Is she sick or am I just freaking out? HELP!

OK, to start it has been hellishly hot here today. However, there is an air conditioner going in my room and while it's not as cold as I'd like it's cool enough in here for me to be comfortable.

Marigold, who gave birth about two weeks ago, has been panting all day... like almost as bad as she was when she was in labor. Shes also been crying at me quite a bit and constantly moving her kittens into the middle of the floor. (I keep putting them back in their nesting box.) She just seems very restless and a little upset. She won't lay still to nurse them for more than five or six minutes. (The kittens seem fine since she does repeatedly lay down, but normally she lets them nurse for closer to fifteen minutes.)

She has a large fresh bowl of water and some chilled cat food. her litterboz is freshly scooped and cleaned. I can't figure out why she's all upset.

Could she be sick? Or is this normal for a momma cat? I'm afraid of getitng up in the middle of the night and stepping on a kitten because she's moved them to the floor again. Should I lock her and the kittens up in the large dog crate overnight?

I hate to even think of this, but could she have retained a placenta and be getting infection now? There's no discharge from her vagina as far as I can tell. I thought I counted all of the placentas, but it was kind of dark, so I could have been mistaken. And if it could be that, what do I do? She is a stray we rescued from the streets on Mother's Day (she was laready pregnant when we got her.) and we have nearly no money to go to a vet with. (My appointment to spay/neuter her and the kittens will be free because I'm on public aid, but they are not a full service vet clinic. They ONLY do spays and neuters.)

What do I do?

Rose

You know what sweetie if it is hot and she is NOT moving them to a dangerous place, she may just be moving them to a cooler place that she feels isn't too hot. However, she could also be moving them out of nervousness. My suggestion to you is this, supply her with a close by bowl of ice water. It has gotten hot here as well and my baby moved her kittens to a cleaned out, dark closet, but the cool ice water is a favorite with her even though the closet is nice and comfy. So even it was quite cool there, but the air condition had to pull alot when it got very very hot so I understand exactly what you mean. So if she isn't moving them to some where dangerous I would let her b/c she knows where it is more comfortable to her. Also if she has the cool ice water to drink that may stop the panting as well. I hope that helps hon. I know what it's like in this heat
OOoh I just read. Do you have somewhere kind of dark and cool that you don't have to worry about stepping out of bed and stepping on them??? I cleaned out the closet for my baby b/c she kept trying to move them and it was so dangerous where she wanted to move them to that I tried to figure out the best place for her. My hubby and I decided that the front closet was best b/c it was really nothing in there. It was nice, private, and cool and easily accesible if we needed to get to her. The door remains open at all times and b/c it is dark it remains cool. Of course it is in the same room as the a/c so I am sure that helps but she hasn't tried moving the kits since then and seems quite content. Maybe you can find a spot like that in your house and then purposely leave it open for her and let her move the kittens so that she feels that she has found a safe place, even though you did When doing that though be sure to close off all other potentially harmful places so she can ONLY move them to the safe cool place that you picked. That's the best suggestions I have b/c it is what I did with my baby and it has worked out fairly pleasantly. That and the close by icewater.
Aside from that maybe a vet visit, or even a phone call, is in order to ease your troubled mind

Maybe you can use a box fan on low and aim it towards the nesting box NOT right on them.....but near where they are.That might help her stay cooler also.