How to Prepare for the Birth of Kittens

Knowing When a Cat Will Soon Give Birth and Providing What She Needs

Oct 28, 2008
Jennifer Copley

Provide a Warm Room and Kittening Box - Mewtu, Wikipedia

A mother cat nearing her due date should be provided with a quiet, warm space and a kittening box.

Many kittens die as a result of damp, cold, or dirty conditions. Providing a good kittening place increases the likelihood that kittens will live and thrive.

The Kittening Spot

Cats need a quiet place in the home to deliver their kittens away from high-traffic areas of the house where anxiety caused by noise or unfamiliar people may interrupt or delay labour. The kittening spot should be dry, clean, and free from draughts and bright lights.

The temperature in the kittening room should be approximately 29 degrees Celsius (85 Fahrenheit) during the delivery and for at least a week afterward, when it can be reduced to about 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit) for 3-4 weeks, and then 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) thereafter. Keep a wall thermometer in the room to monitor the temperature.

The Kittening Box

Kittening boxes are commercially available, but they can also be made from cardboard, wood, or plastic storage containers. A kittening box should be approximately 2 feet square or a little smaller, depending on the size of the cat, and should have a door on one side that the mother cat can walk through without having to jump. It should also have a lid that can be removed for cleaning and to observe the kittens.

Line the kittening box with tight-weave (not terry cloth) towels, artificial fleece blankets, or blank newsprint paper (without ink). The kittening box should not be placed right next to a source of heat, as this can draw the kittens away from their mother and toward the heat source.

How to Know when a Cat Will Soon Give Birth

Shortly before giving birth, mother cats tend to spend more time grooming, particularly around the abdominal and genital areas. They are also inclined to be irritable or restless, and to wander around the house looking for a good kittening spot, checking out closets, open drawers, and other places where they can make a nest. This is an ideal time to set up the kittening box and encourage the mother cat to sleep in it.

In some cases a cat will choose to have her kittens elsewhere and then move them to the kittening box later on. If she shows signs of preferring an area of the house other than where the kittening box is located, the kittening box should be moved to her preferred spot.