“How to stop my cat from moving her kittens?!”
I hear your frustration. It’s like she doesn’t even know why she’s doing it, other than to make you mad.
You’re worried sick for her and the kittens, but she couldn’t be bothered to care about you or your feelings. This cat just delivered her babies and as a new mother, she continuously tries to hide her kittens from you.
Sometimes it’s easy to find them, but other times it’s like you’re playing hide and seek with a bundle of little, furry balls.
Your cat is extremely protective over them. She just doesn’t seem to get that you’re not the enemy.
No matter how much you try to rationalize this, you can’t seem to find an explanation.
Other than that, you just know that you need to make her stop moving her kittens! You’re losing your mind looking into every corner, trying to find them.
So, why does this even happen and how can you stop your cat from moving them? Those are some good and valid questions that we’ll try to answer for you in this article.
Why does my cat move her kittens?
1. She’s still in labor
Before you figure out how to stop your cat from moving her kittens, you first have to understand why this is happening in the first place.
You’ll see the signs that she’s in labor early on because she’ll start running away and hiding somewhere where she feels the safest. However, that may change.
Once she starts breathing heavily and meowing constantly, the kittens are on their way.
There’s a good chance that she’ll move her kittens even though she’s still in active labor. She may feel like there’s too much going on. If she’s anxious, she’ll run away.
Your cat could give birth to two kittens, but the third or fourth one may be delivered in a completely different place simply because she felt like moving.
No need to freak out – this is completely normal behavior for felines.
It may be quite bothersome to you, but it’s simply what her instincts are telling her to do. You can have little to no influence in this at all.
2. They’ve outgrown the nest
This can especially happen if you own a very small cat to begin with. She’ll find a safe spot to deliver her babies without considering the fact that they’ll grow quickly.
She’ll find a small and secluded spot, but the moment she starts giving birth she’ll realize she has too many kittens to stay in this spot.
Also, once the kittens start getting bigger, your cat may try to find a bigger space for her new family. She wants them to have enough room to feel comfortable and to feed them without any issues.
A small space won’t allow that.
3. She doesn’t feel safe
You have to understand that your cat is a predator. She knows when danger awaits and when she’s safe. If she doesn’t feel safe, she will move her kittens.
In most cases, this won’t have anything to do with you. She’s your cat; she feels safe with you. However, she doesn’t know how you may treat her kittens.
She’s convinced that they’ll be safer somewhere else and you shouldn’t take that personally.
You have to trust your cat on this one. Especially if the father of the kittens is around as well. There’s a lot of paternal aggression between predators when the male cat isn’t able to come near the female. It can become very dangerous for the kittens, so the mom moves them.
4. There’s too much noise
When there’s too much noise, she won’t be able to handle it after such a stressful event. Nor will her kittens be able to sleep or relax in such an environment.
You can’t expect to stop your cat from moving her kittens if she doesn’t feel comfortable where she’s at.
Too much noise can be caused by normal everyday things, or if there’s some work being done around your home, and so on.
Anything and everything can be too much for a new mother and newborn kittens. You have to be gentle with them.
Would you make too much noise with a human baby in the home? Probably not. So please, be mindful.
5. She doesn’t like the attention
Any mother would tell you that she doesn’t want too much attention right after being in labor. You may want to help and want to be there for your cat, but it’s really not necessary.
She can handle herself just fine. Sure, you can keep an eye on her, but constantly looking into her little shelter will make her feel unsafe, and she’ll move her kittens before you even realize what’s actually happening.
So, let her breathe. Once you see that everything is okay, don’t go and check on them every two seconds.
6. It’s too dirty
If your cat moves her kittens, there’s a chance she finds the place where she gave birth to be too soiled for her newborns.
Cats are extremely clean animals. They love to groom themselves and their kittens, so if you’re not able to provide them with a clean space, they will walk away and find something better.
Not to mention that a dirty space is a health hazard for kittens as well as adult cats.
How to stop my cat from moving her kittens
1. Keep their environment as safe and quiet as possible
Now that we’ve talked about the possible causes of your cat’s anxiety and why she’s moving her kittens, we can tackle the main question at hand: How to stop your cat from moving her kittens?
Well, firstly and most importantly, make her and the kittens feel safe around you. You won’t be able to achieve that if you constantly snoop around and make a noise. They need to rest and sleep.
I know they’re adorable and you want to snuggle them, but you need to leave them alone. Also, make sure that other people in your home respect this as well.
I know that you’re worried about them, but let them relax for a little while. Once your cat realizes there’s no threat, she won’t feel the need to move her babies.
2. Do NOT touch them
You know just as well as I do that cats are extremely sensitive to smell. Even though you’re her guardian and she feels safe with you, she may not feel safe with you touching her newborns.
She’ll smell you on them and may want to attack you or her kittens. You can’t expect your cat to rationalize this, as she’s a new mother and her instincts are telling her to take care of her babies at all costs.
If you need to change the blanket, then try doing so with as little contact with the kittens as possible. Just make sure you don’t do anything that will agitate the mom enough to move them somewhere where you won’t be able to find them.
3. Make sure her spot is clean…
How are you supposed to make sure that it’s clean if you’re not even allowed to touch the kittens?
Well, it’s quite easy. Make sure that the rest of your home is clean and smells nice. If your home isn’t taken care of properly, then your cat may even take her kittens somewhere outside.
You don’t want that, do you?
If she doesn’t attack you while you’re trying to change the towel underneath her that’s completely soiled from the delivery, then change it. Otherwise, wait for an opportunity when she steps out for water or food.
Please, this is a very hard time for your cat, so at least give her a clean environment to take care of herself and her kittens.
4. …and warm
If it’s cold, she’ll go out of her way to find a warmer spot. You may think that it’s not really necessary, but your cat would rather move her kittens in this fragile state than stay somewhere cold.
What can you do to provide her with extra warmth? Give her enough towels, a heated blanket, and even a red-light lamp if necessary. Those are the tiniest beans, and they need to feel warm.
5. Check on their health without much fuss
Your cat will despise the new-found interest in her and her new babies, so she’ll hate it when you come around to check on them every few minutes.
If you’re wondering how to stop your cat from moving her kittens, then you need to check on them in a non-intrusive way. You can’t just barge into their little safe space and create chaos. They’re sensitive.
So, rather than making a huge mess and disrupting their nap time, be gentle. You can call your vet for a house visit if you feel like something is off, but other than that, you shouldn’t touch her babies or move them too much.
If you do, then don’t be surprised once your cat starts moving her kittens to another spot every time you find them.
Read more: When To Worry: Why Does Mother Cat Move Only One Kitten?
