Hi Simba,
My cat just had babies, and we keep herin our cupboard where it is dark. Yesterday she tookoff with one of her kittens and ran into another roomwith it and hid it under the bed. Sometimes littlekids look at them and we've handled them at times. Sheis good with them but it is her first litter and wedon't know if that's OK with her. Should we move herback into our garage even though it is cold and loud?Marie

Dear Marie,
Mother cats will move theirkittens around if they believe that they are in dangeror if there is too much light. First-time mothersare more anxious than others and their moving kittens fromplace to place will endanger them if they areplaced in a cold location (see temperature). Yourbest bet is to keep mom and her kittens where they areand not create too much noise or distractions. Thechildren should look at the kittens but should not yethandle them or make any noise near them. Mom needs tocare for them free of worry. Simba

Dear Simba:
Missy’s kittens are 2 weeks old today. I have her and her kittens in a quite room. She gave birth in a Lazypet Cat Pen that we boughtfor her. It is a cloth-lined soft box with two holesin it…nice, private but small. She is starting tomove the kittens. Today she took one out and hid in acloset with it. She left the other kittens where theywere. I moved the kitten back and closed the closet. She went back took the kitten out and placed it by theclosed closet door and left it there. I moved itback. Thinking the cloth box was too small, I gotanother box lined it with towels and moved all thekittens into that box. That seemed to upset herbecause she kept walking around the room meowing andwalking in and out of the small cloth box. I put thekittens back in the cloth box and she was fine. Iguess she wants to do the moving.

I fear shewill move one and forget the others. Is it good forher to be moving them around so much? Should I closethe door and keep her confined to the room? I'mafraid she'll place one somewhere and neglect it. Iam also worried that, as the kittens grow, the boxwill be too small for everyone. What do you suggest?John K

Dear John K,
It is natural for mother cats tomove recently born kittens. Mother cats do this a fewdays after birth so as to throw potential predatorsoff the scent, thus ensuring that they do not becomesome other animal’s dinner. Anxious first-time mothersdo this more frequently. Missy will not forget abouther kittens. She will move them one-by-one to theirnew location where she feels they will be safe.

Asfor what you can do. Give her freedom to choose whereto move her kittens, you do not need to do it for her.A nice big box lined with cloth may be an attractiveplace for moving her kittens. Again, place it in theroom or in the closet and let her go from there. Asfor her movements around the home, it does not mattertoo much if she leaves for a few minutes at a time.The biggest threat lies in children or pets getting inthe room and handling/mishandling the kittens.

Also, have momma cat spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned. This will ensure no further 'accidents' and will make for a healthier momma cat. Your Pal, Simba

Dear Simba,
My cat just had kittens. She does notseem like she is going to be a good mother. She leavesthem alone a lot. She also sits and lays on top ofthem. I am worried about them. She does not want themto get any attention from us. How do I know if theyare feeding and getting the attention they need. Shehas already had one litter of 3 but they all died,because she did the same things she is doing now. Helpme. After these kitten are big enough to leave home Iam going to have her spayed. How old do the kittenshave to be to be out of danger? Worried KittenLover

Dear Worried Kitten Lover,
It is normal fora mother cat to not want people near her kittens.Itis her instinct to protect them from people andanimals. However, if you are worried about themother not taking care of the kittens, such as herleaving them alone for prolonged periods of time, notnursing them or her playing rough with them andcrushing them (not simply keeping them warm and nearher), you may want to remove them from thatenvironment. However, only do so if you are sure theyare in danger.

One way to ensure they are receivingthe attention they need is to see them growingquickly. Watch for their increasing in size. You maywant to weigh them periodically to ensure they aregrowing (see Feeding & Weight and Feeding Kittens for moreinformation). The age that kittens can leave the homeis dependent on how dangerous it is for them to remainat home. Usually, you do not want to separate kittensfrom their mother until they are at least 5 weeks old,however, you may want to accelerate that if you thinkthey are in danger. Also, it is super that you are having her spayed. Keep me posted.Simba

PS
Check out the Pre & Post Natal Care section tolearn more about the mother's behavior.

Dear Simba,
Is it true, or just an old wives tale, that if baby kittens are handled by people too soon that they will die (or that the mother will no longer care for them)? Please answer quickly. Love, The Smith Family

Dear Smith Family,
You ask a good question. Mother cats reject kittens that have either a health problem or anatomical defect. They do this because kittens born with health problems have a very low survival rate even under the most intensive care. By passing on these unhealthy kittens, mother cats are able to focus and better care for those kittens that have the best shot at making it through.

As a general rule, you should handle kittens under 4 weeks of age, only under the mother cat’s supervision. Otherwise, you run the risk of removing mom’s scent from the kitten in which case momma cat will have greater difficulty identifying the kitten. This then makes the kitten different than the others and, in turn kicks in the rejection instinct. Be sure to make the interactions brief (10-15 minutes at a time) and do not allow kids to play with the kittens without adult (human) supervision. Simba

Hi Simba,
We have 4 kittens that are 8-weeks-old. We’ve started weaning them about 2-3 weeks ago with Gerber baby food and kitten formulas. While they show interest in solid foods, but they would rather nurse than eat solid foods. We’re having problems making the transition. The mother cat is starting to show signs of exhaustion and she’s losing weight from supporting them. We want to find the kittens good homes, but we need to find a way to wean them effectively. Richard

Dear Richard,
Many times, weaning is the mother cat's responsibility. When the kittens are 4-5 weeks of age, mom will begin to refuse nursing. This encourages the kittens to eat solid foods. As part of the process, mom will resume nursing them periodically. In a few weeks, the kittens should be completely weaned.

It is understandable that your kittens want to resist weaning. Try placing warm kitten formula alone, in a dish for them. Slowly place foods that add texture, progressing to tuna. Kittens and cats all love tuna and I have found this to be one of the more effective foods in weaning. As a final step you may want to physically separate the kittens from mom cat. This will not only give mom a break but will also help break the kittens' dependence. Keep an eye on mom and take her to the vet if become concerned for her health. Let me know how things go. Simba