help help help please matter of life and death

[sooorowdy]

my cat who recently had 4 kittens on the 12th of this month is doing weird things... she moved each of her kittens to a differant spot, 2 of the spots were in the way, one in the middle of the floor and the other in the hall. because there are kids here these are unsafe places, another on was under a ber and the last was behind a dresser. I put gloves on and put each of the kittens back in the box they were originally in. was this the right thing? Ive always heard that a mother will abandon her kittens or kill them if they are messed with in any way.. PLEASE GIVE ME HELP!!!!

[Traci]

Momma kitty and babies need to be in a seperate room away from other pets, kids, and heavy traffic areas. She needs privacy, quiet, and the room needs to be free of drafts so the kittens don't get cold or shiver.

Dont handle the kittens too much and don't let the kids handle them until the kittens are old enough to support themselves (when they are crawling out of their box and able to support their heads, legs, body, etc). The mother may reject her kittens if they are handled excessively.

She moved them because she wants a safe, quiet place for privacy in which to care for and nurse her newborns. Keep this room quiet and private at all times (keep her food, water and litterbox with her)

[sooorowdy]

she took another one and moved it under another bed.. but just the one.. she has left the rest in the box... i dont know what to do.. they are all meowing and im like.. why isnt she going to her babies? how will i know if i need to start feeding them if she has stoped?? i just need a lot of help she used to feed them and lay with them a lot.

[sooorowdy]

maybe i will give her an hour or so and see if she is feeding them or something.. i dont know what to do and im sure not getting the help i need here.

[Traci]

If she is removing one from the rest of the litter, it could be that kitten is sick, so best thing to do is get them all to your vet for a quick checkup.

Again, make certain the room is quiet, safe, away from other pets and kids, etc. She may be severely stressed herself, and you need to know if she is producing enough milk for the kittens.....get her and babies to your vet ASAP, best to play it safe.

After the vet determines their health status, maybe move momma and babies to a smaller room, even a closet, as long as the door is left open, it's quiet and safe, and as long as she has a comfy bed (and safe for the kittens that they can't crawl out of), this may entice her to stay put and keep her newborns together.

Don't take risks, though, I strongly advise getting them all to your vet for an exam, if one happens to be sick, they will all come down with it.