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mother cat jumping into nesting box landing right on kittens

2K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  catsinthegarden 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'm fostering a litter of 10-day old kittens and their mom. I've had them for 4 days. The mother is young; this may be her first litter. They're all doing well, but I'm shocked by the way she flops down hard, right on top of the babies every time she jumps into the nesting box. She's oblivious to their cries and struggles to get out from under her. She does it when I'm watching, and when I'm not. I can hear the screams of the one/s that take a direct hit all the way into the next room.

Is this normal behavior? (My cats have all been spayed or neutered, so this is my first experience with newborns.) The box they're in has room to spare, so I don't think that's the problem.
 
#2 ·
Most cat mums will jump into a box of kittens if its open at the top, but landing ON them is another thing.....just a novice and doesn't realize she may injure her kittens. Turn the box so that the "open top" becomes a side and this will prevent her from injuring her kitties. Newborn kitties will huddle in a group to keep warm if cat mum is absent. On that crawls away from the group and does not nurse is known as a "fading kitten" and will die within a day or two.
 
#3 ·
Last sentence should have read One, not "On", meaning a kitten that crawls away.
 
#4 ·
Thanks, catloverami . . . just seeing your reply now. (Thought I'd get an email if anyone replied.) I think you're right that she's an inexperienced mother.

I ended up rolling a couple of towels into long, tight tubes and putting them against the sides of the nesting box. They've been taking the brunt of the impact most of the time. And, now that the kittens are larger, they aren't as likely to be injured.
 
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