Should I worry if my mom cat sits on her nursing kittens? Can they smother?

If the cat has mothering imstincts she will nudge the kitten to suckle, and lick it often. Good mothers tend to make sure they dont lie on their kitten. If she is consistently lying on it you may have to remove it from her. Otherwise you could try putting a badket in the box that the kitten cant climb into, hopefully the mother will go in there to rest. Make sure the kitren has a water bottle or heat pad on its side.

It is fine to handle the kittens, cats do not generally reject their young if they are handled by an outside source. It may also just look like mama is smothering them when in fact she might just be providing them with heat and/or the ability to nurse. Unless you actually see the babies actually struggling to move or crying out, they are probably not being smothered. The kittens are waking up a lot because they have to nurse. When they are this young, the tend to nurse upwards of every 2-3 hours. If you are not seeing the kittens nursing that often, they might need supplemental care in the form of bottle feeding. You can pick up some kitten milk replacer at a pet store or a big-box store as well as the bottle. Hope this helps!

If you do not mind that she raises her kittens under or in the sofa, then it should be ok. Kitten mamas are extremely careful and will not hurt their kittens by lying on them or any other way, theey will also not kill kittens. Sometimes, if a kitten dies by itself, a mother will actually eat it, in order to keep the nest clean and not to alert predators to the live kittens. You may want to prepare a nice box with towels for your kitten mama and move the kittens into the box where she will then join. She might move them again....and then I suppose you may want to give her her wish.

New moms should only leave her kittens for a few minutes at a time for a visit to the litter box or to eat and drink. The older her kittens, the more time she will spend away. During the first week of life, new mom cats should only leave her babies for a few brief times each day. During their first few days of life, not only are the kittens both blind and deaf, but they are dependent on their mom to regulate their body temperatures, for food, and even for stimulation to be able to potty. It is best if you confine her to one small room with the kittens and be sure keep her litter box, food and water near her babies. She should not have free roam of the house. If you find that she is not properly caring for the kittens you may have to remove them from her and bottle feed them yourself. If that is the case she may just not be cut out for being a mom and should then be spayed so this does not happen again. I suggest you get a gram scale and weigh them daily. If they are gaining weight each day then they are probably just fine. If they are not gaining or they are losing weight you will need to take them away from her. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello. Yes, if the bond is strong. If you are not sure Lily is producing enough milk ( the kittens will be restless, crying, producing less urine & feces ), you may need to supplement them with a kitten milk replacer. But if the kittens seem to be latching on & fall asleep after nursing, then she may be producing enough milk for them. If you are not sure, you can purchase a postal scale & weigh them every day. If there are tiny gains, they are nursing well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

As long as the kittens are growing, seem healthy and are not meowing in hunger it is normal for the mother to leave them periodically. If you are concerned about weight gain or health of the kittens you could consider supplementing with kitten milk replacer. I would it advise this unless you are concerned however. Once the weaning process starts you can also provide kitten food for them.

The best way to determine if your cat is producing milk is by observing the kittens. Newborns spend long hours nursing - up to 8 hours per day - with sessions lasting up to 45 minutes. When the mother's milk is being let down, the kittens will each latch onto a preferred nipple and stay there. If you observe closely you will be able to see their little mouths and tongues moving from the suckling action. Often their ears may move as well. Nursing kittens will knead the mother's abdomen which is an important stimulus to milk let down. After a feeding session, the kittens will have round, full bellies and will fall asleep. Ideally, healthy kittens who are nursing well will gain 7-10 grams every day. They can, and should, be weighed every few days to confirm gains.