Hey all,

As I've posted previously my cat had kittens last week. Luckily three out of the four kittens have homes that they will be going to once they are old enough. But until then... what do I do? I mean, they are eight days old now and are starting to open their eyes. They are so cute, but I don't know anythign about the rate at which cats develop or when they staert needing solid food or when I should give them a litter box or anything! What do I do? Help!

-Blair-

This at least bumps this up to where somebody knowing more about cats than I do can see it. With dogs, human contact is very important from the start to help them bond to people. I have seen kittens born outside that are like wild animals, fleeing from people. So as long as the mother doesn't object, indulge yourself petting the kittens.

Hello,

Labman is right. If mom doesn't object, handle the kittens as much as possible. Be aware though that mom might move them if she thinks your hanging around too much.

As to development... most kittens open their eyes at about 2 weeks old. Sooner if they are handled a lot.

Kittens usually should be offered some kitten food that has been soaked in warm water until mushy at about 6 weeks of age. That is when mom starts to ween them.

They should not be removed from the mother until they are 8 to 10 weeks of age. Mom still has a lot to teach them and if they are removed any sooner, they can have behavioral problems later in life. Don't be alarmed if the kittens nurse beyond the 8 to 10 week mark... they'll nurse as long as mom lets them.

Also, unspayed females can become pregnant as early as two weeks after giving birth. Keep an eye on her and have her spayed as quickly as possible after the kittens reach 8 weeks.

Hope this answers some of you questions and prepares you for what's to come.

Regards,

Thanks to both of you. I do handle them when I can. They are well hidden in the insulation above my bathroom, so they are tricky to get to. The mom hasn't moved them as of yet, so hope she doesn't hide them soemwhere else. The Mom is an outdoor cat and unfortunately I do not have the funds to fix her, but I have found all of the kittens good homes. I am responsible, but I don't have enough money to get her spayed. I think the male that got her pregnant got run over (he wasn't mine). So there are no males around anymore.