Hey everyone,
I'm new here and really need some help. My partner and I adopted a female cat less than 4 weeks ago and yesterday we came home to 5 newborns sleeping in her throw rug.
This is a huge shock for us as we were assured she wasn't pregnant and she wasn't lactating or anything...
We both don't have any experience with new horns and would appreciate any advice we can get.
So far this morning I have noticed that one of the kittens is missing, could she possibly have eaten it?

Any help would be really appreciated.
Also we are currently looking after our friends kitten who has bone growth issues, does anyone know if it's a good idea to move him out of the house during this time?

Thanks so much

Goodness what a shock for you.

First of all she needs a quiet place for her family. There is no reason to remove the other kitten from the house but it should be prevented from coming into the area where you set her up with her family..... if she was disturbed she could have killed and eaten the kitten or the kitten could have taken the baby.

Do you have a quiet room? Perhaps get a large cardboard box - a BIG ONE -turn it on its side so that a mum cat can stretch out on her side and her kittens can feed and fold up her throw rug so that it can be a lining for the box. Quietly take mum and babies to the box. You can also semi cover the front of the box so she has a den....I used to set my girls up inside a built in wardrobe.....door open of course.

If she settles there she should remain quietly in that area if you move her foot, water and a scratch post etc near to it - also put her litter tray in the room somewhere away from the box. If she is used to going outside to relieve herself then take her outside twice a day for a short while.

She needs some good quality food - Kitten Food is best - it has extra protein, wet or raw food twice a day, maybe a little grated cheese - if she likes cheese - this provides extra calcium.

Actually mum cats will look after their babies on their own normally if they get a peaceful place to nurse them....she has not been with you very long and you don't say how old she is. If she has trouble getting her milk in because she is too young or another cause her babies will not gain weight but if they look nice and rounded and are feeding whenever you peep in they are probably fine. Pedigreed cat breeders would weigh the kittens at the same time each day but it is a balancing act not to disturb her - she needs time to bond.

One thing is that mum cats will call again while still nursing the kittens so take care that she does not go outside - this can be as early as 5 to 6 weeks of age kittens. You can get her desexed when you get the kittens desexed at around 10 weeks of age.....another is that mum cats will move their babies several times if they are disturbed - a primative instinct to avoid predators.....so it is better that she is confined so that you can control a little where she has her family.

Good luck - if you have any specific questions please sing out.

Thank you so much, she has nested herself in the other cats bed which is far too small for them all so I'll get a larger bed for her.
Jessi is about 18months old and she seems to be very attentive to the kittens so hopefully we won't have anymore surprises

Thanks again

That sounds good - feed her good quality food and hopefully with a bigger bed she will be pretty settled and stay that way - just keep the other young one somewhere else in the house.

I would not handle the kittens too much at this stage but certainly praise her and tell her what a good girl she is - fancy keeping that secret from you all.

did the missing kitten turn up? - sometimes one will wander off if they aren't secured in a box - they can then get hypothermia - or mum may start moving her brood to a safer spot - then stop - hide and seek kittens is not fun - have had them in bed linings, (under the mattresses) and under chests of draws and inside cupboards - hope it was found

Under mattresses?! Good lord!

where did you adopt her from?

If she is from a shelter, she should have been desexed (in which case the kittens probably would have been aborted), microchipped and vaccinated before being rehomed..

Also, just taking in someone's cat, isn't adopting.
Adopting is when there is an actual adoption process, with legal forms, just saying.