~ Pregnancy and Birth ~
Written by Animal Planet
Unless your female outdoor cat is spayed, inevitably she will become pregnant. Even if you try to keep her indoors while she is in heat, an escape of only a few hours is more than enough time for her to find a male or for males to find her. Signs of pregnancy begin about three weeks after conception, when your cat's nipples change from pale to deep pink and begin to swell and stiffen as the teats prepare for lactation. A cat will not change noticeably in size until the four or five-week mark, when her belly will begin to swell.
Prenatal Care
Pregnancy normally lasts between nine and 10 weeks (64 to 69 days). Like any pregnant mom, your cat will need more protein and energy. Ask your vet for specially formulated food. As the kittens grow, her internal organs will become cramped, so serve her smaller but more frequent meals. Watch her weight: An increase in weight of 20 to 25 percent is normal, but excessive weight gain can interfere with labor. Cats can, and should, remain active throughout pregnancy in order to keep fit and prevent obesity. But toward the end, you can expect your lady-in-waiting to become more sedate.
Some cats, especially first-time mothers, may be a bit bewildered or agitated by the physical changes and discomfort they experience. If your cat seems very nervous and excitable or becomes aggressive or more vocal, consult your vet; medication may help. And some cats miscarry. If your cat hemorrhages or has a foul-smelling discharge, have a vet check her.
To prevent birthing in an inconvenient or unsafe place, prepare a disposable birthing box. Accustom your cat to the box early so that she will choose to give birth in it, lining it with her usual bedding and encouraging her to sleep in it for a week before the babies are due. Keep closet doors shut and block access to as many other places as possible. As delivery approaches, confine her to the house, even better to one room, and prevent vigorous activity. She may become irritable, so keep other animals away. Prep a longhair cat by carefully trimming (not shaving) the fur around her nipples and genitals. Clean cloths, towels, a pair of scissors, a baby's nose-suction bulb, dental floss or sturdy thread (to tie off the kittens' umbilical cords), petroleum jelly or other lubricant and disinfectants (rubbing alcohol and povidone-iodine) should be kept close at hand.
Kitten Time
Just before she enters labor, the expectant mother will probably be anxious and restless and might appear to be searching for something. She will probably lose her appetite; in any case, feed her sparingly or give her only water. When she settles into her birthing area, she will shred the nesting materials and lick at her abdomen and genital areas. As she enters the first stage of labor she will fuss over the nest, kneading it into shape. Colostrum (first milk) may leak from her nipples and there may be a blood-tinged discharge from her genitals. As contractions begin to move the kittens down the birth canal, her breathing and pulse will elevate, and her body temperature will drop. Wash your hands now and disinfect the scissors by soaking them in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes.
In the second stage, forceful, straining contractions begin. The cat may lie on her side or chest, or she may squat. The first kitten should emerge within 30 minutes and subsequent kittens should be born at intervals of 15 to 30 minutes. There may be fluid if the amniotic sac ruptures on the way out. If the sac is intact, the mother will tear it herself, sever the umbilical cord, clean and groom the kitten and perhaps nurse it while waiting to give birth to the next one. The kittens are born blind, nearly deaf and helpless: Their mother's care is essential. If she is doing a good job by herself, has groomed and is nursing the kittens, don't interfere. Anxious mothers, especially first-timers, have been known to abandon their kittens in favor of attention from their owners, so keep her calm and reassured. What the mother and her newborns need most right now is a warm, dark, quiet and secluded nest — no external stress. Visually examine the kittens for defects and to make sure they are healthy, but do this without being intrusive; a worried mother will want to move her nest to a safer location. Then, leave the family alone for a few days, keeping other animals away as well.
What if nature doesn't take a smooth course? Get ready, you will have to pitch in as midwife, and you should be prepared to contact your vet at any time.
If after a minute following the birth of a kitten the mother hasn't ruptured the amniotic sac, cut it yourself.
If she hasn't severed the umbilical cord within a few minutes, tie it off with dental floss or strong thread about an inch or a little more from the kitten's abdomen. Then, cut the cord between the knot and the placenta. Dip the end of the cord in povidone-iodine to prevent infection.
If the kitten is not breathing or is squirming very weakly, wrap it in a towel and use a baby's nose-suction bulb to suck the mucus out of its nose and mouth. Then, to get breathing started, give the kitten a gentle massage, covering it with a towel.
Contact your vet if you have trouble with any of this or if there are any other complications. These may include: the first stage of labor (where the mother is acting restless, licking her chest and genitals and frequently visiting the nesting area) continuing for six hours with no change; no kitten emerging or a green, black or bloody discharge after two hours of strong contractions; continued straining with no results more than an hour after delivering a kitten; or if a placenta is not delivered for every kitten.
After birthing, get veterinary help if the mother cat is bleeding; if she has a colored, white or foul-smelling discharge; if she seems restless or feverish; or if she doesn't want to eat or to let her kittens suckle immediately.
What's Next?
Now that the drama's over, things should settle down into a routine. Have a vet see the kittens at 2 to 5 days of age to rule out congenital abnormalities. Most mothers will take care of their kittens' needs and there won't be call for you to intervene. To socialize the kittens, start gently handling them daily once their eyes are open, or around 5 to 10 days of age. The mother usually weans the babies by about 7 weeks and you can start to supplement her milk with kitten food after the 3-week mark. At 8 weeks, the kittens should visit the vet again for a thorough exam and to begin their series of vaccines. Keep the feline family together for eight to twelve weeks before you send the kittens off to their new homes.
Prospective owners should be knowledgeable and nurturing, never adopting a kitten on a whim, solely for their children or as a present for someone else. Go through the guidelines of responsible pet ownership with them and feel free to refuse anyone you feel will not offer the kitten a good home. Asking for payment to offset your vet costs will help rule out people who aren't serious. Sound them out about whether they will get the kitten sterilized; if not, you are ultimately responsible for adding to the cat overpopulation problem. There is no guarantee, however, that even an apparently ideal adopter will keep the kitten for its entire life and give it nothing but the best care. You owe it to each kitten to be willing to take it back at any point in its life if things don't work out, and keep it yourself or find it another home.
Doing the Right Thing
There are already too many kittens and cats without homes. You'll have your work cut out for you finding good homes for your litter, and your new mother could become pregnant again even before her kittens are weaned. Ask your vet how soon you can have her spayed, and absolutely do not let her outside until then. If you also have an unneutered male cat, keep them separated and run, don't walk, to the vet to get him neutered. Every year millions of perfectly fine but unwanted cats are euthanized. Many were adopted as kittens, only to be abandoned as adults, no longer so adorable and declared to be too much trouble or expense. And those that escape euthanasia and remain strays are malnourished and susceptible to contagious diseases, some of them fatal. Don't contribute to this tragic problem. |
