Help with Momma Cat & 6 kittens

[LauraLee]

Hello everyone! I just found this site after a Google search looking for help with our new cat and kittens. We welcomed a stray cat into our house at the beginning of the year. She is the sweetest thing in the world, so I assume she had to be someone’s indoor cat before. We tried finding her home with no luck. She basically just walked into our house. We couldn’t turn her away, although we’ve never had a cat before. We took her to the vet to get her shots and to schedule her to get fixed. Well a few weeks after she moved in, we noticed that she started looking pregnant. Two months later, we now have 6 new adorable kittens! The problem is we have no idea what we are doing. I put the momma cat and her kittens in a large 79x59 baby play pen with her food and litter box. A few days after they were born, she moved them all by hopping on the litter box and jumping each one over the 28in wall. She put them in the corner of the room where I have left them. They will be 2 weeks old on Sunday. All of them seem to be growing and they all have their eyes open. I didn’t realize that I should’ve been weighing them daily, but they all look to be about the same size. Here are a few of my questions…What should I be feeding mom? Should I move them back to the play pen? How many litter boxes will I need for them to use? What is the best litter? The mom has been using a crystal litter automatic box that we’ve turned off for now. I’m thinking I should switch to a more friendly kitten litter. What will I need to feed the kittens when they start to wean? I am totally clueless about everything. My husband thinks we shouldn’t have to do anything since cats have kittens in the wild all of the time. So I look to Google for all of my kitten advice lol
Photo from day after they were born

 

[catapault]

The little kitties are just adorable! Bet they are even cuter now! Up-to-date picture would be welcome . . .

Other members with more experience are sure to soon answer your questions with more expertise than I have. But basically right now just feed mama cat as much good food as she wants to eat.Are you feeding wet / canned food or dry food or a mix of both? After all, she's feeding six hungry little babies. Give her some plain yogurt or KMR (that's kitten milk replace for kittens that don't have a mother) or plain goat's milk - the idea is to give her extra calcium that she needs while nursing.

And warn husband that while cats have kittens in the wild all the time, not all kittens survive. And I'm sure he'd like to do better than lose any of these cuties, right?

 

[LauraLee]

Thank you for the information! I will definitely buy some KMR. It seems like momma cat is always hungry. I would be too if I was feeding that many babies! Right now I am only feeding her dry kitten food, but I plan to start her on wet food tomorrow. Any brand recommendations? Here’s an updated photo! I just went and took a new one.

 

[catapault]

It's a furry cuddle puddle for sure! Looks like nice fat tummies so mama's milk bar is clearly producing well.

StefanZ Norachan care to advise?

If you go to a pet store, ask for help. If you will be buying canned food in a grocery store read the labels. Look for canned food that lists meat - chicken, beef - as the first item on the label, rather than meat by-products. I tend to avoid fish. And start any change in mama's diet slowly to avoid an upset tummy - add a spoonful of wet to her dry, then increase gradually.

You are doing so well. She's very fortunate to have joined your household. BTW - what's her name?

 

[StefanZ]

Some quick ideas: Goats milk is cheaper than kmr. Or even plain youghurt if she likes. Youghurt has also some natural probiotics.
KMR is good if a kitten needs supplementing, but in a pinch, goat milk is OK for kittens too.

Weighting is an excellent way to notice any problems if you arent very experienced, but as your batch seems to thriwe on their own, no damage happened here.
Kittens will need non clumping litter soon enough. Take a classic, unscented, non clumping litter.

Best is probably if you read through articles with advices re kitten care we have sections on this in our Forum.

Spaying is usually done when babies are about 8 weeks, ie essentially are more or less weaned. A spayed momma can usually continue to nurse, but whom wants to risk anything?

Kitten shall be with momma and siblings minimum 8 weeks, but 12 weeks is better. Or 14 if convenient.
You dont need to keep them all, try to find them good adoptions homes... Should be easy enough with kittens raised in home milieu.... Survey the potential buyer, dont forget to take some payment. What is for free, is virtually worthless is a common thinking.
My big bro, whom suddenly got on himself 12 kittens from both his cats, had a trick. He advertised in the local newspaper. Tried to pick child family. Had the selling ritual as so: Child come with parents. Child holding 10 dollars, with parents standing behind, come forward. Gave the 10 dollars, and got the kitten to hold and keep... Bro make a check up years later; yes all such cats were still with their families.


She was lucky to find you, and you were lucky to get a momma whom is healthy and has healthy babies...

 

[Sarthur2]

Kitten Lady is a great resource also because she covers so many topics. Check out her website:

Kitten Care - View All — Kitten Lady

 

[LauraLee]

It's a furry cuddle puddle for sure! Looks like nice fat tummies so mama's milk bar is clearly producing well.

StefanZ Norachan care to advise?

If you go to a pet store, ask for help. If you will be buying canned food in a grocery store read the labels. Look for canned food that lists meat - chicken, beef - as the first item on the label, rather than meat by-products. I tend to avoid fish. And start any change in mama's diet slowly to avoid an upset tummy - add a spoonful of wet to her dry, then increase gradually.

You are doing so well. She's very fortunate to have joined your household. BTW - what's her name?

Her name is Luna 🩷 So we are trying to think of kitten names to go along with her name. One will definitely be eclipse since the eclipse will be happening over us next week! Here are some photos of our precious Luna!

 

[catapault]

Luna is earth's moon. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. The four Galilean moons of Jupiter are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. That's six possibilities.