Once you know how a normal birth progresses, any deviation from that norm is worthy of a phone call to your veterinarian or an emergency clinic depending on the time of day. In general, though, consider calling if:.
The key is to be as prepared as possible. Know what to expect. Know who to call. Kustritz, Margaret V. If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
Skip to main content. Mike Paul, DVM. In general, though, consider calling if: Your cat goes beyond her proposed due date without going into labor You do not see evidence that Stage 1 labor has started hours after the drop in rectal temperature mentioned above Stage 1 labor has not progressed to Stage 2 labor after 24 hours The first kitten has not been delivered after 1 hour of active labor It has been more than two hours without the appearance of another kitten 1 Vaginal discharge is purulent or frankly hemorrhagic Your cat is in apparent distress or pain or seems ill or disoriented 1 Kittens are stillborn or are alive but seem weak or not normal.
You know that there are more kittens on the way but your cat appears to be exhausted and labor seems to have stopped. The decision to breed should not be taken lightly, though. Another thing to consider: 3 million pets are euthanized in shelters in the US every year. If you have a male cat, you may not be facing a litter of kittens in your home, but your kitty can still contribute to pet overpopulation if he manages to impregnate another cat.
Even if your cat stays indoors, unneutered cats will try and occasionally succeed at escaping their home to find a mate. So, even as a male cat owner, you have an important responsibility to consider when it comes to neutering your pet. Some of these symptoms may not be obvious. So, how long are cats pregnant for and what should you expect week by week? Cats reach sexual maturity as early as six months of age, with Oriental breeds generally reaching this stage the earliest.
A litter of kittens can have more than one father , depending on how many toms successfully mate with the queen. By the third week, you may be able to feel the lumps of her developing kittens.
Now your cat starts gaining weight in earnest. If you want to know how many kittens your cat is going to have, your vet may do an X-ray at this time.
The pre-labor stage starts about a week before your cat gives birth. Her nipples will be very visible at this point, and you may even see milk drops on them. She will start looking for warm and safe places to create a nest for her kittens. You can help her at this time by offering nesting boxes in the places she seems to prefer. Your cat will stop eating about two days before she goes into labor.
It will be pretty obvious when your cat goes into labor. If this is her first litter, she may pace and act anxious. She should give birth to her first kitten about an hour after labor starts.
After that, the kittens should come every 15 to 20 minutes until the last one has been born. Just keep an eye on things and make sure the delivery is progressing normally. The kittens need to be with their mothers for a minimum of eight weeks in order to be properly weaned , but 12 weeks with mom is better. Once the babies are weaned, get your queen spayed as soon as possible.
She can go into heat pretty quickly once she no longer has to nurse her kittens. Have you had a pregnant cat or witnessed a cat give birth? What did you think? JaneA is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, an award-winning cat advice blog written by her cats, for cats and their people.
In addition to blogging about cats, JaneA writes contemporary urban fantasy, and whatever else strikes her fancy. She decided she didn't like her and threw her out. The kitten became somewhat of a community cat and had many in our neighborhood to rely on for food and a place to nap. She chose me as her person and sleeps in my bed a lot. Just after I bought her some Fancy Feast and she started eating healthy she soon became pregnant. She still technically belongs to the girl next door and when her children come every other weekend for visitation, they take the cat and keep her for a night then she finds her way back over here.
I have grown to love this kitty and have always maintained the mindset that I am keeping her safe for the kids she originally belonged to as I know they love her.
However, when she has her litter I don't know where she will have them but I don't think I can take care of a bunch of baby kittens and I am pretty sure my landlord wouldn't be very happy about it. Because someone told you so???? As for whoever wrote this article you should be ashamed ,your first sentence disgusted me , I knew who you were the min I read your little spayed and neuter comment!!
Comment all animals should be spayed and neutered is bogus!! Then the whole pregnant sorry comment as if life is bad!!! Control control down to your animals!!! I suggest When you write an article about birthing animals you state facts , and opinions on how awful it is for your animal to be pregnant, and how all should spay and neuter their animals not yours!!
Thank you for all the helpful information. Our queen is due with her first litter in about 2weeks, and we are so excited!!! We mated our cat, Miss Kitty, with a full blooded Linx cat. She is an indoor cat and two years old. We are so excited and plan on keeping at least two or three of her kittens.
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