Advice please, Baby cats have arrived!

[MobHistory]

Hello Kitty lovers!
I re-homed my Son's pregnant Cat.
I'm sure she had a week or so left!
I couldn't find her this morning, but she has an airtag around her collar so we were looking for the 'beep be beep bee bebeep' for ages! And there she is! Under my youngest's bed with FIVE little kittens!!!!!

This is all new to me!? How do I look after her/them? I've found a few threads on looking after a pregnant cat but can't find anything on post birth?

Advice would be appreciated!

@MrsSkylerWhite They have loving homes lined up already.

i'd keep them all 😶.

Did I mention I don't like cats!? 😂

Never ceases to amaze me how many people that dislike cats are converted! 😊

How many kittens are there?

Mama cat needs more calories because she's using loads making milk.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/dry_cat_food/royal_canin/kitten is good - it can be wet and turns into a mush which is good when the kits start eating food.

@JohnTheRevelator I hate to say you're right!
I'm a total sucker! It's the head tilting slanted eyes and constant purring!!!

She's had five.

Like the Jacksons!

@QuestionableMouse thank you for that link!
I'm a bit impatient for an online delivery though!
I might run to the supermarket, I'm sure my local Sainsbury's stocks kitten milk/food.

@Vitriolinsanity don't! 😂😆😂I was thinking more E Street Band!

I’m sure I counted six 😹 Imagine, if there’s an extra one hiding you can keep it!

@MinistryofThyme Stop it! 😂I'll count again once she goes for something to eat again .

The husband wants to keep one .

She may well to move them every 3/4 days if the nest gets dirty or she is disturbed too much.

I printed off a kitten guide from the PDSA or Blue Cross website I think it was.

The proper kitten replacement formula is not "kitten milk", you also need to feed them "upright" not on their backs like you human babies.

Awww how gorgeous 😍
Just keep an eye on them and make sure everyone is getting a turn on mums milk bar 💕

Oh and Mum can start call on and get pregnant again BEFORE the kittens hit 6 weeks 😬🙈

Michael is a great name for a cat.

As is Colin.

There are too many strays but these kittens are clearly well cared for. It’s unlikely OP will have bills for neutering. That should not be done until the cats are 6 months old, by which time they are likely to have new homes.

Kittens can & do get pregnant from 4 months old, which is far too young for them to have a good chance of giving birth safely to healthy kittens.

EmpressaurusKitty

Kittens can & do get pregnant from 4 months old, which is far too young for them to have a good chance of giving birth safely to healthy kittens

Indeec. Which is why they should be kept indoors until they have been neutered at 6 months. Ethical vets will not neuter under 6 months.

The PDSA, RSPCA & Cats Protection all say it can be done from 4 months if necessary, which it might be if someone has a mixed litter.

If mum lets you take the kittens and doesn’t get too upset, I’d measure them twice a day. You need to find a way to distinguish them, do they all look the same? (You can get little coloured collars or some people use nail varnish on the claws but I never tried that.)
I’s have some kitten milk ready (the formula powder from Beaphar worked well for me), my mama cats always appreciated that while they were nursing and it was there if I needed to bottle feed.

EmpressaurusKitty

The PDSA, RSPCA & Cats Protection all say it can be done from 4 months if necessary, which it might be if someone has a mixed litter

“If necessary” is far from ideal.

At 4 months, OP’s are likely to be rehomed. If in an house where they haven’t been, it’s not that difficult to separate them in different rooms for a couple of months.
Neutering before 6 months is not best practice or in the cat’s best interest: We have been advised by several vets over many decades of cat ownership. It can stunt the growth of male kittens in particular.

After 6 months, of course neutering is absolutely necessary.

(Don’t like to disagree with a fellow feline lover 😺)

People have mentioned food and water near the mum, I would add keeping a litter tray not too far away as well, until the kittens are a bit bigger, so she doesn't have too far to go (unintentional joke there!).
Good luck, enjoy the little beauties, each day will be different and tiny kittens scampering about can make you die of cuteness!
Another tip: make sure they can't accidentally get out once they do become more mobile

Also, @MobHistory , you can ask for this thread to be moved to The Litter Tray, specifically for cat lovers/slaves, though you may be happy with the advice on Pets

I'm pretty sure the males can be neutered much earlier than the females, it's well before 6months for the boys. Sorry lads ✂

What age is the mum? It might help with the advice you get on here too.