Has your cat recently given birth and is she keeping her kittens super close? You may ask yourself, “When will a mother cat bring her kittens out?” We have the answer for you!
Kittens are cute, playful, and cuddly, but they’re also very sensitive to the world around them. Mother cats know this, which is why they bring their kittens out on certain occasions when they can safely experience new things like sunshine and grass.
By the time these moments roll around, kittens prepare themselves to go outside and explore nature with their mother.
Here are some brilliant moments when a mother cat will bring her kittens out.
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When will a mother cat bring her kittens out?
The mother cat will bring her kittens out when they are around four weeks old. They will remain with her until they are around eight weeks old, at which time they should be ready to be separated and adopted.
They will be ready to venture out when they are eating solid food and are more confident in their ability to walk around without falling.
When Kittens Can Walk And Are Mobile
When a kitten is mobile enough to walk and explore, it already has experience interacting with its mom.
Mother cats spend plenty of time in play mode, encouraging their babies to learn how to pounce and swat at toys, run and jump, climb into small spaces, and so on.
When you see your kitty playing like crazy with a toy mouse or crumpled-up piece of paper, you can bet she was training a baby kitty too.
The process isn’t necessarily conscious, but definitely effective: being able to practice running away from mama is good preparation for real life as an independent adult cat.
To Clean Them
After birth, Mom licks away blood and placentas and then cleans them thoroughly. Although these 1- to 3-day-old babies can’t stand or crawl yet, they instinctively stretch their little necks to open their mouths in preparation for feeding.
But, unlike human mothers who hold their babies while they nurse, Mom has no hands; instead, she uses her warm tongue to clean them and stimulate their appetites.
The first taste of food is usually regurgitated milk from Mom’s nipples. Between feedings, she grooms each kitten with her rough tongue until it gets its bearings and makes its way to her nipple on its own.
While fur covers most kittens within a few days, some extra downy fur keeps them snug against cold nights that come before winter ends.
When They Want to Hunt
When the kitty feels hungry, she’ll hunt for any small prey she can catch. This happens more often during kittenhood, as they get older they’ll be able to hunt bigger prey.
They typically play like they’re playing tug-of-war with invisible objects in their playtime, and it helps develop their hunting skills.
While all baby animals are cute, there is something magical about seeing those paws pounce. Their eyes can just focus on that object of desire as if no one else matters.
They’ll chase after each other for that piece of string or toy until somebody loses interest and moves on. Sometimes you may find your little ones pawing at mom’s belly.
She might not notice it, but she may respond by gently swatting them away before continuing her cleaning or nest building duties.
If She Feels Threatened
When another animal comes too close to her nest, mom may feel threatened and gather her kittens as a way of protecting them.
If you see a Cat mom gathering her babies and staring at something or someone with an unfriendly expression, it’s time to back off and give them some space.
This will allow mom to feel safe enough to come out of hiding.
Be aware that if another person is approaching, she may not even notice you because she’s so focused on what’s in front of her.
If your presence makes her uncomfortable and she leaves, don’t follow her; let her go until she feels safe again.
It may take a while for things to return to normal even up to a day-but staying away from where mom and kittens are hiding, for now, should keep everyone feeling secure.
When it Rains
We all know cats love to curl up in boxes, but what happens when it’s raining? In short, they get wet!
While many new moms will leave their babies undercover until it’s stopped raining, you may be surprised to learn that there are other circumstances when she might pull them out and set them on top of her. Understanding these moments could save your cat’s life.
When a Kitten Has Been Separated From its Litter
It is important to note that you should never try to force a kitten out of hiding. They have very well-developed instincts for knowing when it is safe to come out, and if they are not able to leave on their own, it means there is something preventing them from doing so. If you try to force them out, they could become agitated and end up running back in.
During Playtime
All cats love to play, and so will your kittens. If you watch them closely, you’ll notice that they like to roughhouse around when they’re still very young; especially if it involves their mother.
They might even paw at her and nip at her feet as she goes about cleaning or grooming herself, just to get some attention from her! Playtime is an important bonding experience for all felines, but particularly so for mothers with their little ones.
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Final Thoughts
When will a mother cat bring her kittens out? At some point, she’ll bring her kittens out of their nest.
A mother cat may carry them out one at a time, or she may have to pick them up in her mouth and take them out herself.
How often she does it depends on what you provide for her, if there are too many opportunities for predators around, she may want to stay indoors with her babies until they’re older.
That means bringing them back inside at night when things get quiet, but otherwise leaving them be while they explore their new world!