How to give birth to a cat at home

Throughout your pregnancy, you have successfully looked after a cat, and now it is time for her to give birth? Do not worry. In most cases, childbirth takes place without human intervention, the pet needs your support in order to feel confident. First you need to familiarize yourself with important aspects, and then clearly follow the instructions.

Features of the prenatal period

The gestational age in cats directly depends on the breed and the general health of the animal. Throughout the gestation of kittens, it is necessary to monitor the well-being of the pet and have sufficient knowledge of physiology.

Signs of pregnancy
In the first 2.5 weeks, signs cannot be detected unless an ultrasound scan is performed by a doctor. In the third week, the body begins to rebuild. Vomiting, lethargy may begin, while the mood of the pet will change with frequent intervals. You will also notice that the nipple area is very pink. Closer to the 6-7th week, the stomach is rounded, and the mammary glands noticeably increase.

Pregnancy duration
As mentioned earlier, the duration of gestation depends on the breed and the health of the cat. For example, Persian animals carry kittens in the womb longer than everyone else, while Siberian ones, on the contrary, give birth faster. The average gestational age is within 62–66 days. If during pregnancy complications arise and sharp pains begin, the duration goes into the interval of 57-68 days. In this case, it is vital to observe the animal in the clinic with the constant presence of a veterinarian.

Pregnancy
Most often, complications during pregnancy occur in pedigree cats, bred artificially. At such moments, the condition of the animal noticeably worsens. The cat begins to whine in a dream, refuses food for a long time. It is difficult for the animal to stand on its feet, as a result of which the cat will constantly lie.

Precautionary measures
During pregnancy, try not to raise the cat and take it less often in your arms, especially when the stomach is already large. There are times when the owners accidentally touch the pet while walking around the apartment, and the cat, in turn, begins to hiss. This is due to the fact that she is trying to protect future offspring. If such situations are repeated with a private frequency, after the birth of the babies, the pet of the family will become aggressive.

Preparing for a cat’s birth

First you need to prepare the so-called "nest". The cat does not want to give birth on a bare floor or thin litter, she will begin to look for a place more comfortable.

Take a wide shallow box, lay a soft mattress on the bottom. You can sew it by stuffing with synthetic winterizer, or use an old blanket / towel. Make sure that no threads stick out of the litter. It is also worth choosing a non-slip fabric, on which kittens can easily crawl.

Before the immediate birth, put the cat in the "nest", it should settle in it. If the pet does not like the makeshift “maternity hospital”, she will begin to look for a more suitable place within the apartment.

To convince the animal of the reliability of the "nest", put it in a dark and quiet place. When you find a common language with your pet, put disposable diapers for animals on the bottom, you can buy them at a pet store or use ordinary nurseries from a pharmacy.

Necessary materials and tools

• petroleum jelly;
• cotton threads;
• scissors;
• antiseptic;
• warmer;
• diapers or rags;
• small "nest" for kittens.

In addition, prepare a 24-hour pet emergency phone number.Write the number on a piece of paper and stick it on the refrigerator. To be prepared for a possible deviation from the plan, prepare a carrying for the animal. In case of complications during the delivery of a cat, you can take the cat to the clinic or call the veterinarian at home.

How to give birth to a cat

1. In all cases, for a couple of hours before giving birth, cats begin to worry, and this is natural. The animal can refuse food and water, walk around the apartment and meow tirelessly. Also, the excitement manifests itself in a fussy state, the pet begins to delve into the prepared "nest", climb under the sofa, or tries to conveniently put on a pile of clothes. Some cats, in contrast, in cases of excitement, seek reassurance in the face of the owner. In both cases, pet your pet, talk to him, talk calmly. Be sure to place a bowl of food and water in front of the "nest".
2. When you see that the water is gray-brown, the birth has begun. In cats, fights begin 50–70 minutes before the first kitten is born. In some cases, labor is weakened; as a result, the baby can be born 5-8 hours after the onset of labor. If the cat did not give birth to the first baby after 7 hours, contact your veterinarian.
3. Childbirth without complications ends after 2-4 hours. The interval between the birth of kittens varies from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. If after the appearance of the first baby the cat cannot give birth to the second, call the veterinarian or take her to the clinic yourself. Keep calm, do not scream and do not flicker before the cat's eyes. Ask household members not to enter the room until delivery is complete. There are frequent cases when a cat eats or strangles newborn kittens under stress, do not allow this. Pet your pet, talk to her in a gentle, quiet voice.
4. If your pet has weak contractions, help her relax. Stroke the back and belly of a cat to strengthen labor. There are times when a kitten gets stuck in the tracks, so a cat cannot push it out, help. Lubricate your fingers with petroleum jelly, gently pull the baby by the folds of skin on the neck and torso, do not pull strongly on the paws.
5. Make sure that the placenta does not remain inside. If it gets stuck, remove it with your hands. Each newborn kitten leaves a trace after itself. In normal situations, cats eat them, but do not let them swallow more than two so as not to upset their stools and stomach. Count the number of tracks, if there are fewer than the number of kittens, and you are sure that the cat did not eat them, call the veterinarian. If the placenta remains inside, it can cause inflammation and, as a consequence, the subsequent disease.
6. In some cases, babies begin to breathe inside the bladder when the amniotic fluid has not yet come out. This step clogs the lungs, as a result of which kittens have difficulty breathing. Gently take the kitten in your hand and lower your head down so that water flows out of the nose. If this does not happen, shake the cub a little. The main thing is to make sure that the kitten has normal breathing. After this stage is completed, examine the language of the animal, it should be pink. If the color is closer with blue / violet, wrap the kitten in a diaper and hold it upside down for a while. When the baby beeps, feel free to pass it to mom.
7. If your cat gives birth for the first time, she still does not know that the umbilical cord must be nibbled. In that case, do it for her. Disinfect the scissors, pull the umbilical cord with a thread of 1.8-2.0 cm from the belly of the kitten, squeeze it with your fingers and cut it. Wipe the cut area with an antiseptic.
8. Throughout all births, a cat licks babies, take away already “washed” babies from it. Put them in a small nest made especially for kittens. Wipe the babies with a dense soft diaper, put a heating pad in the house and place a soft mattress or bedding on top.Such a move will help the cat deal with newborns, otherwise in the hustle and bustle, she will begin to lick already clean babies again.
9. When the birth is over, the cat will behave relaxed, stop fussing and start feeding kittens. If you are not sure that all the babies are born, carefully probe the belly of the pet. If doubts persist after a hollow abdomen is found, consult your veterinarian.

Leave the cat alone, remove the dirty diapers, change the litter. Put the cat's “nest” in a warm, dark and quiet place, provide your pet with everything you need, make sure that there is food and water in the bowl. If the offspring father lives with you in the same apartment, do not let him in kittens.

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