So the tiny street cat that hitched a lift home with my flatmate in late november proved to be even smarter than we thought… turns out she was already two weeks preggers (whilst looking the size of a six month old kitten at most)and so had sensibly found herself a home.
(we didn’t realise that she was pregnant till a couple of weeks before she was due even then were unsure if she was- she really wasn’t showing much.I was deeply suspicious but really didn’t want to confirm it because damned if I was going to be the one who gave the news to the third flatmate when I didn’t bring her home and had been taking all the flak for the preceeding 5 weeks while the guy who did was away.so.)
She had three insanely cute little kittens on Jan 2nd. (and don’t worry I already spoke to stray dog and they’ll be neutered before they leave home).
Last night the little cat (mum) moved them to the skankiest place she could find down the side of the kitchen cupboards (they had been in a big open suitcase in A’s room before).
As I was about to leave for work I realised that there were only 2 kittens. It took me an hour and a half to find the missing one…I had all sorts of visions of late maternal abandonment and getting stuck in odd places and starving…anyway today was the first time that they’d actually got up properly and tried to explore (althougth the missing one wasn’t actually exploring… he eventually turned up when I shook A’s duvet out- he’d somehow got himself stuck bundled up in the middle of it…I think mum prob. popped him in the bed the night before and he got caught up in the non-making of the bed)
However as I was leaving them (now on a blanket on my bed) I saw that the biggest was making a determined effort to explore, so I popped a low bit of wood across the door to let mom out but keep the kittens in (unless she bloody moves them again…)
So as I now intend to spend the weekend kitten proofing my flat I wondered if anyone had any tips for likely dangers.
While looking for the missing kitten in desperation I was checking the roof (where it could never have got to, but I’d looked everywhere, except obiviously the inner depths of the duvet) and found on my nieghours side a roof drain pipe about 10cm wide dropping straight down to the street 5 storeys down!!! no prob for a cat, but god a kitten…goner.
So just wondering if anyone has any advice for me to keep the kittens safe (and our flat undestroyed)…the prob being of course that it’s all pretty much open plan so there’s no one room we could ‘kitten up’ as it were.
I thought about building a kitten run (I did that with tiny puppies before very successfully) till they’re litter trained…oh yeah, and is that the same as with puppies- paper in the corner? or really shallow litter tray? We use pine pellets, so there shouldn’t be a problem with them grooming)
So any ideas?
Any warnings?
Any advice at all would be great.
You should probably keep all the doors and windows closed when you are not home, which is possible in the winter time, but not so wonderful in warmer months. You should have some sort of box, bed, or quiet area where the mother cat can feed her babies. That’s why she’s finding some hiding places. They probably are a bit cold too, maybe that’s the reason for the duvet exploration. I wouldn’t worry too much about hurting them or stepping on them. (anyone who has ever come close to stepping on a cat will be familiar with their alarm system) For now, they need a quiet place. Soon, they will need lots of toys, balls, playthings to keep them occupied. They will sleep a lot and play a lot. They will learn the cat litter thing easily, but you may have to clean up a bit, maybe show them how. (if you find a “surprise” somewhere, just drop it in the litter box yourself and they will know what it’s for) Keep them warm and try to find them a good home after a few months. Never give up! It’s great to see someone who doesn’t turn away and cross the street when they see a neighbor in need.
In spite of the fact that you are providing a safe environment -a nice, warm home with loving caregivers, which I congratulate you for- a cat will still have special needs to be covered, such as a spot for privacy and security, especially a nursing mommy cat. As a fellow cat lover, and after having to launch myself as Spiderman down a fourth floor at 3am because one of the kittens fell over the ledge, I understand your fears and assure you you are doing a great job so far. Here’s my two NTs on the subject:
Cats are extremely sensitive to sound and movement, so first of all make sure there is a secluded box /cabinet. That is their “space”. Right now, I have one hidden under the curtains, one inside the duvet, one under the bed, and another in one of the cabinets. That they are not using their cat tepee is no concern of mine, as long as they are fine.
As you said, kittens are way too curious and easy to get lost (cat collars with bells are useful only if they move). Small household object, such as clips and wrappers seem inocous, but will become deadly. If the window is not locked they will open it, if the door can be pushed they’ll be out. They are too curious for they own sake, and get stuck in the darnest places. If I were you, I would bring boxes and other stuff for them to be entertained in a confined space. Once I was assured that space was safe, then open more space, test, try, check. Cats roam is all directions, up, down , sideways. Hard to know where to look at but that is part of the fun.
Best of luck and once again thank you for your compassion towards feline companions.
Thanks guys,
I’ll take a picture of them later and post it- they are super cute.
The mummy cat is a bit strange- she seems to favour putting the kittens in places like my bed, my flatmates bed…on top of the covers, not exactly secluded, even if there are blankets and stuff in boxes…She also demanded that we stay with her during the birth, and the next morning totally ignored the food and water next to her and the kittens but ran out to eat with the others in the kitchen, kinda normal…till she spent the next half hour grooming herself in the living room…happily leaving her 6 hour old kittens in the other room. She’s not exactly maternal, not totally neglectful or anything, just not quite like other cats I’ve known who have hidden themselves away somewhere warm and cosy and not really left their kittens more than necessary. Still she’s only a tiny thing herself. And they’re all looking pretty healthy.
They seem to have calmed down on the exploration side of things somewhat and become more interested in play fighting on the bed- probably because the tiled floor is a bit cold. I’m going to try to let them explore gradually, thanks so much for all your advice.
Cheers,
Kitkat