How Long To Cats Stay Pregnant

Avoid Medication And Vaccinations

Vaccinations should be done prior to the gestation period, so that antibodies are already present and can be passed on to the kittens via the mothers milk. The same goes for de-worming: This should also be done before the mating season, so that the little ones dont get infested through the mothers milk. De-worming therapies and medications: Ideally, a cat should be de-wormed prior to a pregnancy. If not, this should happen during gestation at the latest, so that the milk is worm free and there is no danger of infestation of the kittens via the mother. Never medicate or treat your cat without consulting the vet who will be able to advise you on the correct medication suited for pregnant animals.

How Can You Tell When A Cat Is About To Give Birth

When a cat is about to give birth, you will be able to feel the kittens moving when touching your cats abdomen. Shortly before giving birth, a cat in labor will appear restless, hide or stop eating. For more about cat labor, we recommend reading our article where we discuss how long does it take for a cat to give birth.

In preparation for queening or a cat giving birth, the cat will become very restless and very vocal. Often a queen will dig around the queening box as if nesting and will lose interest in food. These signs may indicate birth will occur within 24 hours. If any of the following situations occur, the cat needs immediate veterinary care:

Pregnant Cat Care: The Final 3 Weeks

Feeding the Mother

Now is the time your pregnant cat needs more nutrition.

But its also when the kittens are getting big and squashing her stomach, making it hard for Mom to eat large meals.

So feed her kitten food in lots of small meals spaced over the day. The stomach pressure will make her unlikely to overeat, so give her the amount she can clear at each sitting.

Preparing for Birth

Now is the time to provide a nesting box and get your cat used to it so its a go-to spot when she goes into labor.

Also, plan ahead and get a birthing kit ready. This should include a flashlight , paper and pen and the vets phone number .

And last but not least: Chill.

Try not to stress so she can have a peaceful pregnancy and smooth birth.

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What Should I Do To Be Sure That Breeding Is Successful

Breeding cats is different from breeding dogs. The female can be bred at any time during her active phase of her heat cycle because cats are induced ovulators. This means that the act of breeding stimulates the ovaries to release eggs. Therefore, eggs are only released from the ovaries when the sperm are deposited in the reproductive tract. To ensure that ovulation occurs, most female cats require three to four matings within a 24-hour period. All that said, it has been shown that 35-60% of cats in a colony may spontaneously ovulate. Once ovulation has occurred, the female cat will go out of heat within a day or two.

Abnormalities Of The Second Stage

Secondary inertia arises after prolonged second-stage labour, and may be associated with obstructive dystocia, muscle fatigue, or excessive pain. Obstructive dystocia may occur for many reasons, but probably the most common causes are maternal pelvic malformation following a pelvic fracture, and foetal malpresentation/malposition/malposture. Interrupted labour, as already described, is definitely not an inertia, as the cat is manifestly normal, labour recommences normally, and kittens are born alive and normal. An important point of difference between the two is that secondary inertia follows previous difficulty or delay and the cat is often restless and exhausted.

Foetal malpresentations, malpositions and malpostures may all lead to dystocia. Presentation indicates which way round the foetus is coming , position indicates which way up it is and posture indicates the placing of the head and limbs . Some people believe that foetal malpresentation in cats rarely causes dystocia, except when combined with other problems such as poor cervical relaxation or relative foetal oversize. However, others have found foetal malpresentation to be the most common cause of dystocia of foetal origin, while relative foetal oversize was very rare.

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Check The Weight Of The Kittens

You have weighed the little ones right after they were born that was their start weight.

They should have doubled in weight after a week approximately. If you weigh the kittens daily and always at the same time, you can monitor their weight gain sufficiently. Gaining 10 to 20 g per day is normal, while it can also sometimes be less or stagna25 suddenly doesnt gain weight for two days or even loses some, you should monitor it more closely and consult the vet. Sometimes, a kitten is neglected or not looked after by the mother cat, or there is simply not enough milk for all. Then, you need to jump in and feed the little one every two hours. Do not forget to lightly massage belly and butt after the meal to trigger digestion.

How Do I Revive A Non

• Tear the membranes from the nose, wipe the nose, open the mouth, tilt the kitten’s head down and clear away any fluids.

• If the umbilical cord has not broken on delivery, tear it an inch from the kitten and remove the bulk of the membranes. Complicated cutting and tying of the cord are unnecessary. The queen would chew through it, providing a blunt crushing action to prevent bleeding you can do the same thing by tearing it between your first two fingers and thumb.

• If the kitten is not breathing, or if it was delivered tail first and possibly inhaled fluid, it is necessary to clear debris and fluid from the air passages The back of the mouth can be suctioned using a pediatric bulb syringe or Argyle DeLee mucus trap to clear away fluids while the kitten is rubbed vigorously. Swinging kittens to remove fluid is no longer recommended as it can cause severe brain trauma. The color of the kitten’s tongue is a reliable indicator of success. If the kitten is receiving sufficient oxygen, the tongue will be pink if not it will have a bluish tint.

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Kitten Development Stages What To Expect

Your cat just had kittens and youre thinking, Now what?

Kittens go through rapid development for the first 12 weeks and will require attention, veterinarian visits, socialization and much more.

Review the week-by-week details below to find out how the kitten development stages progress and what your responsibilities will include.

How Many Kittens Make A Litter

The number of kittens per litter varies. One two or up to five kittens enter the world at once, sometimes even six! This depends on the breed as well as on the mating ritual:When did the female mate and with how many partners?

If the cat decides to mate again during the first three weeks of the gestation period, further fertilisation is well possible.

For that reason, kittens of the same litter often vary a lot from different fur and eye colour through to individual stages of development at birth.

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Feline Labor And Delivery

This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Should I Breed My Cat

Allowing your cat to have kittens can be a special experience. And, its understandable youd want to have more generations of kitties related to your furry best friend. The decision to breed should not be taken lightly, though.

Make sure youre ready to handle all aspects of keeping your cat and her kittens healthy, including potential pregnancy complications and numerous veterinary visits. Researching the time and monetary commitment may help you decide if its right for you.

Another thing to consider: 3 million pets are euthanized in shelters in the US every year.

So, its very important to find good homes for all of your cats babies. And, even when you do find homes, remember, thats one less home available for a kitty in a local shelter.

For all these reasons, its generally recommended to spay a cat rather than breeding but if youre not sure, our vets can help you make an informed decision.

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Potential Cat Pregnancy Problems

Not every pregnancy in a cat goes as planned, and there are some risks involved that you should be prepared to address with a trip to the nearest animal emergency facility.

• Eclampsia is a life-threatening condition with symptoms such as restlessness, pacing, panting, drooling, loss of coordination, muscle spasms or seizure-like movements.
• Secondly, the fetuses can abort naturally. Signs that this may have happened may include fever, bleeding, behavioral changes or other changes.
• Lastly, resorption occurs when the mothers body absorbs the dead fetus.

Any of these situations are serious and need to be addressed by a vet immediately.

Here Are The Most Important Factors To Consider

Is your cat expecting? these are exciting times for you both!

But not to worry Cats intuitively know how to manage and are pretty self-sufficient for the most part. However, you can help the future mum to be as comfortable as possible and help her with the task of delivering healthy kittens into this world. What is the duration of a cats pregnancy? What is a perfect birthing box and what will the event itself look like?Many questions will come to mind when you have not experienced this before.

This is why we have collected all the necessary information here for you on what a pregnant cat needs and what important factors should be considered a digital birth preparation so to speak!

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When Is The Best Age To Neuter A Cat

In a study published in February 2004 by the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, researchers reported that there were very few risks associated with early-age neutering and many benefits. They did find, however, that cats who were neutered early, defined as under the age of 5 months, were more prone to shyness and hiding.

How Do I Know If My Cat Is Pregnant

20th August, 2019

Whether youre a new parent to your fur baby or youve had your kitty cat for a few years, youll know just how precious they are. One thing is for sure though, if you have a female cat and shes yet to be spayed its important to be able to tell if she has become pregnant or not. You may be purposely breeding her or it might be a total accident but, either way, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for.

If you do find that your little tabby is indeed expecting, then its handy to know just how to take care of a pregnant cat. Just be aware that very few cat insurance providers do not cover a pregnancy related illnesses, and may even cancel a cover if a cat has 2 or more pregnancies.

Did you know…

Did you know that a pregnant cat is called a queen? Its a moniker youll probably come to agree with once you experience her demands throughout pregnancy. Your little queen is likely to become more vocal or ask for affection to seek comfort or due to discomfort from her growing belly and potential false labour contractions.

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Postpartum Depression In A Cat

Theres not much written on the subject.

As someone pointed out in an online discussion, we still dont really understand it in humans. Whether animals can suffer postpartum depression depends on how you define postpartum depression. Technically speaking, the current clinical definition only applies to humans, so a clinicians answer would be no.

But one woman in the same forum talked about how her affectionate young female cat turned into a little ghost-cat after her kittens were born: I cant give her a cuddle now, she just walks away or hear her purr, just feel it in her chest.

Another person who worked in a shelter had dealt with a mother cat who went from very sweet to psycho kitty in nanoseconds, and this was after her kittens had been taken away so that they could be socialized. The cats hormones finally settled down after spaying, and she reverted to her sweet self.

After losing her own babies, this cat adopted rescued kittens:

Dr. Thomas Morganti, DVM, of the Avon Veterinary Clinic in Connecticut doesnt see why postpartum depression should apply only to humans.

As the kittens are weaned, the oxytocin levels drop because the mothers not nursing anymore. And oxytocin is the hormone of love, he says.

He believes that postpartum depression happens in all species. Its just that the changes are subtle. Somebody else might not notice it, but you might in your own cat.

It would also explain Rivers behavior, Kathie feels.

Feeding Your Pregnant Cat

Your queen wont just be eating for two each litter tends to have an average of 4-6 kittens. With so many mouths to feed, it goes without saying that she may need a little extra in her bowl each day food intake can quadruple in this time. Shell need to be fed small meals several times throughout the day and should have access to fresh water at all times. During her pregnancy you can leave dry kitten food out for her to graze on.

Pregnant cats dietary requirements differ to their non pregnant diet. Your pregnant cat will need extra protein and energy. As soon as youve confirmed your cat is pregnant, switch them from their normal adult cat food to a kitten food. Kitten food is packed with extra calories and the nutrients your queen needs to keep herself and her kittens healthy. If youve not tried Scrumbles, our high quality natural kitten food also includes a probiotic to keep their digestive system happy and boost their immune system. And most importantly keep those poos in check.

As with any food change, make sure you transition over a period of 7-10 days to keep her sensitive stomach happy. You should continue feeding a kitten formula until her kittens have been weaned off her milk.

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What Changes Should You Make To Your Cats Diet During Pregnancy

During her pregnancy, your cat needs food thats formulated to support growthor, in other words, kitten food. Queens should be fed kitten food during the entire pregnancy and while she is nursing her kittens, says Dr. Christman.

But the biggest change in your cats diet during pregnancy will have less to do with what she eats and more to do with how much she eats. During pregnancy the female cats food consumption increases and will reach approximately 1.5 times her level before she was pregnant, says Dr. Christman. At the end of the nursing period, her food consumption may exceed twice her pre-pregnancy amount.

When Cats Reject Their Kittens

One of the most heartwarming sights imaginable is that of a cat blissfully kneading the air while her newborn kittens nurse.

Most cats are naturally good mothers, writes Betty Lewis. In most cases Mom will provide pretty intensive care for her babies during the first 3 weeks of their lives, when theyre at their most vulnerable.

So, if you come across kittens without their mother, dont automatically assume that the mom cat has rejected her kittens and abandoned them.

Cat moms are always on the lookout for new hiding places. Also, theyre more inclined to take breaks as their babies get older. This is true of most stray and feral mothers, too.

Do not scoop the kittens up right away.

If you move the kittens, Lewis says, she wont be able to find them when she returns.

So, wait. And check that the kittens are basically clean, alert and nestled close together, Lewis says. This is an indication that Mom is in the middle of important business and that shell be back soon enough.

But if the kittens look scrawny, sickly and not groomed, the odds are good that something has happened to Mama.

Then and only then do you step in.

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Pregnant Cat Food For The Second Trimester

The second trimester is when the cat is 4-7 weeks pregnant. In the second trimester, the female cat begins to ask for food outside of her mealtimes. You can start giving wet food as extra nutrients at night. In other words, combine the two types of food.

In addition, you should also consider its fluid intake. If the cat drinks in large quantities, thatâs good. However, if you see cats rarely drink with tongues always sticking out, you can give wet food a larger portion. Wet food contains more water. So, the need for the fluids of a pregnant cat will be fulfilled.

Cat Pregnancy Stages: A Week

• Fact Checked

It seems as though cats get pregnant easily and often. Neutering and spaying your pets are very important in keeping the population under control and reducing how many kitties end up in shelters, on the streets, or euthanized.

Plus, cats that have been neutered or spayed are often healthier. However, things happen, and cats do have kittens, whether you plan for it or it just happens.

When your pet is conceiving, you may be wondering how long your cat will be pregnant, and what the cat pregnancy stages are from week to week. Hopefully, this brief guide will help give you some ideas on what to expect when your feline is pregnant.

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