kittens will leave the nesting box on there own. do u have the momma or are u bottle feeding them ? they dont need to be in the dark at all times. I definetly dont suggest using a heating pad as it can over heat and burn there little tummies.
I agree be VERY careful with heating pads. I used a homemade rice pad and put a heating pad under it. I only kept it on for about 3 hours and then turned it off. Rice helps keep in heat. If you have momma, you need not worry about extra heat.
But yes kitties will come out on their own. I don't know about keeping them in the dark all the time. Never heard that. If they're on the bottle, I feel them in a fairly well lit area so I can see when they go potty and then put them back in the dark (dark meaning covered area...not pitch black.)
kittens will leave the nesting box on there own. do u have the momma or are u bottle feeding them ? they dont need to be in the dark at all times. I definetly dont suggest using a heating pad as it can over heat and burn there little tummies.
yea they are about three weeks old, they are already walking around the box and have the eyes open the walking is getting less and less shaky every day. They are now starting to play with each other a little bit.Congrats on the little fuzzballs!
I agree with Blacksheep about the rice pads. When I had kittens I stuffed old socks with rice and sewed or tied the tops. Every few hours I heated them up in the microwave, and if it is too hot you can cover it with a washcloth or another sock so they don't get burned. Make sure you put the heating pad or rice pads on one side of the box only. This way, if a kitten gets too hot they can move away from it. As they get older they won't need any extra heat, usually around the same time that they are ready to leave the nest to play.
As far as playtime, the kittens will let you know when they are ready to leave the nest and explore. It won't be for a while yet, but when they begin to walk and their eyes are open. They won't spend as much time huddled together, and they may begin walking the perimeter of the box looking to get out and investigate =]