Setting Up a Nursery for Queens and Their Kittens

If you’ve got pregnant Queens in your cattery, it’s time to roll out the red carpet, honey—because these girls are about to become full-on moms, and they deserve nothing but the best. Setting up a nursery isn’t just about tossing a bed in the corner and calling it a day. It’s a strategic move that protects your kittens’ health, reduces stress for momma, and helps you stay organized and in control during those chaotic early weeks.

Having a dedicated space for your kittens is essential in your cattery design. Setting up your kitten room and nursery is fun and exciting!! Here are some tips to help you setup your space that will be safe and cozy for both the Queen and her kindle.

Why You Need a Dedicated Nursery

A dedicated nursery is one of the most important investments you can make in your cattery. It creates a clean, controlled environment where your Queen can feel safe, calm, and protected during one of the most vulnerable times of her life—giving birth and raising newborn kittens.

Separating her from the rest of the household or cattery helps reduce stress, minimize exposure to pathogens, and gives you full control over sanitation and temperature. It also allows you to monitor the kittens closely in those critical first weeks, making sure they’re nursing, gaining weight, and thriving. Without a proper nursery, you’re risking chaos, cross-contamination, and unnecessary stress on your Queen—and nobody’s got time for that.

A proper nursery isn’t optional—it’s critical for:

• Cleanliness and infection control – Separating newborns from adult traffic cuts down risk of pathogens.
• Monitoring – You’ll need to weigh, feed, and track each kitten daily in those first few weeks.
• Stress reduction – Queens feel safer when they have their own space to bond with their babies.
• Emergency access – Having a dedicated setup makes it easier to intervene if a kitten needs help.

Room Setup: What Your Queen Needs

Your Queen needs more than just a soft bed—she needs a peaceful, private space that supports her physically and emotionally through labor, birth, and motherhood. At minimum, she needs a quiet room where she can feel secure, away from the noise and traffic of the rest of the home or cattery.

She’ll need easy access to fresh water, high-calorie food, and a litter box placed far from the nest. The room should be warm (but not hot), softly lit, and free of strong smells or disruptions. When your Queen feels safe and cared for, she can fully relax and focus on her kittens—which leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.

Let’s start with the room itself. Here’s what to consider when choosing and prepping your nursery:

Ideal Location

• A quiet room away from the main flow of the house or cattery.
• No strong drafts, direct sun, or high-traffic noise.
• Keep it climate controlled—aim for 75-80°F (24-27°C) for the first 2–3 weeks.

Flooring & Surfaces

• Hard, non-porous flooring is a must (tile, vinyl, sealed concrete).
• Avoid carpet like the plague—it’s a germ hotel.
• Use washable pee pads or machine-washable rugs for traction and warmth.

Sanitation Station

• Set up a small shelf or cart stocked with:
  • Gloves
  • Paper towels
  • Pet-safe disinfectant (like Rescue™)
  • Trash can with lid
  • Laundry hamper for soiled linens

Whelping Box & Bedding

This is the Queen’s throne—treat it like one. Her whelping box should be clean, cozy, and enclosed enough to make her feel like she’s in a safe den. Here’s a fun DIY Tutorial for a Whelping box.

Whelping Box Must-Haves

• Low-entry front so she can enter easily, but high enough to contain kittens.
• Covered or semi-enclosed to give her that cave-like privacy.
• Easy to clean—no ornate wicker baskets that absorb fluids.

Bedding Ideas

• Several layers of:
  • Absorbent pads (washable or disposable)
  • Soft fleece or flannel blankets
• Rotate and wash daily for the first 2 weeks. Yes, DAILY. Welcome to motherhood.

Lighting & Monitoring Tools

You don’t need a full hospital setup, but a few tools make a huge difference:

• Camera monitor – So you can peek in without disturbing her.
• Digital scale – For tracking kitten weights twice daily.
• Heating pad – Under half the box (set on low and covered!) so kittens can choose warm or cool.
• Nightlight – Queens prefer low light when nesting.

What Else to Include in the Room

Here’s your go-to list of extras that make your life easier:

• Litter box – Away from the nest. Low sides for easy access post-birth.
• Water bowl or fountain
• Food station – With high-calorie wet and dry food options.
• Notebook or whiteboard – To track weights, nursing status, and any interventions.

Pro Tip: Keep a baby scale, thermometer, and colostrum on hand for emergencies. Better to have it and not need it.

What NOT to Do

Please, for the love of clean catteries everywhere, avoid these rookie mistakes:

• Using carpeted closets or under-the-bed spaces.
• Letting visitors into the nursery before 6 weeks.
• Letting the Queen roam freely right after birth—she needs confinement to focus and bond.

Quick Tips for Success

• Give her access to the nursery a few days before her due date so she can nest.
• Keep visitors (including other cats) 100% OUT.
• Don’t panic if she moves the kittens in the first 24 hours—just make sure they’re warm and nursing.
• If she’s not cleaning or feeding, be ready to step in fast.

Get the Training and Support That You Need

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Not only this, you’ll also get access to:

• Step-by-Step Training Courses about Breeding Cats
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• Unlock TikTok For Your Cattery with the course on Viral Video Creation
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• Exclusive Deals on SpaySecure and Sensei Store
• Monthly “Members Only” Training Calls

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Here’s a summary of the setup changes that you’ll discover when raising a litter of kittens:

Newborn – 3 Weeks Old

From birth to about 3 weeks old, the kittens will stay put. Their days and nights consist of eating, getting a bath and sleeping. They don’t get into much mischief and mom does all of the heavy lifting by taking care of them.

After 3 weeks of age, they start to wander around their box and become more curious. They might start trying to climb out at this age. You’ll be moving to something with higher sides soon, if they’re able to escape.

3 Weeks Old – 6 Weeks Old [Litter Training]

During this phase the kittens are learning to play, interact with each other more, and explore more of their environment. They will leave the “nest” and start wandering around on their own.

This is a good time to introduce low-sided litter pans for them, even if they’re not interested yet. All of the sudden – usually around 4 weeks old, you’ll notice that they’re starting to use the litter on their own. Some litters are easier to train than others.

Be sure that you’re giving the kittens plenty of litter boxes in their kitten room and that the pans are shallow enough for a little kitten to get in and out of. You can use the boxes that the case of kitten food comes in! 🙂

There are some other awesome tips about litter training in the podcast episode. Be sure to listen in!

Phase 3: Big Kittens

By 6 or 7 weeks old, the kittens should be litter trained and ready to be big boys and girls. This means lots of toys, things to climb on, and boxes and tunnels to hide in. At this age, they’re usually not contained anymore and are running around like wild banshees.

Be careful about the height of your cat trees, since babies have no fear. They love to jump from high places and chew on everything in sight. The episode goes into more detail about things you can do and the appropriate height for kitten trees.

Final Thoughts

Setting up a nursery isn’t just about logistics. It’s about showing respect to the mother cat and giving her a calm, clean, empowered space to raise the next generation of fluff balls. When done right, your nursery becomes the heart of your cattery.

You’re not just breeding kittens—you’re building a reputation. And that starts at birth.