# Help on newborn kittens



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

My dad has a stray in his parking garage at work who had a kitten with her when he first noticed her. Momma cat is sooooo sweet, she lets us pick her up and play with her. We have been feeding her good. One day her kitten was gone. This was about 4 months ago. Now the past couple weeks she's looked pregnant and she delivered babies Friday. Not sure how many bc they are in a cubby hole where we can't reach. We are going to try to rescue them and mom and bring them to our home. We want to make them "barn cats" so would the babies be fine in a bed in our empty chicken coop? Anyone have experience on newborn kittens? Any advice is appreciated!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

they should be fine in the chicken house....IF you can get mama to leave them there! Can you lock her in so she can't move them? Once you move the kittens, she will see it as her motherly duty to move them to a better hiding spot. Gotta love em! It's a rare cat that won't move her kittens once you find them and touch them.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Oh great lol. Our coop isn't huge and she could probably find a way to get our since there is a hole up top. I'm just afraid they will wonder near a dog when they get to walking. We have two and one on each side of us


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Do you have a large wire dog crate you can put in there? Can you block the hole somehow? I know it isn't easy. We've faced these issues too.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

We do have a wire crate, that would work. I made a hay container out of a plastic bin that I've seen posted on her I was thinking about putting them in there since it has a lid and a hole for mom to come in and out


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

If you could plug up the hole and keep her in there for at least 2 weeks it helps them to understand that that is their home.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

wildegoats0426 said:


> We do have a wire crate, that would work. I made a hay container out of a plastic bin that I've seen posted on her I was thinking about putting them in there since it has a lid and a hole for mom to come in and out


If mom can get in and out,she can haul a kitten with her. LOL If you have the wire crate, you might consider putting them in that and locking mom in with them. You can let her out a few times during the day and once she figures out that it's a good thing to be there, she may just stay there. It doesn't hurt to try.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Okay thanks!! There's a tom cat at his work which is why were going to bring them home cause she will get pregnant over and over again


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yep. And....the tomcat may kill the kittens too. Good luck and post pics!


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

That might be what happened to the last one :/ I will get pics when we he them !! Thanks!


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Also what age should they be weaned?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I wouldn't do any sooner than 8 weeks.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Okay I figured !


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

wildegoats0426 said:


> Also what age should they be weaned?


Mom will wean them when the time is right.


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## ChrisM (Jan 13, 2014)

Pick out the one or two you want for barn cats and get them fixed otherwise you'll have more cats than rats before long.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I think there is only two kittens. We have a barn cat already and we'll use momma as one so if anyone wants a kitten.. Lol 
What would yall suggest I put them in? I haven't gotten them yet but will today. We couldn't find them for a few days. I have a hay feeder made out of a plastic bin I was thinking about using that


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)




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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

Cute!! I'd say they look to be 2-3 weeks. Yes, keep them somewhere where mama can't move them, you may have quite a time finding them again, personal experience speaking here. And handle them LOTS.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very cute!


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

They are 1 week old. Born last Friday. We got momma in our chicken coop. Put the babies in the box and momma gets in the box with her. I think they are doing good! They are fat. Some of them have 1 eye close and 1 open


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Adorable...where is mom's pic?


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I'm going to get more pics tomorrow during the day! She loves my dad and she's sooo sweet !


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Those babies are adorable!! If I lived closer I'd take a couple off your hands!


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I read online to just free feed nursing moms and she loves it! It's supposed to get 19 here Tuesday so I have lots of old towels from our bottle fed puppy days!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Yep. Mom needs all she can get right now. 

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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

what do y'all think about this heat lamp set up for when it will be around 20 degrees Tuesday night?


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Awww, she is so cute...I love orange cats


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Should be fine.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Okay so momma keeps moving the babies to behind a huge pile of barrels. I moved them back to their box and she moved them again. It's dirty and full of chicken poop back there. What should I do?


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Leave them. She might get really upset and move them completely out somewhere

Carmen, Co-Owner Oleo Acres LLC, Nw Ks


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## ChrisM (Jan 13, 2014)

Can you at least get close to where she keeps putting them? If you put a blanket or something back there that would be inviting to her, she might at least move them up onto that and get out of the chicken poop.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

That might be a good idea. You might even try putting the box they are in now back there....put it on it's side so they can crawl in and out.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I just really don't like where they are at all. There's no room back there and now that they are moving around a tiny but I'm afraid one of those barrels could fall on them. She can't lay down back there and the kittens are piled on too of each other. Not sure why she likes these stupid places! Lol


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## ChrisM (Jan 13, 2014)

You're other option is to put them in a cage large enough to provide her with a litter box and little freedom of movement when she's tired of them nursing. She won't like it but they'll all be safe and she can't move them. Otherwise just accept that cats are naturally going to hide their kittens. If the barrels haven't fallen by now then 6 oz kittens aren't going to knock them down. Like kc said, move the whole box back into the corner where it's hidden and she will feel more secure. Turn it on its side and let her move into it. If she feels like she's done it on her own terms, she's more likely to stay put. And don't worry about them. Cats know what they're doing...... there's several hundred million of them to prove it.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I put this in there so maybe she'll like it better. I'm doing to block off access to the other part of the coop so she has to stay in this one only. Crazy cat


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)




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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Even drape the towel over the front a little more.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Well I'm going to see if the kittens are in the boxes.. Moment if truth. If they're moved I give up


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## ChrisM (Jan 13, 2014)

The suspense is killing me. :grin:


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Yep back behind the barrels. I just dropped a towel back there! I guess I'll leave them but I don't want them roaming around when they get older bc of all the dogs/goats


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

So I've been thinking. If I block off the whole coop to where she can't get out or into the other part I think that will work. It's big enough and I have a litter box in there. I let her out when I am there which is twice a day. Our coop is sectioned in two with a door and a half wall. So I'm thinking I'm going to block off the half wall with chicken wire


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)




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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

They are so sweet! I love kittens. I have four cats. Cats do love to hide them in weird spots. When I was a kid, one of our outdoor cats put hers in a hollowed out tree stump. It was a lot of fun getting them all out. :/ We ended up bringing her and the kittens inside because it was so cold. There were lots of barn cats at that place and it was like a treasure hunt finding babies. In the hay loft, under the house, in a stall, a couple times in the car, which is not good. Anyway, good plan on blocking her out of the area you don't like.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

They are adorable. I would definitely lock them up in an area that is open for you and mom can't hide them.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

So I got momma trained to use a litter box! She's doing really well and keeping her babies in the box. Now if we can get her to the vet


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Nice! Glad things are progressing well for you.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

here's some new pics of the kittens. Soooo cute !


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Omgosh...cuteness overload!


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I want a kitten. 

Carmen, Co-Owner Oleo Acres LLC, Nw Ks


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Way way way to cute!


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

There's 4 up for adoption! Lol we are keeping the calico and momma. The kittens do hiss at me. Calico even swatted her claws at my hand. Once I pick them up they are fine though


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

the yellow one is hissing at me in this pic lol they are feisty!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is funny. I bet they will stop hissing with more attention.


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## MylieD (Sep 16, 2013)

Baby goats sure are cute, but kittens are my favorite hands down. I would be a crazy cat lady if my husband let me. Lol. Treats and loving works wonders on kitties. Though some just end up with a feisty personality. Calicos especially.  I have two calico sisters and they can be a handful. Strangely enough, my super mellow tabby is the best mouser. If we have a mouse in the house, he finds it. You'd think it'd be the more spirited cats getting the mice.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Yeah at the vet I work at we have a calico KNOWN for being bad! Lol crazy cats


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## BrandonRioux (Aug 17, 2013)

If they are too fat that could be a sign of worms 


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I don't think they are necessarily too fat. But I wouldn't doubt them having worms


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

How do I get this cat to use her litter box correctly? She gets in it and it's like she misses the box! Should I get her a bigger one?


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

The only male!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You need a larger box if she is in it and it goes outside the box. The other thing you can try is a covered box.


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## ndwarf (Dec 23, 2013)

Ask margaret she has tons of cats


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

That's what I'm thinking. I put the litter box inside of a cardboard box


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