Cat management
Children are excellent mothers and breeders. As a rule, they give birth and raise their young offspring without problems. Before the first year, they have their first zeal and can get pregnant if they are with a man. If you haven’t sterilized your cat, even if you’re a domestic cat, it’s likely that any leak from your home will get pregnant. In each pregnancy, cats can have between 1 and 6 puppies and may have more than one birth per year.
- Having a sandbox at home can be very rewarding and beautiful.
- But you also have to think about the number of abandoned animals.
- So it has to be a responsible decision.
- If you are your first cat or if you have never cared for kittens.
- This article will help you learn a little more about cat pregnancy.
If you think your cat is pregnant, keep reading this Animal Expert article where you’ll learn everything related to pregnancy and puppy birth.
Traditionally, the heat of cats occurred according to the seasons and times of the day. However, today, domestic cats can be hot most of the year. The first heat of a cat usually appears between 6 and 9 months, depending on each cat.
During heat, cats are restless, meow louder than normal and can rub their belly against the ground by tilting their hips upwards. It is during these days that it will attract the males from the region and try to leave the house to meet them. It is in these romantic encounters that we hear the typical crying of the cats that cross.
If you don’t want your cat to get pregnant, you should avoid leaving the house these days, but keep in mind that it will meow day and night until the heat passes. You have to be patient and wait a few days. Learn more about the heat of cats in our article.
If you don’t want your cat to have puppies, consider sterilization. During the rings, the cat suffers, especially if there is no copulation. If you want to know more about it, read our article on the benefits of cat sterilization.
Pregnancy in cats lasts approximately 2 months. Depending on each cat, this can vary between 60 and 67 days. Often we won’t know exactly when it was designed, so from 60 on we should expect delivery:
In the early stages of pregnancy, it can be difficult to detect. In addition, not all cats are the same, some pass pregnancy normally and others exhibit more obvious behavioral changes.
We need to be aware of the behavior changes, which may indicate the new status:
Starting in the fourth week of pregnancy, you may notice the physical changes caused by pregnancy:
The time of delivery will take place from the 60th day of pregnancy, but since it is often difficult to determine the time, it is important to prepare. We recommend that you consult your veterinarian for an ultrasound of the pregnant cat. This will help us know how many puppies are on the way, if there may be complications during childbirth, etc.
Cats often look for isolated, warm, calm, low-light areas to give birth. If your home has an attic or garage, the cat can choose a place to give birth. As a general rule, look for a place they like, you should observe it and choose a quiet place, away from the places where people can pass and where the cat spends the first few days after birth as quiet as possible. Some tips:
There are several indications that your cat will give birth in the next few hours:
Cats often have their babies without difficulty. After the mucous layer is expelled, it may take minutes or hours before the first puppy is released. However, it is not enough to prepare the emergencyt veterinarian’s phone number if you have decided to give birth at home. You also need to know what to do to help the cat give birth.
The mother helps the cubs remove them, licks them, and removes any leftover blood and placenta. With your teeth, cut the umbilical cord of each puppy.
It usually takes several minutes between the departure of one puppy and the next, but it is possible that all will leave in a row. In this case and if you find that the mother is very tired and can not take care of all the puppies, you can help her. Using a damp towel, gently clean the puppy. It is best for the mother to cut the cord, but if not, she can do so by placing two two-pointed laces on the umbilical cord, separated from the puppy’s belly, and carefully cutting with a few disinfected scissors.
Once all the puppies are gone, the cat will expel the placenta. If this is not the case, it can cause an infection. When expelled, the cat will eat it, is normal and also provides many more nutrients after delivery.
Sometimes a cat can take a whole night to give birth to all of its puppies. They can spend hours between them. It’s best to leave him alone during these hours and from time to time you can monitor to see if everything is okay.
If after night or all day you see that there are still puppies in there, but you have just gave birth, go to the vet with her. Sometimes they can give birth to dead puppies and it can take time to evict them.
Image: Playback / ? EuDavidThomaz
At birth, the cubs will look for their mother’s breasts for their first meal. If present, you can approach them to breastfeed. It’s better that in those first few hours you don’t take the puppies, take pictures of them or touch them. You’ll have time to play with them when they grow up, think the cat might turn them down.
The first meals are very important because the female in the days following delivery produces colostrum, a special milk full of nutrients and antibodies that will protect the puppies.
Many cats can get cranky if someone touches their puppies. With you your human companion is normal to feel comfortable but it is better for people who visit or do not know the cat, do not catch or enter the cat space during the first few days.
Your relationship with your cat will be strengthened these days. The cats are excellent mothers and you will enjoy it and puppies in a few days.
Puppies at birth cannot see or hear, they are very delicate and do not stray from their mother and siblings to warm themselves. From the first week of life or week and a half, they will start opening their eyes. Your eyesight will gradually improve and in 10 weeks you will be able to see perfectly.
The cat will take care of the puppies, just confirm that everything is ok. In a few weeks, your puppies will run around the house and start weaning from 3 weeks.
During pregnancy, they should maintain a balanced diet identical to the rest of the year but increase their amount from 25 to 35% especially from half of gestation. There are specific rations for pregnant women that will provide you with the necessary nutrients. It is recommended to always have food because at certain stages of pregnancy they usually eat little or vomit.
During the lactation period, the value of calories, protein and calcium should be higher. Cats store an amount of fat that will be used after birth to breastfeed their offspring. During this time, you may administer vitamin supplements. Consult your veterinarian to find out which one is best.
Weathing will take place approximately 3 weeks after the birth of the puppies.
Deworming is very important throughout your cat’s life but especially during pregnancy. You must ensure that your cat is free of internal and external pests. Otherwise, complications may occur during pregnancy and the infection of puppies at birth. In a baby cat, internal parasites can be very dangerous to health.
If you want to know more about it, check out our article on deworming in cats and find out how to protect your cat from parasites.
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