Summary
Choosing a space to care for a pregnant or nursing cat and her litter requires special considerations. This article discusses space options and how to set them up to make the queen and her kittens safe and comfortable.
It is best to place a pregnant queen or a queen with newborn kittens in a small, warm space with a door that can be shut.
- A bathroom is a good option. Ensure the toilet seat lid is down and all windows are preferably closed. If they must be opened for air circulation, be sure the screens are securely attached. Even so, we recommend opening windows only slightly so the queen cannot access, push out or tear through the screens.
- A large cage unit (with separate spaces for a living/eating area and litter box area) is another good option as it gives her space to move around and is easy to clean and disinfect should she present with an illness. See Basic Space Needs for Kittens for more information about space options.
Once in a secured space, the queen will need time to decompress and become accustomed to the sounds and smells of her new environment. Remember that a queen’s hormones are likely causing her to be especially needy or, after the kittens are born, protective, especially if she senses other animals in the home; a confined space will actually help her to feel secure and to relax. Provide easy access to food and water and a clean litter box with unscented NON-clumping litter.
If she has yet to give birth, set up one or more nest options for her in the small room:
- A box with soft bedding in it (avoid fabrics with loops) that you can later throw away is a nice option, as the birth process can be messy. If the queen already has kittens, provide her with a comfortable nest box with soft, non-loopy bedding and large enough for her to comfortably nurse the kittens. The sides of the box should be low enough to allow her to jump over them but high enough to prevent kittens from escaping.
- The bathtub is another good nest location. Close the drain, drape the shower curtain over its rod, and line the bathtub with soft bedding, without loops. Include a warming disk or a heating pad covered by some of the bedding. Put the queen’s food, water and litter elsewhere in the room, but not too far away. The queen can then hop in and out of the bathtub when she needs a break from the kittens.
Note: Queens have their own ideas about where their kittens will be safe, and they will move them there, even if you disapprove of the chosen spot. You may think you can override her choice by moving kittens back to where you want them to be: no, you will likely not win this battle. Thus, the fewer options she has for hiding places, the better for you and the kittens.
