First things first. Turn off the light. Put a night light or a low light in the room for yourselves so you don't step on a kitten in the dark. Bright light is harmful for the kittens until their eyes have adjusted which I believe is a week or so after they open. They don't all open at the same time so go by the latest.
We've had mama cat Toys for about 5 months, she just showed up on our porch. When she into labor we gave her a box ( we've kept her outside ) and expected to have kittens in it in the morning. When we woke up there wasn't any kittens and there was a stillborn one just left on the porch. She had put the other ones under the house. The next day we were watching where she was going to see where she put the kittens and she picked one up and brought it onto the porch. She was searching for a place to put the kitten so I held out my hands like you would if you were catching water and she put the kitten in my hand and then got in my lap. We got her a box and she nursed the kitten in there and then went and got another one. ( We made sure there weren't any more kittens )
We put her and the kittens in a bathroom. They have a large cardboard box with towels in it. And a litter box. She was not happy about being put in the house, but she wasn't freaking out either. And she had free run of the house. Till night came and at about 2:00 AM she came and peed on my bed. So I put her in the bathroom and shut the door. She was very unhappy about this. Then when I checked on her this morning, she had pooed in the shower and put a mat on it and squished it down. Then she escaped the bathroom and ran into the bedroom ( the bathroom is connected to the master bedroom ) and I couldn't get her back in so I shut the bedroom door and left for about 10 minuets. When I went back in I finally got her back in the bathroom and found that she had peed on my parents bed too!
I put her poo in the litter box and put the litter box where she pooed in the shower to. I believe she is using it now. Also before I shut her in, she had taken one of the kittens out, and put it outside the bathroom door on a wire. I didn't want the kitten to get tangled so I moved the kitten to the side. She was not happy about me touching the kitten. I left for room for like five seconds and came back and she was back in her box nursing the other kitten while the other one was still in the middle of the floor. So i just put the kitten back in the box.
I also want to add that when they were outside she was fine with us holding and petting the kittens and now she's not so we are just leaving them alone unless we have to mess with them. Anyways I believe she is using the litter box now as she has no choice. I went in to clean it earlier and she had taken the same kitten out of the box and put it next to the toilet but left the other kitten so I just put the kitten back and changed the litter in the box.
I called a vet for advice and she said to just put them back outside. Which I'm not going to do as there are a bunch of mean cats in the neighborhood that would kill them, and there are armadillos, and dogs and snakes and everything else. I called another vet and she said to just keep her locked in the bathroom and she will eventually calm down and get used to it. So mama is unhappy and she also doesn't like to use the litter box. Here are all the questions.
What type of bedding is best? What type of litter should we be using? ( they currently have a non clumping clay litter ) What kind of litter box? ( currently a low sided uncovered box ) What temperature should the room be? How many boxes should she have? How to interact with the kittens? Or should we not mess with them? What should we watch out for? How often should we check in on the cats? Should we not touch them at all? What should be in the bathroom and what shouldn't be? Are placing rugs for Toys in there okay? ( she loves laying on rugs ) When should we clean the litter? Should we buy Toys and cat Toys? At what age can we start holding the kittens and playing with them? And we have kept the light on 24/7 in there. Is that okay? Its pitch black in there at night if we don't. The box they have in covered and the kittens can't get out of it unless Toys takes them out. Is it okay if toys put them on the floor by themselves? The floor is so hard and cold it seems mean to leave them there. That's why I put the kitten back.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We want Toys to be happy and not scared or stressed. We also want to be sure Toys is using the litter box and is comfortable. It really is better for them to be inside, especially since its been so cold and rainy today.
Non-clumping litter is good. Put some puppy pads around it on the floor if you are concerned w/accidents.
You can handle the kittens now, but for a short period of time and always where mom can see them. Do you have a small scale - like a kitchen or postal scale. Weighing the kittens once a day is the best way to see if they are healthy. Make sure you talk to them.
Rugs are fine, especially if the floor is cold. My cats love laying on rugs and I have throw rugs everywhere for them. Toys are good. The kittens won't play with them right away. Cubes and tunnels are fun too.
If toy is taking the kittens out of the box, she may not be happy with where it is. Can you cover it so it is more secluded or move it to a corner so she feels protected and not out in the open? It's good that the kittens cannot get out by themselves.
Bedding, almost anything is good. The kittens cannot retract their claws so avoid anything they can catch on, like towels.
Toys will need dry and wet kitten food, as well as water. Make sure the food and water are not near the litter box.
Others will be along with more advice.