Having a pregnant cat increase the responsibilities that you have and as a responsible parent you should look for some cat birth tips so here are ours. There is even a special word for helping cats with their birth: “queening” and most of the time it will happen naturally but there are some things you should know and some items that you might want to buy in advance.
Monitoring the Cat’s Health Before Birth and Other Precautions
As with humans, you shouldn’t just let things as they are, regular veterinary care is very important as well as the pre-breeding physical examinations. Parasites or viruses can do a lot of damage to a pregnant cat and thus you should check that they are in order before they get pregnant if you can.
The cat is more sensitive during pregnancy but they should still exercise and have an active life. You should just take extra precautions to high places from which they might fall.
A birthing box is very important to have ready and if they get used in advance to stay there then it will make her feel safer as well as more comfortable. The box should have three doors or use a large box if you prefer and put a lot of newspapers in the bottom of the box so that they can easily be removed as they get soiled.
Have clean towels nearby and paper towels. A few small blankets will also help keep the kittens warm and it is better if you have a separate box for the kittens while the “queen” is still giving birth. A thermometer will also be handy (the cat’s temperature tends to drop a bit during the birth) and make sure you have your vet’s number handy for any emergency.
Separate the pregnant cat from the other pets as time gets close to labor and monitor the food and water consumption as a cat tends to eat and drink more the day before birth.
There is a delay between births that can be of up to four hours sometimes, but the next kitten can also come to light after ten minutes, so it depends. If it takes longer than four hours between births then a veterinarian should be notified.
After Birth
The mother will try to bite the umbilical cords of the kittens once they are out but if this doesn’t seem to work then surgical scissors will be very useful. Help the cat clean her kittens with a baby syringe that can suck any fluids from the mouths of the kittens and once the birthing is done you can clean that area thoroughly and make sure you keep everyone warm.
The first few hours will be spent by the mother cleaning the kittens and warming them and also allowing them to suckle. It is very important for the kittens to ingest milk since it will help their immune system so keep them close to each other at all times.
During the first days insufficient warmth can lead to hypothermia so ensure that kittens are kept warm and comfortable and you should simply monitor the nursing behavior of the mother by helping keep the kittens clean. Also a vet (with the mother) should see the kittens to ensure everything is in order with your new family members.
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