Care of Newborn Kittens

The mother and her kittens should be left alone for at least the first 3 days. Restrain your enthusiasm and desire to handle them until they are at least a week old. keep the box in its dark location until the kittens have had their eyes open a few days - about 2 weeks. The mother will take care of all the kittens' needs - feeding, cleaning and toilet training for the first 4 to 8 weeks. You may want to purchase a litter box with lower sides so the kittens can climb in and out of it easily. As the kittens begin to toddle around on their own, they may nibble at her food. When they are about 4 weeks old, start offering them a dish of easy on the gums canned food or dry food moistened with water or mother's milk substitute (available in pet shops). The kittens will be waned and eating an entirely solid diet between 7 and 10 weeks.

Kittens will be ready for adoption when they are 8 weeks old. Either you or the kitty's new family should take the cat to the vet for a checkup and vaccinations. If you do not already have homes for the kittens, the Animal Protection Institute of America recommends that you advertise them "for sale" rather than "for free." People who want kittens for other purposes than pets may be discouraged by a price tag, even a small one. Also, its a good practice to interview prospective owners before letting the kitten go to make sure he will have a responsible loving home.

Cat delivery

Labor and Delivery

There are a number of signs to let you know when your queen is about to give birth.

• Nesting
• Decreased activity
• Milk discharge from the nipples
• Restlessness
• Calling as if in heat
• Licking of the vaginal area

Even if you know when she is ready to give birth about the best you can do is to protect her quiet and privacy. Keep fresh water and food nearby. Mover her litter box to an easily accessible spot, but not too close to the maternity area. Just before the first kitten is delivered she'll start to pant heavily. As soon as it arrives, she will clean the envelope that covers it away, and lick the newborn vigorously to stimulate its circulatory and respiratory systems. Then she'll usually eat the afterbirth. Don't interfere with this process: it contains nutrients she needs. Between kittens she may get out of her box and walk around or eat and drink a little. Kittens may arrive a few minutes to a couple of hours apart. Then entire birthing process can take from 2 to 6 hours depending on the number of kittens, age of the mother, and whether or not this is her first litter.

Your assistance won't be needed or desired unless the mother fails to clean the fluid-filled sac away. In that case, puncture the sac with your fingers and remove all matter from around the kittens face and nostrils with a piece of sterile cotton. Tie sterile string around the umbilical cord about 1 inch from his body. Cut the cord on the side of the knot away from the kittens body. Dip the end of the cord in a small amount of iodine. Give the baby immediately to the mother to lick. If she refuses rub the kitten vigorously yet gently with a dry towel.

When to Seek Veterinary Care

Chances are that your pregnant cat will have a completely normal pregnancy and delivery. However, there are times when you need to seek veterinary care.

• A delay of greater than 3 hours between the kittens
• A kitten lodges in the birth canal that cannot be gently removed
• The mother is in hard labor with abdominal contractions for greater than an hour with no signs of a kitten
• Greenish discharge or excessive bright red bleeding (if at any time after birth you see a greenish foul smelling discharge call the vet immediately)
• The mother appears weak or sick
• A placenta is not seen for each birth.

Care of Pregnant Cat

The first thing you should do if you suspect your cat is pregnant is take her to the vet for a prenatal check-up. The queen should continue to have exercise in order for her to keep muscle tone and to avoid gaining too much weight. Assuming you have a healthy cat, the best care you can give her is a diet high in nutrients, along with plenty of fresh, clean water. Approximately 3 weeks before she is due begin adding a premium kitten food to her diet. Each week increase the amount of the kitten food, so when she is in her final week of pregnancy, she is on all kitten food, and continue on it until after the kittens have been weaned. Feed small, frequent meals (approx. 3-4 meals a day). During the last week of pregnancy and the first 3-4 weeks of lactating, she may eat twice the amount she ate before pregnancy. As long as she is gaining a healthy amount and not becoming obese, she should receive the food.

If she has external parasites such as fleas or ear mites or internal parasites such as roundworms, discuss treatment options with your veterinarian. It would be preferable to treat her for these infections before she becomes pregnant. You should never administer any drug or supplement to a pregnant or nursing cat unless instructed by your veterinarian. This is especially important during pregnancy, where relatively safe and common drugs can be harmful.

A week or two before the kittens are to be born, you can prepare a delivery box for the birth of the kittens. You can use an old laundry basket lined with towels, or you can make one out of a cardboard box. It should be large enough for her to stretch out in with a little room to spare. Leave the top on so it's dark inside, but slit the edges on three sides so it hinges open. Cut an entrance in one end from the top of the box to within five inches of the bottom. That way mom can step over the edge to get in, but the kittens can't spill out. Put lots of shredded newspaper in the bottom and cover it with a soft towel or baby blanket. Place the box in a quiet spot away from traffic and drafts. Though you have done your best, when the time comes, she may decide not to use the box. During the final three weeks of pregnancy the mother should be separated from other cats in the household and should be kept indoors at all times.

Length of Pregnancy and Number of Kittens

How long does pregnancy last and how many kittens will by cat have are two of the most common questions cat owners have. The regular gestation period for cats is between 58 and 65 days, or approximately 9 weeks. A queen (pregnant cat) may have anywhere from 1 to 8 kittens at a time. The average being 2 to 5 kittens. Your veterinarian may be able to estimate the number of kittens felt on palpation of the abdomen during examination. Your vet may also perform and ultrasound to verify the pregnancy and count the number of kittens.

What Happens Before And After Cat Pregnancy?

How to tell your cat is pregnant?

Unless you’re breeding your cat chances are you won’t know your cat is pregnant until she is well along in the gestation period. The mother doesn’t begin to bulge noticeably until a couple of weeks before delivery time. Here are a few signs and symptoms you may see if your cat is pregnant:

• Nipples will begin to enlarge and become more soft and pink (this is the #1 sign)
• Weight gain, especially around the mid-section
• Increase in appetite, this usually occurs close to birth
• Some cats may become more affectionate than usual
• Cats may also exhibit morning sickness
• Nesting activity begins

Take a walk with our cat

Jalan-Jalan

Meskipun tidak umum, adalah mungkin untuk membawa anak kucing Anda berlibur. Bagaimanapun, jika bepergian menggunakan mobil, hal yang paling penting untuk dipertimbangkan adalah keselamatan penumpang lainnya di dalam mobil dan anak kucing Anda.

Kapanpun Anda membawa anak kucing Anda, dia sebaiknya ditempatkan di dalam kandang bawaan yang kokoh, yang ditempatkan cukup banyak koran atau selembar handuk di bawahnya. Tempat bawaan kucing yang baik adalah kandang yang terbuat dari plastik atau kawat, bisa didapat di toko-toko binatang piaraan dan klinik dokter hewan, atau tas bawaan yang lembut.

Kucing Anda dapat merasa lebih nyaman jika kandang tersebut ditutup dengan kain tipis dan pastikan menggunakan sabuk pengaman untuk mengikat kandang ke kursi. Jika Anda merencanakan perjalanan yang lebih panjang, Anda butuh mempertimbangkan kandang yang lebih besar yang mempunyai cukup ruang untuk kotak kotoran kecil dan juga tempat air.

Jika Anda tiba di tempat tujuan, sebaiknya anak kucing Anda tetap di dalam ruangan selama mungkin untuk menghindari perkelahian dengan kucing setempat atau usahanya mencari jalan pulang.

JANGAN PERNAH meninggalkan kucing Anda di dalam mobil tanpa pengawasan, meskipun hari sedang dingin, karena suhu di dalam mobil dapat mencapai tingkat yang membahayakan bagi anak kucing Anda.

Cat Toys

Alat Bermain

KESENANGAN

Anak kucing suka sekali bermain. Kenyataannya, bermain merupakan bagian penting bagi kesehatan dan kesejahteraan anak kucing Anda karena hal itu menjadikan otak mereka terangsang dan membuat badan mereka tidak berlemak dan gesit. Bagaimanapun, sebagaimana manusia, anak kucing dapat menjadi bosan, khususnya jika mereka tinggal sendirian di rumah selama Anda pergi bekerja atau bersekolah. Akibatnya, kebanyakan anak kucing membuat "kesenangan" mereka sendiri yang kadang-kadang dengan memasuki benda tertentu yang seharusnya tidak boleh mereka lakukan.

Ini beberapa hal sederhana yang dapat Anda lakukan agar kucing Anda tidak bosan.

Mainan

Anak kucing sangat menyukai mainan - kenyataannya hanya berupa benda apapun yang bergerak, mencicit, atau berlompatan akan membuat anak kucing Anda betah tinggal berjam-jam! Mainan harus cukup kecil untuk anak kucing Anda agar mudah didorong-dorong, tetapi cukup besar agar tidak ditelan. Bola ping-pong, gumpalan bola kertas, atau rol toilet kosong merupakan mainan ideal.

Rol bekas kertas pembungkus dengan benang warna-warni panjang; bekas tempat lipstik; bola tenis bekas atau bahan kain seperti kaus kaki bekas juga merupakan mainan yang mengasyikkan.

Bagaimanapun, penting untuk diingat bahwa anak kucing merupakan binatang yang selalu ingin tahu dan kadang-kadang "bermain" dengan benda yang tidak aman. Benda rumah tangga biasa seperti benang yang ada jarumnya atau kabel dari seterika dapat membahayakan anak kucing Anda, sehingga pastikan benda-benda itu jauh dari jangkauannya.

Permainan

Penting bagi anak kucing Anda untuk mendapatkan uluran tangan Anda dengan kebaikan, sehingga menghindari permainan yang agresif atau bermainan yang mendorongnya menggunakan gigitan.

• Kotak
  Kotak karton selalu menyenangkan dan Anda akan sering mendapatkan mereka menyembunyikan sesuatu atau dirinya di dalam kotak! Jika Anda mempunyai dua kucing, Anda bahkan boleh jadi menemukan mereka bermain petak-umpet. Pastikan bahwa kotak cukup kokoh agar kucing Anda dapat memanjat keluar setelah dia memanjat masuk.

• Tikus-tikusan
  Ini juga merupakan sumber kesenangan dan dapat secara sederhana dibuat dengan mengikat barang kecil yang berbulu pada seutas benang dan melayang-layangkannya di depan anak kucing Anda atau menariknya sepanjang lantai. Anak kucing Anda kemudian dapat mengikutinya dengan membayangkannya menjadi pemburu yang garang sedang mengejar mangsanya!

• Mengambilkan sesuatu
  Meskipun ini bukan permainan yang biasanya berhubungan dengan kucing, adalah mungkin untuk mengajari anak kucing Anda bagaimana cara mengambilkan barang. Ambil sebuah mainan kecil yang amat disukai kucing Anda dan panggil namanya saat Anda melambung-lambungkan mainan tersebut naik-turun di udara.

Sekali Anda mendapatkan perhatian dari anak kucing Anda, lambungkan mainan tersebut sedemikian rupa sehingga jatuh di dekatnya dan biarkan anak kucing Anda bermain dengannya. Segera setelah Anda melihat anak kucing Anda mulai bosan dengan mainan itu, panggil namanya dan, jika dia melihat Anda, ambil mainan itu.

Ulangi proses ini dua kali sehari masing-masing selama 10 menit. Sebagian kucing akan mengerti dan mulai membawa mainan itu ke Anda.

• Berlarian
  Sebagian kucing memulai permainan berlarian sendiri dengan harapan Anda akan mengejarnya. Jika Anda melihat anak kucing Anda berlarian sepanjang ruangan, cobalah mengejarnya dan kemudian cepatlah bersembunyi di belakang tirai. Intiplah dari belakang tirai dan lihatlah apa yang dilakukan anak kucing Anda. Jika dia tiba-tiba bersembunyi dan melongok kepada Anda, itu berarti isyarat bagi Anda untuk melanjutkan permainan ini dan kembali kejarlah dia. Ini juga merupakan cara baik buat Anda berdua melakukan latihan gerak badan!