mother and kittens

Question
hi - can you please advise - mother and 2 kittens - 3 weeks old - all been what seemed to be happy together in a quiet part of house then yesterday mum picked up kittens one a time and moved them to upstairs under the bed?? She then left them to themselves and returned downstairs - we found kittens cuddled together not making any sound as if they were told to be quiet! We had seen her pick them up during the day but were so surprised to find that she had hidden them? Is this odd behaviour - then the male cat has been trying to get to mums milk! any little hints and tips appreciated - many thanks

Answer
Hi
no this is completely normal behavior. Sometimes the mum cat can become anxious about her kittens and tries to put them in a safer place. this is completely normal and would happen in the wild all the time. She is just being a good mum and trying to keep her litter safe, especially if she has to leave them to go eat etc.

As for your male cat well again this is normal, sometimes a new cat mum gives off a scent which is similar to the mating scent and this can confuse the males. If he is confused he may be associating the smell with his own kitten hood and reverting to his previous behavior. try to dissuade him from getting to her nipple though as he may make them sore if he gets a nibble.

I have a page on my site about cat pregnancy and also one about kitten care which you may find of further information and help

/cat-pregnancy.html
/kitten-care.html

best wishes Kate