimes follow her to the edge.. but they turn around and go back to the blanket.

I'll keep trying to think of what else I can do though.