A litter of kittens can be beautiful, but it also brings responsibility. The mother cat needs safety, nutrition and monitoring, and the kittens need warmth, weight gain, hygiene and later careful socialisation.
Prepare a quiet nest
Provide a warm, clean, quiet place where the mother can give birth and nurse. Keep other pets and visitors away. Know the signs of trouble during birth, such as long straining without a kitten, heavy bleeding, exhaustion or a kitten stuck in the birth canal.
Monitor the kittens
Weigh kittens daily at first and check that each one nurses. Kittens should be warm, quiet after feeding and steadily gaining weight. Cold, crying or weak kittens need quick action and veterinary advice.
Plan placement early
Do not let kittens leave too young. Start gentle handling and normal household exposure, arrange veterinary care and screen future homes carefully. Accidental litter or not, every kitten deserves the same standard of care.
