Help Please! Mother Has Hidden Her Kittens

[Lyndie]

mother hid her 1 week old kittens in a safe place in our lounge room but although we can hear them we cannot reach them. They are 3 weeks old now. Mother is eating well and coming for cuddle time with us and seems to be looking after her brood. Will she bring them out soon? It is unlikely they could get out by themselves

 

[Sarthur2]

Where are the kittens? Are they inside a wall?

 

[kashmir64]

Quietly follow mom. She will lead you to them.

 

[Lyndie]

Quietly follow mom. She will lead you to them.

We know where they are because the queen has hidden them inside a marble mantle We can hear them but not reach them and I don’t think they could get out by themselves because the mantel is off the floor a bit. The queen is clever! What age will the kittens be when and if she brings them out?

 

[kashmir64]

Can mom get in and out of where the kittens are with no problems? If yes, then they can be anywhere from 4-6 weeks old before they come out.
If no, then you need to disassemble the mantel and get them out now.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Does your house have many occupants? Maybe the Mama cat thinks that her kittens are not safe if there are too many people coming and going so she has to do this. If she brings them back out you can place her in a corner or in a room where there is lesser activities going on. For now I think the babies are safe, but when they get a bit bigger it could be difficult for you or even for the mama cat to take them out from where they are now. I kindly suggest to give her some quiet time and when she senses that its ok she could bring the babies back out again.

 

[Lyndie]

Our house only has me and my husband and the mama cat even sleeps on our bed but she has hidden these kittens. She comes and goes to them all day. I don’t know what to do if she doesn’t bring them out because we can’t reach them. Do mama cats always bring them out?

 

[jcat]

If mama cat can easily get in and out of the hiding place, the kittens will soon start venturing out on their own. How far off the floor is it? You should probably put something large and soft in front of it - sofa cushions come to mind - to prevent injuries when the kittens start coming out.

For now you could offer some alternative hiding places - a large carton on its side with towels inside, a large carrier with towels inside and draped over the outside, the cubby from a cat tree, etc..

 

[StefanZ]

Our house only has me and my husband and the mama cat even sleeps on our bed but she has hidden these kittens. She comes and goes to them all day. I don’t know what to do if she doesn’t bring them out because we can’t reach them. Do mama cats always bring them out?

Oh yeah. Always. sooner or later they do, especielly as she is friends with you.

Essentially you can wait and see.

The only problem is, IF there is a problem, you cant see it, and you cant help out... Problems arent unusual, and many watchful owners of momma cat saved the day by being there and stepping in.
Even if it also happens, a momma having a sick kid, takes it to her humans to get help for the kitten... Not everyday occurance, but this happens.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Our house only has me and my husband and the mama cat even sleeps on our bed but she has hidden these kittens. She comes and goes to them all day. I don’t know what to do if she doesn’t bring them out because we can’t reach them. Do mama cats always bring them out?

Cats are quite private animals. Some Mama cats do not like the attention that humans are showing their kitten babies, hence they move their babies to a more private, secure space. Just observe for a while and see how it goes, but try to give her the "privacy" she may want. Soon when she senses that its safe she could return the kitties back out. You can also make a Plan B in case the kittens cannot wriggle out of that spot when they should be.

Keep us updated. Congrats btw with the new kittens.