How to Take Care of Kittens - Helping Your Female Cat Give Birth and Care for Newborns (0 to 4 Weeks)

Having young kittens in the house is an exciting time, but it's not just a matter of feeding and cleaning up after them. The way you interact with the kittens at a young age shapes how friendly they become as adult cats. When raising newborn kittens, if everything goes well, their mother will do the hard work. Sadly, the unexpected can happen and you may be left hand-rearing the offspring, either because the mother is unable to care for them herself, or she has rejected them. This guide helps you understand the needs of growing kittens in terms of health care, feeding, and socialization.

1. Provide a quiet place for the birth. Your female cat will chose a place where she feels safe to give birth. By all means, provide a large cardboard box, turn it on its side and line it with warm, dry bedding–but don't be disappointed if she has other ideas. Instinct tells her to find a quiet concealed spot, such as under a bed, behind a sofa, or inside a kitchen cabinet.[1]
- To learn more about helping your cat give birth, see this article.

2. Do not disturb during the birth and first two days. The first 48 hours is a crucial time for the mother to bond with her kittens, so try not to disturb her. If she gives birth under your bed, leave her there. Moving the newborn kittens will distress the mother and in the worst scenario could cause her to reject them. Once she is firmly bonded, at around four or five days, if you feel it's necessary to move the kittens, do it then.[2]

3. Leave food, water, and cat litter in the room. The mother won't want to leave her kittens for long in the first two weeks of their life. Always put food and water within stretching distance of her nest, and if possible, offer a litter tray in the same room so that she can stay within sight and sound of the kittens.
- If food is in another room, some mothers chose to starve rather than leave their newborn kittens to find it.[3]

4. Feed the mother extra food. She needs the extra calories to make milk for her kittens.[4]

5. Let Mom do most of the clean-ups. Instinct helps the mother to keep the nest clean. The newborn kittens do not urinate or defecate on their own, so the mother has to lick their bottoms before and after feeding to stimulate elimination. This way she keeps the nest clean. Try to disturb the nest as little as possible.
- If the bedding becomes soiled, wait until Mom hops out for a toilet break herself to take out the dirty bedding and pop in clean.[5]

6. Check that the kittens are all nursing. If the mother cat is present, the kittens should nurse from her immediately after the last kitten is born. Newborn kittens will spend most of their time sleeping, waking up to nurse every two to three hours. If they do not appear to be nursing, or one kitten is being pushed away from the mother cat by its siblings, supplement with bottle feeding as described in Part 2.

7. Consider spaying the mother cat. Having your mother cat spayed (removing her womb) after the kittens are done nursing is highly recommended by veterinarians and humane organizations. This helps prevent the suffering of unwanted kittens, and can also have some health benefits for the spayed cat.[6]

8. Start to think about deworming the kittens. This can happen as early as two weeks if necessary. Consult a veterinarian for proper medication and dosing.[7]