# My cat keeps moving her kittens



## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

Hi All
My cat keeps moving her kittens around the room ..some she'll leave in the box and some she'll put in the middle of the room or in the corner or in the Cat carrier? I thought maybe she doesn't like them in the box..until now she's been happily feeding them in the box but now she's been getting them out of the box


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## Lisa2701 (May 15, 2010)

I am no expert but a few things jump to mind here ... 

Is the box big enough for her comfortably lie out on her side completely? 

Is the box they are in the same box she gave birth in? And if so did it get a bit yucky? 

Is the box in a nice quiet, undisturbed area of the house? If she feels the kittens aren't safe she will try to move them so they need to be somewhere clam, quiet and undisturbed until several weeks old. 

How old are the kittens?


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

Thanks for replying

The box is big enough but it's getting a bit small now I think ..it was the original box she gave birth in but I took that one away yesterday..but I've noticed she doesn't want to actually go in the box now at all ..the room she's in is the quietest in the house..I have a huge box down stairs but I have a feeling she would be constantly be moving them back upstairs..she feeds the kittens but only out of the box now...kittens are 10 days old now


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## Lisa2701 (May 15, 2010)

Has she only started moving them since you put in a new box? If so, do you still have the old box? perhaps if the two aren't big enough you could tape them together and create one large box? I wonder if she no longer uses the box because it doesn't smell of her and the kittens? 

If she can't comfortably stretch out flat on her side with all her babies feeding on her, then the box is too small. 

I am no expert, I have never bred kittens, I only have experience with puppies. I am hoping an experienced breeder will be along soon to confirm or correct my thoughts but I think maybe taping the old box to the new one might help as it'll give her that familiar scent back. 

Also, The babies are still far too young to be moved down stairs in my opinion. I wouldn't move them down until they are several weeks old, eyes open and confidently on their feet. 

Good luck


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

When I had a girl that kept moving her kittens I eventually put her in a small room with no options. Some girls prefer an enclosed box, with the flaps folded over, than an open one. And move the big box upstairs into her room.


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

Greeneyes78 said:


> Thanks for replying
> 
> The box is big enough but it's getting a bit small now I think ..it was the original box she gave birth in but I took that one away yesterday..but I've noticed she doesn't want to actually go in the box now at all ..the room she's in is the quietest in the house..I have a huge box down stairs but I have a feeling she would be constantly be moving them back upstairs..she feeds the kittens but only out of the box now


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

She started moving them before I put the new box in..would it be the bedding?as I change that quite often..I would move the big box upstairs but we built it downstairs and it won't fit upstairs if that makes sense...I been monitoring everything since the early hours and she just point blank refuses to go in the box but was quite happy to feed them out of it..p.s there's nothing harmful in the room for the kittens it's basically a cat friendly room


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## Lisa2701 (May 15, 2010)

Greeneyes78 said:


> She started moving them before I put the new box in..would it be the bedding?as I change that quite often..I would move the big box upstairs but we built it downstairs and it won't fit upstairs if that makes sense...I been monitoring everything since the early hours and she just point blank refuses to go in the box but was quite happy to feed them out of it..p.s there's nothing harmful in the room for the kittens it's basically a cat friendly room


I'm not sure if changing the bedding a lot could cause this? Cats are far more scent orientated than dogs and I have no experience with cats so I really don't know? That's why I asked if she only started this after you changed her box. Obviously you can't leave the kittens on a dirty bed so bedding has to be changed but I maybe wouldn't use any strong smelling detergents or fabric softeners?

My fear with them being just out in the open of a room is that if one (or all) wanders off they might not be able to find their way back to the litter and become cold and/or find themselves unable to find mum for a feed. Keeping them in a box or similar helps ensure they all stay together and can easily find mum or each other when they're cold or hungry. I'd also be terrified one ended up behind the door and I injured it when I opened the door.

I really feel you need to find something that she's happy with, I really don't think it's a good idea just leaving her to have them in the middle of the room? Others might think different but if she were mines I'd be trying to find something that she'd be happy with! What about one of those plastic oval dog beds instead? Or a covered box like oriental slave suggested? I still think she maybe needs a larger box just because you said above "it's maybe getting a bit small now", it shouldn't "get too small" because the box needs to fit mum - her whole length, which obviously doesn't change - she needs to be able to lie completely flat on her side without her head or bum being squashed up against the sides. If she has to curl up at all then it'll be making feeding the babies difficult for her. Also the babies need to be able to have enough space to get in to feed and for her not to be lying on them. If she can't lie out comfortably to feed the babies that could be why she's moving them out onto the floor? Get a bigger box that can be put upstairs with some nice bedding. Also, you said she's taken them to the cat carrier? That could be a sign she wants something covered?

Just my thoughts but like I said I'm no expert on this matter.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

Kittens scream if they want their dam and cannot find her. She has an instinctive reaction to a kitten's cry so should retrieve it. If one of my girls was out of the room and I wanted her back in, all I had to do was pick up a kitten and she would rush back in at the sound of its squeaks. Obviously a kitten safe room has all small spaces blocked so the kittens cannot get to inaccessible places.

My kitten box had an opening at the front with a curtain. The top was solid although it did have a lid I could lift if necessary. If the bedding is the problem it is a good idea to put a few layers of blankets on the base of the box and just remove the top one when it becomes dirty.


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

Hi again 
Thanks for both replying...I should of been more clear the box is plenty big enough but the height of it is quite low..she can get in it fine etc and it's covered and cosy but for some reason she just wants to feed them out of it..QOTN you're spot on because as soon as she hears one of the kittens she's straight to them..the room is a bit bigger than a box room and purely for mum and kittens..there's something that she likes about the cat carrier I don't know what it is! ...I've now laid more blankets to see if that helps..she does still feed the kittens but out of the box


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Greeneyes78 - if she is against the idea of being in box with the kittens I wonder if she would accept a kitten playpen, e.g. like this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amzdeal®-P...qid=1504630444&sr=1-2&keywords=kitten+playpen

She can jump in and out but the kittens can't get out. (It would also be useful when the kittens start being mobile). You can make it cosy with bedding and even drape a fleece over part of the top.


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

chillminx said:


> @Greeneyes78 - if she is against the idea of being in box with the kittens I wonder if she would accept a kitten playpen, e.g. like this one:
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amzdeal®-Portable-Playpen-Puppies-Rabbits/dp/B00FVVE2IY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1504630444&sr=1-2&keywords=kitten+playpen
> 
> She can jump in and out but the kittens can't get out. (It would also be useful when the kittens start being mobile). You can make it cosy with bedding and even drape a fleece over part of the top.


I think I might go for that idea ..we've made a huge box for her and kittens downstairs for when she's ready and I just presumed she'd be ok with a box in her room...obviously not ha


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

It's known as the 'two week move' though ten days is perfectly normal. If she'd had her kittens in the wild she would be looking for a new 'nest' now to avoid predators. The old one would be nicely smelly and starting to attract unwanted attention. Not all cats do it but plenty do. It can be quite scary for owners because a cat will spend quite a long time between moving each kitten giving the impression she has abandoned some. I'm afraid you just have to go along with it or shut her in a small space until the phase passes - which it will in a few days.


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## Greeneyes78 (Sep 3, 2017)

havoc said:


> It's known as the 'two week move' though ten days is perfectly normal. If she'd had her kittens in the wild she would be looking for a new 'nest' now to avoid predators. The old one would be nicely smelly and starting to attract unwanted attention. Not all cats do it but plenty do. It can be quite scary for owners because a cat will spend quite a long time between moving each kitten giving the impression she has abandoned some. I'm afraid you just have to go along with it or shut her in a small space until the phase passes - which it will in a few days.


I'm not overly worried as it's a natural thing for her to do and as long as mum and kittens are safe and healthy that's all what matters to me and I just want to make they are all comfy as possible ..I will probably go along with it as I don't want to stress her out because that could make her not want to carry on feeding her kittens plus I don't want to keep moving things around or bringing something new again for the kittens to go in as I have a feeling that will upset her as I think she just wants to be left alone with her babies..as her owner I just have a feeling she won't like it..she's fine with me handling the kittens and giving her attention but when it comes to changing bedding and boxes you can see she gets a bit anxious


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