Why does my cat keep moving her kittens to new hiding places?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She could very well be moving the kittens- it’s quite common for them to move their kittens frequently. A hands-off approach works best. Provide access to quiet dark areas (open an empty cabinet, closets, etc). Keep an eye on her and know where she is currently nesting but don’t hover. She’ll take care of things. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Mino!

Unfortunately, when a momma cat feels someplace is safe, she'll be pretty adamant about bringing her kittens there! Apparently, the bed, and you are her safe spot. You may try making a "nest" for her out of pillows or a blanket from your bed and placing it next to the bed so it smells safe like you, but you can't crush it. You can also try making a pillow "wall" to keep yourself separated from the babies as well if you roll over in the night. Otherwise, just trying to make someplace else more enticing should encourage her to move them again.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Oh my, they are cute! Congratulations on your new kittens! It's pretty common for cats with new litters to have a different idea of where they'd like to nest from what we planned for them! You may not be able to make her stay in her box, but you can make it as appealing to her as possible. Make sure it's in a quiet, private corner where she feels safe and protected, and have clean soft bedding inside. She may or may not choose to use it. You will probably need to physically keep her out of your room with a barrier if she's not allowed in there, and beyond that she will decide where she's going to be comfortable keeping her kittens. Once she chooses a spot, make sure she's got access to fresh food and water nearby. Hope this helps! :-)

If you know where she wanted to move the kitten, you can take the box there for her with the kittens. If you do not know where she wanted to move them, watch her move one kitten and then you can move the box to that place, Talk to her and show her what you are doing, so she does not get upset,. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Because she wants to! Often we set up what we think is the perfect environment for a nursing mother, but she may have other plans. She thinks it is safer or better to have the kittens in a different area. The kittens are also getting older, so they need to start exploring different areas. She may also be preparing them to start weaning, which usually occurs at 5-6 weeks of age.

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.

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!