What's wrong

The cat gave birth last week on Sunday but she's all stressed out today, trying to drag a kitten under the bed. The bed is super dusty so we don't want her to bring the kittens there! She also can't drag them (she doesn't seem to be able to pick them up very well). Anyway we finally put the kittens on the bed for her but she's still sort of stressed and she dropped one kitten when she was carrying it on the bed! What should we do now? Is it normal for cats to change nests? How can we placate her? This is scaring us, we really don't want her to kill the kittens:/

Oh ok as I'm typing this, she's carrying and stuffing the kittens into the comforter covers. Is this where she feels safe most? Should we leave her there (of course that means no bed for us the next few weeks ) ?

What's wrong!

hello,
im not sure if you have read my profile but i am a veterinary nurse that has had a fair amount of hand rearing situations.
Your cat seems to be stressed by some thing? have yo moved anything around in the last few days or had any one in to have a qiuck peak at the little ones, if so this could be the problem, or have you wasked any of the bedding she uses. As a general rule it is best to leave her to her own devices i know it sounds harsh and a bit dangerous for the kittens but if shes been a good mum so far than she is less likley to intentionaly harm them. Just shut her in a quiet room thats warm and dont disturb her until tonight or whenever your feeding her next. when you go in talk quietly and make sure that there is only 1 on in the room. if she wants to go under the bed just let her even if it is really dusty if the kittens start to become effected than i would suggest you remove them all from the room and have a (really) quick clean!!
Hope this helps let me know so i can think of some other factors if this doesnt help. Good luck !!!

Yes, if not confined properly and if the mom doesn't feel "safe" she will move the kittens.

That's why its better to have them confined to a large cage or a quiet room with little activity.

I agree with offering her a quiet room and confining her there. If you leave them on your bed, at some point they will be crawling out of the nest and falling on the floor. Maybe she would like your closet or a big cardboard box?

If she is placing them under the comforter, then maybe she knows it's too cool for the kits. Maybe she wants to keep them warm.
I would put them into a bathroom/closet..........some place that she is confinded and it is quiet.
Good luck!!!

hi, thanks for the replies. the mum is better now and the kittens are in their original place. she didn't want to give birth in the cupboard/bathroom. she wanted to stay with my boyfriend the whole time she was in labour (she's his cat and i live elsewhere) so he put her in a box next to his computer.

all went well and then today, for the first time since the birth, my boyfriend opened the curtains ,announcing wow, what a beautiful day the cat freaked out.

we tried everything and she wans't happy and finally, we taped another box on top of her box (the new box covers half her old box) so that it's darker on one side and she's calmed down and am much happier