Taking Care of Kittens

Whether it is a litter of highly prized pedigreed felines, or a new family of unplanned moggies, taking care of kittens during their first months of life is essential to ensure their long term wellbeing.

During the first few weeks of their life, kittens are cared for by the mother cat. She will be responsible for feeding, cleaning and keeping them safe. The most important thing that we can do as owners during this time is to ensure that the mother cat is kept in tip top condition, and to support her during her maternal tasks. Observing the new family is essential to ensure that all the kittens are being fed, that the mother cat is keeping them safe and that there are no signs of illness.

When a cat is giving birth to kittens, she will look for a warm, safe place for her new family. Unless she is given a special birthing box, she will look for other suitable places. What seems very suitable to your cat may appear highly unsuitable to you, so unless you want your cat giving birth to her kittens in a sock drawer, airing cupboard or another quiet corner that she finds, it is important to give her a birthing box and encourage her to use it. The birthing box should be in a quiet area away from other animals and young children.

Some cats will automatically settle themselves down in a birthing box. Others, despite all of your encouragement, will still decide to make their own plans. In the last few days of a cat’s pregnancy, she should be closely watched in case she decides to give birth in an inappropriate or dangerous place.

The birthing box will be the first home for the kittens, and is an important part of their initial few days of life. The birthing box will offer them safety and security. Tiny kittens have limited dexterity and can roll away from the mother cat. This can result in them getting chilled or starving. The birthing box keeps the little family close together.

In the wild, a cat will move her kittens frequently during their first few weeks of life. This is to stop predators from finding her and her family. Some mother cats do this even in the happiest and safest of domestic situations. It is not unusual to see a mother pick the kittens up one by one and take them off to a new place. Mother cats pick the kittens up by the scruff of their necks, and the kittens naturally go limp. This can appear distressing to owners, but it's entirely natural. Some owners reduce the opportunity for the mother cat to move her kittens by keeping them in a restricted space, for instance a small bedroom or warm utility room.

When taking care of kittens, the kittens' bedding should also be cleaned regularly, however, the smell of clean fresh blankets may disturb a mother cat with very young kittens. Some owners use two blankets in the box, washing one at a time so as not to replace all the bedding in one go.

The mother cat will be responsible for feeding the kittens. It is important to watch and observe the kittens feeding to ensure that they are all getting fed. There are often one or two smaller kittens, particularly in a large litter, and sometimes they can get nudged out of the way by their bigger siblings. If you notice that one of the kittens is missing out, gently move them towards a teat and ensure that they are actually feeding.

In some instances an underfed kitten might need additional feeding. Your vet will be able to advise on how to take care of kittens suffering from undernourishment.

Most mother cats are quite happy and content to feed their kittens throughout the first few weeks of their life, however, some get fed up with sharp little teeth and claws. The mother should be closely watched to make sure that she is still feeding the kittens. Additional feeding should be arranged if there are any concerns.

The kittens should start to be weaned after they are a month old. If you feed the mother cat in with her kittens, they will start to follow her example. Kittens should be fed on a food with a high nutritional value. Special kitten food is available from vets, pets stores and grocers. Most kittens quickly take to solid food. If there are any concerns, a vet should be contacted.

Kittens are quick to learn and they will quickly pick up what the mother cat does. If a litter tray is placed in the room with the kittens, and the mother cat uses it, the little ones will soon be in the tray along side her. Sometimes the kittens will just sit in the tray, and they may feel that it is a game at first and start playing. However, it won’t be long before they are scratching properly and using the litter tray as it is intended.

Hopefully your kittens will have passed through their first few weeks of life safely and will be bouncing bundles of healthy feline fun. However, it is still important to talk to a vet about any concerns. Keep a note of the vet’s telephone number, along with that of any emergency services that are experienced in taking care of kittens, in case an urgent consultation is required.

As the kittens start to get older, they will require vaccinations. These will include vaccinations against a number of diseases, some of which may be regional requirements. Your vet will be able to give you a vaccination plan for your kittens, taking them through the first few months of their life.

All too soon the little family will be grown up and ready to go to their new homes. Hopefully the care that you have given the kittens during their first few weeks of life will ensure they go on to have long and happy lives, as well as having provided you with happy memories.

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