Mother Cat not useing litter box near kittens

[bluekat]

Hi,
Wondering if it is common for a Mother cat to try and get as far from her kittens as possible to potty. My spouse was all worried that she must be constipated or not eating or something. As he wasn't finding anything in her litter.
She is a NFC with 4 vary nice, 2 wk. old kittens. I've got them caged in the house. Mom stays with the kittens almost 24 hrs/day except for a few minutes here and there. I let her out to run around and strech her legs. Then my son found a large dump in the bathtub. Odd. I had noticed she didn't want to use the litter box in her enclosure, and would use the one for the other cats, every time I let her out. Today she decided the living room carpet was far enough away from her kittens. At least my spouse now knows she really is eating, and by no means constipated.
I don't want her loose if I'm not watching her, because I have many places she could hide her kittens. I've put out a 3rd litter box away from her enclosure, & hopefully she will use it, when she gets to run around. She had been perfect with litter boxes prior to having the kittens.
bluekat

 

[sandie]

It's not likely that it has anything to do with the kittens. I would say it's a possible location issue. Where is the cage located verses her litter boxes that are available to her?

 

[bluekat]

The main litter box is kept in a elevated cage, so that any pups I happen to have in the house, can't get in it. (they like snacks, yuck!) The kittening cage I have on the floor, is 3ftX4ftX3ft, with full length shelves, making 3 layer's.
I've got 2 cats with the run of the house, that use the litter box, that they have to climb too. This Mother cat also used that litter box, until I put her in the kittening cage, and gave her, her own. Now she wants to go anyplace but the litter box. I've added a litter box in the kitchen, about 15 ft away, hoping that she will like that one.
When I have her out, she immediately goes to my closet, if the bedroom door is open, goes under the couch, or trys to go up the stairs to the attic. I really think she is hunting for new living arrangements for the kittens. The kittens are so quiet, if she did manage to move them, when I wasn't looking, I could have a difficult time finding them. Especially if she takes them upstairs.
bluekat

 

[sandie]

I would try, even if it's not all that feesable to shut her and her kittens in one room. My best guess is that she's feeling particularly vulnerable right now. She's probably needing a little more personal space for her kittens. Maybe there's a bedroom or something that you can keep them in until the kittens are older.

 

[bluekat]

You are probably right. I do have plenty of extra bedrooms, upstairs. Maybe I'm being a little selfish. I like her & the kittens near me. It's just so nice to peek in at them, whenever I feel like it. I did exile my dogs to the kennel. I figured my new mom, didn't need other prying eyed creatures wanting to see new babies. Not to mention safety issue's.
bluekat

 

[sandie]

Just a thought, but I have our kittens in the office, reason is because we are in here so much at night. This way we spend lots of time with them and get our stuff done