How to help a pregnant cat! - Pregnant cat care Kitten Care : Stages of Pregnancy in a Cat

How to help a pregnant cat! - Pregnant cat care  Kitten Care : Stages of Pregnancy in a Cat and How to Help Deliver Kittens

Let's talk about the stages of pregnancy for
a cat.
 A cat mother is called a queen and so after a queen becomes pregnant, basically
you don't see much going on. It takes about 65 days that is there gestation period before
they deliver those kittens plus or minus a
few days. 

So basically for those first weeks,
you don't really notice much going on. There
belly can stay about the same size that is,
but as those kittens are developing, toward
let's say 2 to 3 weeks before delivery is
when you're going to start seeing that abdomen
getting bigger, their appetite is generally
going to increase, the mammary tissue on the
belly, the belly side, is going to start becoming
swollen and start, there's going to be milk
production that is before those kittens are
delivered. 

So around 65 days is when delivery occurs and generally that is a natural process for most cats. 

Before this occurs though, one thing to keep in consideration is nutrition.
Their appetite does increase to allow for
those kittens to obviously grow and so feeding
your adult cat a kitten food starting about
two weeks before delivery is a good idea.

So check with your veterinarian clinic, they
can guide you through the nutritional process
and anything you should know about problems
that could arise during delivery as well.


How to Care for Cats : Diet Tips For Pregnant Cats

Pregnant cats and nursing mothers need a lot

more calories than an average indoor, sedentary household cat. So there's two things to remember; one is to feed a greater quantity to a pregnant or nursing mother. So feed her more food.

In this case, like a whole can...small can

of food, and some dry food at each meal. The

other important thing to do is to make sure

that you're feeding a very high-quality diet

to them. We often suggest that you feed kitten

food to the pregnant or nursing mom, just

to make sure that they get plenty of calories

and plenty of vitamins and minerals to sustain

themselves while they're not only maintaining

their own body weight, but they're providing

nutrition for the fetuses, or the nursing

kittens.

 Nursing moms need plenty of water,

because they're making milk for their babies.

So, they really need to make sure that they

have plenty of water, so you may want to actually mix extra water into their food, so that they'll get that extra liquid that they need in their diet.

How to Help Deliver Kittens.

If your mother cat is ready to pop, then these

tips can help you help her through the delivery

process.

You will need Cardboard box Shredded newspaper ,Old blanket Quiet, private, warm location ,Cat food ,Drinking water, Litter box Cat toys ,Gloves ,Warm water ,Clean towels ,Dental floss ,Petroleum jelly and veterinarian.

Step 1.

Prepare a delivery bed for your mother cat

with a roomy cardboard box with a top.

Cut a hole in the side big enough for the

mother to come and go and line the bottom

with newspapers.

Then cover the box with an old blanket.

Step 2.

Find a quiet, private, and warm spot for the

bed that the mother is familiar with.

The room should be equipped with food, water,

and a litter box, as well as any favorite toys.

Introduce the mother to her new maternity

bed well before she gives birth.

This will ensure she doesn't give birth on

your clothes.

Step 3.

Keep your cat away from other animals in the

late stages of her pregnancy -- mother cats

can be aggressive.

You also want her as relaxed as possible before

and during birth.

Step 4.

Give the mother space when she goes into labor.

You will be able to tell that she's in the

first stages of labor because she may start

pacing, make loud noises, and repeatedly attempt to use the litter box.

She may retire to her bed if she's comfortable

there.

However, if she chooses another spot, do not

try to move her.

Step 5.

Prepare the supplies once the mother goes

into labor.

Gather gloves, warm water, clean towels, dental

floss, and petroleum jelly.

Cat labor can last up to 12 hours, so make

sure you have plenty of everything.

Step 6.

Do not panic if your mother cat makes loud

noises while giving birth to the first kitten.

Kittens are usually born between 30 and 40

minutes apart.

Watch from afar if everything looks stable.

If the mother does not break the amniotic

sac, tear it using a clean towel; do not use

a sharp object.

The sac needs to be broken in order for the

kittens to breathe.

Step 7.

Assist cleaning the placenta from the kittens'

faces only if the mother does not do so herself.

Use a clean towel and wipe the membrane off

of the cat, going against the direction of

the hair growth with your gloved hands.

If the mother doesn't bite entirely through

the umbilical cord, tie the floss around the

cord an inch away from the kitten and cut

on the mother's side of the tie.

Don't cut the umbilical cord too close to

the kitten, and don't let the mother bite

it off too close to the kitten.

This can cause infection.

Step 8.

Use the petroleum jelly on the kitten's passage

if the mother has been straining for an hour

with no kitten emerging.

If at any point before, during, or after the

birth you notice strange behavior or have

medical concerns, contact your vet immediately.

Step 9.

Let the mother care for her kittens from this

point on.

Nature ensures that she knows her new job.

And if there are no medical concerns, sit

back and enjoy watching those tiny creatures

turn into playful wonders.

Did you know There are an estimated 6 to 8

million homeless animals entering shelters

in the U.S each year.