My cat moved her kittens outside. Did she forget where they are?

If the box was moved to a location that Matcha doesn't think is safe for her kittens, she may have moved them to another location that she thinks is safer. I would leave her alone and see what she does. If she has moved 2 of the kittens, she will likely move the other 2 kittens to the same locations soon. If momma isn't worried, then I'm not worried. But I would be sure that she has a safe location for her kittens before night because sometimes momma cats don't chose the best locations for their babies. Once everyone is happy with their location, I would try not to move the box. I hope that helps!

A natural instinct of mother cats is to hide their kittens to protect them. They will keep their kittens in the safest spot they can find. If she was afraid they might be in any danger, that is likely why she moved them. She will know where that 3rd kitten is hiding. The kittens are 4 weeks old, and will start moving around more and more. Hopefully, the 3rd one should start showing up soon. Try not to disturb her too much in your search, she might become upset if her area becomes "too busy" and may move them again.

Oh no. That isn't good. Cats are very unpredictable; therefore, I would air on he side of caution and feed the kittens if need be. If the kittens are less than 2 weeks of age you want to make sure they are also kept warm (but don't overheart) and I would recommend wearing gloves when handling them to avoid masking their scent, which can lead to mama cat rejecting them when she returns. It is a foreign place for her so she has an increased likelihood of getting lost or injured while outdoors. You can try to go searching for the Mama cat as well. Take a can of tuna with you to see if you can entice her to return. Also leave a way for mama cat to easily enter the house, if you can, just in case she returns and no one notices. I hope she does come back. Wishing you all the best!

Yes, it may have been the mother cat if she felt the kittens were unsafe or may have been another neighborhood cat defending their own territory. If there are remaining kittens please contact your local humane society and they may be able to offer a foster home and also neuter the mother to prevent future unwanted kittens

It is concerning that Belle has moved only one kitten into a different location, and I would recommend trying to keep her and all of the kittens together in an area where they can be more easily supervised. If the kitten in the closet seems sick (if it is crying frequently, less active than it's littermates, having difficulty breathing, or if it seems cold) I would recommend seeing a veterinarian right away. While it can be difficult to determine what is wrong with very young kittens, sometimes aggressive supportive care can be successful so I wouldn't necessarily say that the kitten won't survive simply because Belle seems to be paying less attention to it.

It is possible that she is just taking care of her young for now. There are possible complication after birth like imbalance hormones, a kitten not born causing infection, or even eclampsia (low calcium). If you know where she could be hiding, I would try to find her and take food to her. If not, all you can do is wait. She will likely come out when she is ready. I am sorry that she is worrying you and I wish there was more we could do. I hope this helps and you find her soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat and the kittens. Yes, cats will move their litters around. However, if she is placing the kittens up high, there is the potential they could fall. This is unsafe for the kittens. Try to examine the environment and see if there is any reason for your cat to feel her kittens are unsafe. Is she moving them to get them away from another cat, a dog or children in the home? Otherwise, I would move to kittens away from high ledges and try to block her access from these areas. I hope this information helps!