How to Care for Newborn Kittens - Toileting

1. Allow the mother cat to help her cats if she is around/able. If the mother cat is still around to help her cats use the bathroom, let her do her job. During the first few weeks of their lives, mother cats will lick their babies’ genital regions to help them urinate and defecate. Do not interfere when the mother cat is helping her babies like this.[11]

2. Help kittens urinate/defecate if necessary. If the mother cat is not around, you will need to help the kittens to urinate and defecate during their first few weeks of life. Use a wet washcloth or a piece of damp gauze to gently rub each kitten’s genital region until it urinates and/or defecates. Wash or discard the cloth immediately and dry the kitten off before putting him back in with his litter mates.[12]

3. Encourage litter box use at four weeks. At about four weeks, the kittens will be ready to start using the litter box. To encourage litter box use, place a kitten in the litter box after it has finished eating. When the kitten has finished using the box, put it back in with its litter mates and then put the next one in the box. Allow each kitten a few minutes to use the box after each meal.[13]

4. Watch for problems. If you notice that any of the kittens are not urinating or defecating when receiving help or when put into the litter box, then you should contact a veterinarian right away to find out what is going on. The kitten might be constipated or have a blockage that will need to be removed.[14]

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