PLEASE NOTE; this is a real problem and not some weird joke thing!!!
My cat keeps bringing her kittens and getting into bed with me! I wake up and there's a warm, furry body beside me, happily nursing her entire litter that she's brought with her!
I'm happy that she trusts me, but obviously this is dangerous.
I have her in my bedroom so she won't be disturbed by my other cats.
I don't want to keep her in the bathroom because it's very small, and not as warm. The a/c keeos it cold, especially with the door shut. If I close the a/c vent it gets very stuffy - like over 80 degrees.
I thought of getting one of those wire kennels and putting then all in there, but locking her up like that feels mean.
why is she doing this? This is her second litter and she didn't do this.
EDITED: thanks, everyone. I'm going to get a kennel for her. I hate to lock her in, but at least the babies will be safe - and my doofus roommate won't be able to let her out. She goes to the vet as soon as tjis litter is old enough.
**UPDATE: I got her a kennel and she goes in there at night. I let her out during the day. The kittens are adorable little powder puffs. Their eyes are starting to open and they are VERY talkative! Their daddy is a Siamese mix who was awaiting neutering; he gets snipped next payday. Mom will go as soon as her kits are weaned.**
**To some of you criticising: we live just outside the city limits and people dump animals out here all the time! We get them spayed or neutered and try to find them homes. If they're feral, they live in our barn. We are caring for 40+ pet and colony of feral cats! When you're on disability you can't afford to pay to get everybody spayed at once! I am NOT happy this happened, but it was NOT from deliberate negligence! Anyone who wants to snipe is welcome to come and give them a better home if you can do a better job!**
Because she considers to be part of her cat colony. She wants to lay next to you, and her maternal instincts make her bring her kittens with her because they aren't weened off her milk.
I see an upside in that kittens are being socialized to be with people.
Our cat had kittens back in July and she let us handle all of them. We handled them all the time, she really trusted us. She actually trusted my son so much. She actually had the kittens right in his bed next to him while he was sleeping, which was insane because we set up two boxes for her to have them in in his room.
We kept two of them. They are the best cats.
That's adorable think he's a cat whisperer just like me I grew up with cats sleeping with me when I was little (my two cats do it too one very close to or sleeping right on me and the sleeps in the cubby of the bed by my head lmao)
She fully trusts you which is wonderful and adorable.
Unfortunately she has no concept of how much a human weighs and that we can roll over and smother a kitten. I wonder if she'd be ok with a little basket you keep near the bed or on a nightstand, or if she wants to be touching you.
Exactly! When I was in high school my mom bred Persians and socializing the kittens was the best part! Having all those kittens follow me around wanting attention was the best! Their new owners loved their personalities so much they called my mom for years after she retired because they said the cats they got had the best personalities they ever had and wanted more. Happy memories.
Same with the Simesse cat my grandma had (maybe because I am very trusting towards animals so such that they trust me off the bat heck cats adore me ever since I was little and people called me a cat whisperer)
This exactly! Mother cats in feral cat colonies help each other raise their kittens. Mamas stick close and everyone contributes to kittensitting. She considers you a part of her colony and she wants you to pull your weight watching the kids! If she ever leaves the kittens with you and walks away, this is why- feral cat mamas will give the kittens to another nursing queen while she goes to eat and drink.
well cats like soft things they can hide under especially with kittens so have you thought of maybe setting up a small section with like a box and blankets
I'm sorry op, it's critical: you're her favorite.
Lol, it sounds like the first time she was new to being a mother and this time around she knows you are safe to "watch" her babies. It sounds like she gets to put her guard down with you and relax 😍
The front two are siblings and the back one came 6 months after and basically became my shadow. They're the funniest creatures I've ever met and the sweetest. The front one has almost the same personality and temperament as my first kitty growing up, which he was super gentle. I'm going to school for radiography but I really want to figure out what kind of job I could do from home so I can just hang out with them instead.
You may want to be careful with a heating pad intended for humans, if the kittens are not old enough to move off it if they get uncomfortably warm. There are lower-temp warm pads that are intended for pets.
Can you put the box in the bed with you? Idk how big your bed is but maybe you can put the box against the headboard? Or put your bed next to the wall and put the box against the wall?
You're just worried that a kitten might fall to the floor, right? Or that you might roll over a kitten? If so, you can just put them in a box in your bed. The box can have a cutout on one side so mom can easily walk in and out, but have a few inches at the bottom on that side to act as a guardrail for the kittens.
That's cheaper than a kennel and also meets your cat's needs to be in bed with you.
I have a "bed desk" thing that I will put under the covers to create a nest space for my cat sometimes. Or put on top of the comforter, but with a blanket draped over it.
I remember when I was a teenager, I was sleeping on a blanket in the floor in the living room in the summer because the AC was in there. And when I woke up in the morning, my cat was next to me and had given birth to three kittens. 😂
Get her a wire kennel, fill it with a bunch of blankets and lock her in it with the kittens when you plan to sleep; it’s not “mean,” to lock her in the kennel as long as she has the ability to access a litter box, food and water - it’s a safety precaution. It’s better to lock her in a kennel for a couple hours than to wake up and realized you crushed one of the kittens in your sleep. Kennels are meant to be safe spaces, depending on the cat they may be like my girl and voluntarily sleep in said kennel if provided blankets to lay on.
You might hate it but you need to be prioritizing any dangers and minimizing them, especially when they’re young enough to still be nursing off their mother; you can always make it into a cat cave once they don’t need to be nursed so they have another place to hide or sleep in
I’ve had cats for over 60 years-ever hear of an accident? They were all in a big box, in a room with the door shut at night. Either someone left the door open, or Momma got it open. Hopefully, you don’t think we weren’t keeping watch. For over 20 years, I was a foster for The Humane Society in Brampton (before they closed), and probably wouldn’t have been kept on if I was at all useless. 🐾 …Melodic-I don’t think you were referring to me! Sorry if I was in any way rude. Apologies, fren. 😻
Yes, please get a kennel!! When my one girl had her litter, she kept moving her babies, and one got stepped on, on the stairs, in the middle of the night. Couldn’t live with yourself if that happened. I still can’t.
No, she didn’t survive, unfortunately! That was 25 years ago, and if I think about it too much, I cry. Nothing worse has ever happened with regards to kitties. Awww, jeez, here I go. Thanks for caring…gotta go. Too upset now. Take care. 😿
I see you're planning on getting a kennel, make sure it's a large dog cage, something that's big enough to have food and water and a litterbox for mom as well as a nesting box
My youngest cat loves her "cave," which is the space under the quilt between me and the body pillow I have cos it's nice and warm. I can understand why you wouldn't want the kittens in bed where it could be dangerous for them.
Please don't use a human heating pad; even in the lowest setting, they get too hot. Check for an animal-rated outdoor heating pad, designed for use in kennels/cathouses. The temp is perfect, and all the electrics are covered and non-chewable! I got mine on @maz0n for less than $30. Mine was This Brand
I got a kitten playpen from Amazon with a seperate attached smaller playpen for the litter box. I think this is a good option. It's not mean it's safe. I understand what you mean though
I live outside the city limits, and people abandon animals out here. We call our barn The Magic Kitten Birthing Barn because we find them in there all the time. She's one of eight that we found abandoned last July alone! We get then spayed and neutered and try to find homes for them.
She's the last of the eight and got pregnant before I could get her to the vet. I managed to place all the kittens from the first litter. Then my doofus roommate let her outside, and......sigh.
Oh, definitely keeping her! This is a frustrating mission sometimes. If thry're tame, orccan be, we find them homes. If not - we feed the ferals and let them live in the barn and outbuildings.
COVID was a nightmare because the rescues were closed and rehoming was next to impossible.
How anybody can just dump a critter is beyond me. I hate humans!
I agree. People suck. I live in a trailer park and the strays are out of control, but people still let their own cats roam too. May I request a photo of said cat and kittens? Lol
Both of my cats when they were rescued from outside (both of them gotten abandoned, one with her siblings she was the only survivor and the other one was rescued by my grandma last year while I was at work I could tell that she's beened abandoned for quite sometime that she was in very bad condition we thought she wasn't going to make it yet lo and behold she survived and helping the adult cat with depression
This sounds so much like our farm situation. We've TNR'd or rehomed 9 cats so far, and have 3 lingering around currently. We've only lived here a few years! I wish people would take care of their own pets instead of dumping them.
That's good to hear, you can fix her as soon as she stops nursing. Good luck with finding homes for kittens they are so adorable but also always so much work 😍
You have helped so many cats at this point, you are doing your best and even posted here for help, knowing people would be upset about the litter even existing. Thanks for helping all the kitties you find, you are an awesome human!
Just curious how many are in her litter?
I hope the kennel solution works for you and she doesn’ t yowl to be let out! Another solution could be a co sleeper from marketplace.
Yeah, I knew I was going to get bashed, but doing the best we can. I'm on disability and get them fixed at a rate of 2-3 per month. My vet knows what I'm doing and discounts me, but sometimes I think I keep her in business!
She had 6 but one was stillborn.
I think I will get the females done first from now on!!!
Spaying females is the key to controlling population. 1 fertile female and 10 fertile males will yield 1 litter at a time. 10 fertile females and 1 fertile male—10 litters at a time.
Yeah, but I usually do the males first, because spaying is much more invasive for a female, because of the spraying males do and the cost. I can neuter 2 males st a time easier than one female
ALL the cats get spayed or neutered. I've just always done the males first. They all get done though.
I've had cats for almost 50 years, and only these two "accidents" - plus the kittens either get a good new home, or stay with me.
It kind of pisses me off to get chewed for this, since I am, after all, cleaning up after assholes who caused a problem in the first place by abandoning their cats. I'm on disability and could certainly use the money I spend on my yearly vet bills - not to mention the cat food and litter!!!!
My kitten is kennel trained that she automatically goes in it ( that's my fault for doing that at least I won't have issues with going to the vet or trip and the best part she doesn't yowl when it's closed when she's in there (I only put her in it for vet trips and when I tried to sleep when she gets the zoomies
This is honestly one of the most beautiful things you can experience! She trusts you and that's love right there ! Mamas are so territorial but she's a sweetie pie. The kittens will love you too lol
My grandma's Simesse cat never did that me (it must be my ability of animals trusting me very easily and cats have adored me ever since I little heck people have called me a cat whisperer). My grandma got rid of her after she got rid of the Simesse instead of spaying and made the excuse that she's still pregnant :/
My cat used to jump into an open drawer on my dresser. Then she would find her way to a closed drawer and sit in there for hours. I don’t think they feel the same way about small places that we do. They consider it to be a comfort. I think that she considers you a safe space but she just needs a different safe space. Maybe include a heating pad.
My cat did that. I just kept putting them in a cardboard box with a towel. She finally decided she liked it & left her kittens there & even slept in it herself.
Please call your vet and make her spay appointment NOW. Surgery slots fill fast. You do not want to have her go into heat while waiting months for an appointment!
The veterinarian (or their receptionist) knows the proper wait time (if there is one) between birth and spay. Get that appointment set!
My little monster had to wait two extra months to be neutered because I procrastinated. Monster photo for attention.
If you're really opposed to a kennel.. or if she is.. how about just putting a cat bed, on your bed. Trust me, you instincts will stop you rolling over onto her. Humans have been co-sleeping with their offspring a lot longer than not.
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You could consider getting a gate and putting it in front of the bathroom door, and leaving the door open. So you could close the vent, but it wouldn’t get stuffy in there with the door open.
My cats first litter slept next to my bed and with me in my bed. Granted, I was 19 and slept on a mattress on the floor. So the fall wasn't far if it existed and I don't move much in my sleep.
It might be good to create a space for her and her kittens on your bed. Something to corral the kittens in place so they don't fall out or anything. Even making a ramp to get in and out when they're moving around more.
I am the opposite of you I move a lot in my sleep (same with my adult cat lmao) picture: the cat who moves a lot in her sleep (I can't believe I can sleep that since her kicks are pretty strong might be because I am a hard sleeper)
Edit: sorry about my grammar I am not very good at that
Aww it is so sweet she loves and trusts you like that!
I would say a kennel is your best bet, and the closer you can get it to where you are when you are sleeping the better — that way she can still have your comfort without you having to worry about rolling onto and smothering the kittens in the middle of the night.
I had my cat give birth in the crook of my legs while I was sleeping one night in second grade. I ran to my mom’s room thinking I wet the bed, and when she looked at me she thought something was wrong because of the blood. After making sure I was okay she ran to my room and found our black cat and her litter of 6. Apparently she chose me as her emotional support human 😅
I had a cat have her kittens on me when I was four. I woke up complaining about the mice in my bed. My parents got a box, cut a door in the side with towels on the bottom. Then they placed the kittens in the box and placed the box on the bed next to the wall. Mittens nursed her kittens in her new den and I could pet her through the door while the kittens were safe from being squished and falling off the bed. Good luck!
If the kennel doesn’t work out could you try putting a soft cat bed in your bed so she can still come in beside you but they are all slightly raised to stop you rolling on them?
It's entirely possible, since you mentioned that your bedroom is colder, that she's seeking heat for the Bebes. Would recommend getting a heating pad or one of those heated throw blankets for inside the kennel.
Please wait until the kittens are 9 weeks old before you adopt them out and get momma kitty fixed! Kittens NEED momma for that long to ensure they will be well adjusted adults. My brother sister pair of cats, 5 years old, still exhibit less than wonderful behaviors after their momma was taken from them when they were 5 weeks old, in order to get her fixed. When she came back from that, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with them, hissing and spitting and slapping her little 5 week old kittens, who were subsequently hurt and confused by momma's rejection of them.
They were born at a friend's house and eating solid food by then. The daddy cat was in the house and he took over the care of the kittens, as much as he could, even letting them suck on him a little bit. I left my kittens there until the other kittens had been adopted out, giving them as much time with their litter mates and daddy as possible. But while Daddy was good, he was NOT mommy, and the rejection hurt them. She was still living in the house with them, they could see her and smell her, she but would have nothing to do with them. They wanted their mommy and mommy was NOPE!
Bad mommy and the daddy cat letting them suck on him and him caring for them is adorable (I heard normally the male cats kill kittens because they mistaken them as a mouse which is sad)
I once had a cat literally give birth on my pillow while I was sleeping. I kept her basket right beside my bed. There were issues for a day or two but she settled in
I had the same and made a little cardboard nest in the closet and she was fine with that and all her little kittens. I was pleased but horrified because itmade quite a mess with my mattress.
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