Can a kitten be injured falling over side of a cardboard wine box? Why would queen move 3-week old kittens into a small, deep wine box?

purrfect mom

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Hi! Any help you could give would be much appreciated. Cat had 5 kittens -- all seemed healthy. Almost 3 weeks old. Queen moved nest for 3rd time today into very crowded room into a cardboard wine box on a bed. We hadn't seen kitty for a few hours, heard a weird noise, she was very agitated. one kitten cowering under bed (box on bed with the 3 kittens along with a few other things; it's a guest bdrm) . 1 kitten missing. We took a few things out of room and queen was agitated, meowing, trying to find her kitten. i left her alone a little bit, she was rummaging around top of bed, then I saw her with kitten in mouth. I looked under bed with small flashlight -- didn't want to upset her too much -- couldn't tell whether there were 1 or 2 kittens. 3 other kittens still in box.

It seems like she probably found 5th kitten on top of bed and took it back down under the bed. Maybe she was giving it extra attention. I don't know how long it was lost. I had come up about 6 hrs earlier and I think interrupted her just after she had moved kittens to the box, because she was looking up from the box with a scared, wild-eyed look on her face so I just decided to leave her alone. It seems everytime we have tried to change something around on her nest (like the 1st nest I put a nice blankie on top of carpet and moved kittens about a week in when she was eating; the 2nd nest was under a long piece of furniture and there was something up against it so it was kind of like a cubby with only one end open, and my boyfriend moved one item so more was exposed, but the 3rd nest we didn't really touch -- i think maybe the kittens just outgrew it.

What do I do? If the kitten she had in her mouth was one that escaped from the box, could it be ok? I'm really afraid to go look and freak her out more. I have put a second set of food/water up near the room.

Isn’t a wine box too deep for the cat? I’ve literally put 3 other beds/boxes at various places around the house and she chooses a cardboard wine box which is obviously too small and too deep.

Is the kitten ok if it was lost for a few hours?

How many hours can they go without feeding?

It’s been 3 weeks since birth tomorrow. Should I put a small plate of soft food on 2nd floor landing for kittens, or are they still eating milk?

When do they need to be toilet trained with litter?

I don’t think the kitten injured itself if it got out of the box because box was on a soft bed, but can a kitten injure itself if it kind of falls out of a box?

I’ve only had the cat for four months (rescue) and never had a cat before, let alone kittens.

Thanks!
 

StefanZ

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Healthy kittens manage several hours without food, its not a big problem. Weak kittens - may be another thing.

Now when kittens begin to be really moveable, many moms feel its a major problem for them, very distressing...

Its too early for being given cat food. Prepare a shallow toilette with clump free litter, so they can begin to train. They see the momma, and may thus begin to try...
They really need to be trained as soon they begin to eat on their own, because momma wont eat that poo thereafter.


Begin to handle the kittens more now. They need the socialization.
Be sure momma is OK with it.
 

Sarthur2

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I suggest leaving them in the guest room with mom and food, water, and litter boxes. Remove any cardboard boxes and other things that can be traps for curious kittens. Sit on the floor a few times a day and let the kittens come to you. Bring in toy mice and a feathery toy on a stick, also little balls. The kittens will begin to play soon. Let them have the room for a few weeks until they are bigger and weaning. They are too small to have whole house access and mom does not need to keep moving them, but they need the room to explore and stay safe for now.
 
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purrfect mom

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Thank you, Sarthur and Stefan!
There are once again 5 kittens, but I think she is having trouble coralling them. There are stairs about 2 yards away from the door of room leading downstairs. Can kittens injure themselves if they fall down stairs? I don't think any of them are walking far enough yet to get out from under bed and out door.

Some are on feet more than others. My boyfriend says one seems to sleep a lot, but there isn't any one that's a lot smaller than others I don't think. I think she keeps moving them when we look at them too much. But they are bound to move more and more, so how does she corral them?

When I moved food for her -- and her litter box -- near her at the beginning, she seemed to want to eat where she always used to -- which is downstairs. She seems to like to take the breaks.

I will put some nonclumping litter on a tray the kittens can use. (The only thing is, it's a lot more expensive than the clumping kind.) I keep her clumping litter downstairs and she likes it there.

We adopted this cat about 4 mos ago when it seemed to be living under our greenhouse, and before that I found it curled up on our mat out of the blue. So I don't know her history - but if she was ferral, is that why she keeps moving kittens when we look at them too much?I don't even play w them but my boyfriend does a few times/day.

As kittens get older, does she always want nest in a dark quiet place? She was making lots of exploratory trips behind the t.v. in the main room for even 1. 5 mos. before she gave birth, but it seems to me it would be too noisy. I put a little blanket with her scent down there. Should I remove it? It might be easier for us if they're in the main room. I haven't seen her make as many trips back there recently.

Also, she does seem to have one nipple that is red and more prominent -- we tried to put a warm washcloth on it but she squirmed away. The 3 x I tried to get her to vet since I've had her (before she got out accidentally and got pregnant) she literally escaped from the standard plastic pet carrier before I even got out the house. So I'm trying to find one used that is mesh on top with a zipper. Still haven't found one . So I don't think I'm going to be able to get her to vet anytime soon, so all home remedies for nipples would be great to know.

Thank you!
 

talkingpeanut

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Did she warm up to you quickly? It doesn’t sound like she was feral. Perhaps a dumped stray.
It sounds like mom is getting anxious about the kittens exploring, which is normal at this age. Can you either build a pen out of cardboard boxes or buy a playpen meant for human babies? They need more space at this point. I would close the bedroom door.
Do you plan to keep mom? Do you need help finding a low cost spay clinic in your area?
 
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