My cat moved and sat on her kittens. Is this normal? Are they okay?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If mother cats feel threatened or nervous they will frequently move the kittens to other locations. Be sure she is in a quiet place with no children or other animals. Only check on her a few times per day. Mother cats also will move only one baby if they feel it is sick or not doing well. If you can post a picture of the wound I can help you better. If it is small then the kitten should be fine. Clean it will water and a mild soap daily. If you are concerned about the wound have a vet examine the kitten before the weekend. I wish you all the best!

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!

Cats commonly want to pick up their kittens and move them to "safety". My guess is that, left unattended, she would move all of them one at a time. Consider moving her basket/box to a more secluded area (under a coffee table, in a small closet, etc). This might appease her concern for her kittens. As for the eye goop, keep an eye on this. If you need to, gently wipe it with a warm damp cloth on a daily basis. This could be nothing or it could be an early viral infection. If you see snotty noses, reluctance to eat, or any other concerning signs, see the vet. You can start mom on a lysine supplement (we think this helps interrupt replication of the feline herpes virus.) And don't worry, human cold viruses do not transfer to people (and vice versa). Hope this helps and best of luck to you and the kitty family!

What sweet little kittens! Those pictures are so adorable! I would not be too concerned about the mama cat just yet. She is probably exhausted from giving birth and nursing. You may want to move her to a location where you can keep a better eye on her so you can check on her regularly. Place a litter box within easy reach so she doesn’t have to travel far away from her kittens to use the bathroom. Try palpating her abdomen as well. It should be soft and doughy, not firm or hard or painful. If it feels abnormal you should probably take her in to the vet to make sure there are no kittens remaining inside of her. You can also try taking her temperature at home. If it is greater than 103 or less than 99, she needs to be seen by a vet. Finally, continue offering her fresh food and water. Keep in mind she will need a lot of extra calories since she is nursing 6 kittens. Feeding her a kitten food would be best. You can also try feeding her canned food or moistening her food with water to ensure she is getting enough. If your cat still refuses to move after 48-72 hours there may be something wrong and you should take her in to be checked out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Good luck with the 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.

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! :-)

Some kittens get weak and cold which can become life threatening. You can carry the kitten in your pocket to keep it warm and hold it onto the mother to nurse if possible. In addition the kitten may have been born with a medical problem and is not going to survive. Make sure the others are warm and nursing. Some new mothers are not as good at taking care of kittens as others, especially that many. That is a big litter so you may need to supplement the kittens with kitten milk replacer if the mother doesn’t have enough milk for all of them. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kitten.