my cat just had kittens what should i do?

Answer 1

Nothing. Cats are the best mothers on earth!Be carefull handleing them though. The mother may abbandon them.

Answer 2

Solow has given you a good answer and in general, cats will be able to do all the looking after kittens themselves. I just want to advise you to make sure that the Mum cat has "cut" the umbilical cords to the placentas. This is from personal experience!

The Mum would normally eat the placentas, but my Mum cat only ate 2 of the 3 (she's a very small cat). I left her to be quietly alone for a hour or so, and in that time the 3 kittens had moved all over each other and got the third umbilical cord all knotted up with themselves. They were so tightly pulled together it looked like they were joined. I had to take them to the vet for him to cut the last cord. He was quite concerned in case the pulling of cord in the moving had caused an umbilical hernia that might need fixing - but in this case it hadn't.

Also do get your Mum cat spayed as soon as you can. I really didn't realise that cats can get pregnant so soon afterwards - and I still don't know when she got out to meet the male cat, but my Mum cat got pregant and we ended up with another 4 kittens. And would you believe it - within an hour one kitten got an umbilical cord wrapped all around it's leg, which started to swell horribly due to the blood being trapped in it. Luckily we were checking regularly so we caught this in time, but I have seen tv programs where kittens have lost limbs because the cord has been left wrapped around the leg too long.

PS: we kept the first 3, and found 2 good homes for the other 4, but it was quite hard finding good people.

Oh - and pop them all down to the vet for a new pet check, just in case.

Answer 3

Hi there. If she's finished having all the kittens then she should be curled around them & puring gently. All the kittens should be nestled against their Mum's tummy & starting to suckle now.

She'll do pretty much everything for you. Just offer her a really nourishing meal ... maybe an egg yolk with a little hot water & some evaporated milk in it (not too much mind) & a plate of some good quality tinned meat.

If she gets out of her nest to eat the meal then quickly change the soiled bedding for some fresh, dry, clean stuff. The kittens might squeak when you pick them up, so make sure that you don't start to change the bedding until their Mum has nearly finished eating ... so if she goes back to her squeaky babies she'll have eaten most of her food.

Make sure she has a clean litter tray near her & some fresh drinking water. Leave her a plate of her favourite dried food. Then close the door on where ever she is & leave her in peace for a couple of hours to recover from the birth & to bond with her babies.

After a couple of hours, check on her. Give her more tinned food & make a fuss of her. She'll probably still be bleeding slightly, so don't worry about that. The babies should all be quiet & suckling nicely. If the babies are crying a lot then it may mean that she has no milk - in which case it may be a good idea to contact your vet as there may be a problem.

Also contact your vet if she is still bleeding in a couple of days. Or if the bleeding becomes foul smelling at all. If your cat starts to look unwell to you - then please, please contact your vet immediately.

However, 9 times out of 10 things go well & all you have to do is keep your cat well fed & then, play gently with the babies every day once they reach about 10 days old. Have fun!

If you're not planning to have them vaccinated yourself, then start finding homes for them from when they are about 8 weeks old. Kitten's first vaccination is normally around 9-10 weeks.

I'm not sure how soon after the kittens are born that you can have her neutered ... but please be aware that she can start calling (coming into season & looking for another mate) really quickly - so please make sure you keep her in. I'd recommend having a chat with your vet about the best time to neuter her.

Hope things go well for you, her & them.

Answer 4

Make sure that momma cat has plenty of nutritious food and fresh water available at all times. Ensure that the place where momma has her kittens is warm and dry and private - keep the kids away from them (for now). Don't handle the kitten too much - you may quietly watch as momma cat nurses her kittens and pet them with a finger or two now and again, if momma cat allows it. When the kittens' eyes are open, arrange for a vet wellness visit for all of them (momma cat and her litter).

Answer 5

Nothing! Just make keep an eye on the kittens to make sure they are all getting their fair share of food from the mamma cat. Sometimes it is natural for one to get oushed out. If you see this happening point the kitten in the right direction. Mine were fine though- I could have watched them for ever.

Answer 6

'cats are best left on there own to look after their young one bit of advice i will give is dont keep any of the kittens they are cute when kittens but grow up fast i kept kittens when my cat had kittens egged on by my kids now i have 3 fully grown cats that are pests you will be tempted but from some one who knows get it doctored i thinks its about 8 weeks after the birth

Answer 7

You want to breed cats? If not then take the mom to the vet so he can tell you when to bring her back to be neutered (or whatever procedure they do so they don't get pregnant again). Meanwhile you have to think of whom to give the kittens to. Cats can be pregnant again in four months or less. So think about it.

Answer 8

let your cat take care of it. make sure they are in a warm and sheltered place, and let the mother cat do her thing.

If it is the first litter she ever had, you can check to make sure she is taking care of them -- she has to lick them to get the placenta (?) off, and then she eats it, and then she needs to feed them. sometimes first time mothers may accidently lay on the kittens, so you can watch for that, but ostly, the mother cat will be glad if you leave her to take care of her babies and don't touch them too much.

Answer 9

Phone your vet and ask when he advises a check.Other than that leave it to mum.

Get Mum and any kittens you keep spayed/neutered though!

Answer 10

Most cats do great left to their own devices. I'd advise an overnight vet trip between now and the next time you let her outside, though. (that's where she met daddy cat, right?)

Answer 11

let mum be mum and look after them for the next 8-12 weeks....

then you have to either keep them or sell them/give them to friends etc. all look very cute now but guess litter is about 6-10 so imagine having that many cats!