Once you are satisfied that the queen has finished kittening, and she will usually clean herself thoroughly when she has, you should move her and her new family to a clean bed in the same warm, quiet room away from strong light. A kitten pen or a cardboard box covered over with blankets will provide a safe cave-like refuge. Remove the soiled towels, bedding and any placentas from the room. Offer her some food although she may not eat for several hours especially if she has eaten any of the placentas.

All done!You should also make sure that all of the kittens have had milk, especially any small ones. If you suspect that a kitten hasn’t fed, try rubbing its nose on one of the queen’s nipples: that usually has the desired effect. If the queen hasn’t got enough milk, applying warm towels to her tummy normally does the trick.

If a kitten just won’t feed, you should give it special artificial milk which can be obtained from the Vet. You can buy feeder bottles for this purpose but syringes are just as good once you get the hang of using them.

Finally, you should monitor the queen’s general health and her litter tray over the next couple of days to be sure she has emptied her bladder and bowels and that she doesn’t develop a discharge or a temperature.