What should I do about my cat's kittens?

by Aaila
(NY)

My cat Tiger is such a sweet cat. I play with her all the time. She was pregnant and had kits.

I hoped I could see them at first, but Tiger had them at someone else's home (in the backyard--I'm not sure they know).

I was upset. I should think her kits should be a month old, but she still hasn't shown me them yet even though she trusts me a lot.

My cat has green eyes and a flame colored pelt with darker stripes. She's so sweet.

What should I do? I don't even know if her kits are still alive?!

Editor's note: I'm sorry to hear that you're in distress over this, Aaila, but the good news is that Tiger seems healthy. And, we think we know where the kittens might be.

Even when breeders take great care with litters under the best of conditions, sometimes kittens don't make it. While most cats are good mothers, some aren't, so it's important that we get to the kittens as soon as possible.

In addition, we want to make sure that these kittens don't get lost, or killed or injured by wildlife or humans. If another person has seen them already, they may have taken them in.

I suppose you could try following Tiger to see if she leads you to the kittens, but that's a shot in the dark and may not be possible. It also won't help if someone has moved them.

So, what I would do is go to the house where you think she had them and talk to the people who live there. Tell them the situation and see if they'll be willing to let you search the yard.

Remember that mother cats often move their kittens, so they may not be in the same place where the birthing took place.

If you can't find them there, then you'll have to widen the search and talk to more people. See if you can get several people to help you search and ask around to see if anyone has seen the kittens.

When you find them, bring them back to your house and set up a nursery area. Don't let your cat roam during this time as she may bring them to a place where you can't find them.

Talk to your vet about what the kittens' needs are, first veterinary visits, and so on. And please get your cat spayed so that she doesn't have any more kittens.

I hope that helps.
-Kurt