Cat Care During
Pregnancy
You should be able to tell if
your cat is pregnant about 21 days after mating. You'll see swollen nipples
and they'll be deep pink. If you find these signs, then your cat is
pregnant, and you should change her diet to suit. If you are unsure you
should contact a vet, or the stud owner, who will be used to pregnant cats.
When you are sure your cat is
pregnant you should start giving your cat vitamin supplements; she will
probably have more than one kitten growing inside of her, so she will need a
lot of help. Extra calcium will help with the development of the kittens
bones. Your vet should be able to suggest compound powders that will fill
all her nutritional needs. And if this is necessary, the vet will give you
guidance on how long you should continue this for. Experienced breeders have
also found that giving their cats raspberry leaf from the fifth week until
the week after kittening can help their cat.
The gestation period for cats is
sixty-five days, although this may vary by a day or two. Unless you cat is
distressed, there is no need to worry if she does not give birth on exactly
the sixty-fifth day. Your cat will probably start nesting a few days before
she gives birth; the place your cat decides to do this may be very
inconvenient for you, it may be a draw, the linen cupboard, or somewhere she
finds comfortable. If you can, provide your cat with a comfortable box that
she can nest in, this can be a cardboard box. A kitten pen is ideal, if you
borrow one, make sure to disinfect it thoroughly before use.
Line the box with alternate
layers of cotton fabric and newspaper; kittening can be very messy and the
kittens will need to be warm and dry. By layering the kittening box you can
remove soiled bedding after the arrival of each kitten.
We have sourced an excellent
guide on caring for your cat during pregnancy. "Take Care Of Your Pregnant
Cat". This guide will tell you about your cats heat cycle, how to tell if
she is pregnant, what can go wrong, your cats behaviour changes, the best
food, colors of the kittens, making a comfortable nest, preparing your cat
for the delivery and much more.
You can find out more about this
great cat pregnancy guide here.
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