How to care for a pregnant cat

A pregnant cat does not need special care. But there are some nuances that the owners should know about. Her diet should change a little, and it is better not to allow physical exertion and high jumps, especially in the last periods.

How to recognize pregnancy

The gestation period of almost all cat breeds is about 9 weeks. However, this period may be more or less by about 7 days. And this is quite normal. In the first few weeks of pregnancy, the cat begins to eat less. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by a brief vomiting and apathy of the animal. After about a month, the cat's nipples turn pink. After a month and a half, embryos are already palpable.

To do this, you need to very carefully press the abdominal cavity. At 6 weeks, the cat's abdomen quickly grows in size, and the embryos are no longer palpable separately.Only after 7 weeks you can grope kittens. Cats at this time are beginning to behave very restlessly and are looking for a place to give birth.

Feeding the cat during pregnancy

In the first month of pregnancy, the cat food can not be particularly changed. But it will not be superfluous to add foods high in calcium, protein and vitamins to the diet. For this you can use special feed. After a month, you can enter in the diet of a pet food rich in protein.

In the middle of pregnancy, veterinarians recommend starting to feed the animal more often than usual. But it is not necessary to increase the portions. We can not allow the cat to get better, otherwise the kittens will be large, and the birth is very difficult. A few weeks before giving birth, cats usually lose their appetite, so no need to be intimidated.

In the case when the cat is fed only natural products, most of its diet during pregnancy should be meat. And it should be only in boiled form. In addition, the cat needs fish, boiled eggs, cereals, dairy products and vegetables. At the same time, it is necessary to add special supplements containing vitamins and minerals to the diet.

Also, the cat needs to drink a lot, so she should always have access to clean and fresh water. The cat can be given a special decoction of raspberry leaves, which is prepared as follows - 1 tsp. leaves poured a glass of boiled water. Before the very birth, the animal can be given nettle leaves. They are poured with boiling water and the cat is fed by them after cooling. It helps milk production.

Care for a pregnant cat

During pregnancy, it is better not to disturb the cat, giving her the right to choose where to sleep and when, etc. If the animal is too active, you need to restrict its movement a little so that it does not harm itself and the kittens. This is especially true of high surfaces, because of their size cats usually become very clumsy. It is also important to limit communication between a pregnant cat and small children. In this state, animals can react aggressively to games, tail twitching, etc.

It is also forbidden to allow other cats to a pregnant cat and generally it is better to keep her at home at this time. Otherwise, she can fight, and street cats can easily infect a favorite with a dangerous plague. When a cat is pregnant, she is in need of various manifestations of the love of its owners. Therefore, it is necessary to iron it as often as possible.Moreover, the mood in cats during this period often changes. And young cats do not always understand their condition and can be very nervous.

Also cares about the cleanliness of the pet. But bathing a cat, especially with shampoo or with soap, is not recommended. It is best to carefully brush it out. And if you can not do without bathing, it is better to consult about this with a veterinarian. And choose a safe animal detergent.

Be sure to find a place so that the cat could easily give birth to kittens. For this purpose, suitable shallow box. Inside you need to lay something soft, for example, an old blanket. The box will need to be put in a quiet, secluded place where the animal will feel safe. There should be no drafts. During childbirth it is better not to touch the cat, but you can be nearby so that she sees the owners. Usually from one litter the animal brings from 3 to 6–7 kittens.

Pet health

If the pairing was planned, then shortly before that the cat must be shown to the veterinarian. He will determine her physical condition, identify possible violations of the reproductive system, etc.You also need to make prevention of parasites, as during pregnancy it is prohibited.

During this period, it is impossible to give the animal even the safest medicines. The only thing that veterinarians allow is probiotics. Dangerous symptoms during pregnancy, cats are fever, bloody or purulent discharge, lethargy and fatigue.

During pregnancy a cat may have estrus. This usually occurs about 20-25 days after fertilization. During this period, the animal may begin asking for cats and behaving inadequately. Often these cats mate with cats and can become pregnant again. These kittens are born with a difference of several weeks. But there is a great danger that miscarriage may occur during the “first” childbirth. Therefore, it is better not to allow this.

Miscarriage can also occur due to improper diet, any injury, infection, hypothermia, or overheating. If this happens, the cat must be urgently taken to the vet. In healthy cats, pregnancy and childbirth are easy. But the owners still need to carefully monitor the condition of their pet and help her in time.You can do a cat ultrasound to find out the number of kittens. It is also important to control the birth of the animal and prevent the cat from giving birth in hard-to-reach places.

Normally, if the cat's temperature drops before giving birth to a cat. But its increase suggests that the inflammatory process has begun. And after childbirth it is best to leave the cat with newborn kittens alone. It is necessary to put a tray and a bowl with food near the box so that the animal does not leave the babies.

Video: how to know that a cat is pregnant