Is your cat starting to look fat around the middle, but not in the neck? Is she acting tired and laying around? If so, you might be having a little surprise in a few weeks! Here are some helpful hints to help you care for your queen (pregnant cat) and her newborn kittens:
The Signs of a Pregnant Cat
- Change in nipples: Your queen's nipples will start “pinking”, meaning that her nipples will enlarge and turn a brighter pink.
- Increase in appetite: Your queen's appetite will increase because she is eating for more than herself!
- Morning sickness: It is possible that your queen may start to have “morning sickness”. If your queen's vomiting seems excessive, you should probably take her to the veterinarian to make sure she is okay.
- Enlarging abdomen: At about the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy, your queen's middle area will start to enlarge. (The queen is usually pregnant for about nine weeks.)
- Becoming your “shadow”: The queen will most likely become more affectionate and will want to stay by you almost all the time! At this point she will need all the attention she can get, so give it to her!
Taking Care of your Pregnant Queen
Your queen needs a lot of attention and care for her to have healthy kittens--and to stay healthy herself! Here are some things she will need:
- Good food: At about the fourth week of pregnancy, start adding a little high-quality kitten food to her diet. Gradually add more every few days. By the time your queen goes into labor, she should be eating just the kitten food.
- Lots of exercise: Make sure she gets enough exercise so she stays in shape and doesn't get lazy.
- LOTS of love: Your queen will need a lot of attention and love. Pet her, speak kindly to her, and maybe give her some good kitty treats. Spend a lot of time with her.
Prepare the Queen's Nest
You will want to make a proper nest or bed for the queen, or she might go into labor on your bed! (I know from experience!)
Here are some tips for making a nest that your queen will most likely love:
- Get a box that is big enough for your queen to stretch out in, but make sure she will be able to get in and out of it easily
- Layer the bottom of the box with newspaper
- Put an old towel or blanket into the bottom, covering the newspaper completely
- Put the nest in a place where your queen enjoys hanging out, like your bedroom, laundry room, closet, etc. Make sure that the room is quiet. The room CANNOT be drafty or the kittens might die.
- Move the queen's food and water into the room. She may also want a scratching post nearby.
- Move her litter box into the room if it will be hard for her to access it while trying to watch her kittens
Signs of Labor
Here are some things your queen might do as she is approaching labor:
- Restless activity
- Pacing back and forth
- Licking her hindquarters
- Going from one place to another
- Rearranging her bedding (she can also do this a couple weeks before)
- Meowing very loudly
During the Labor
Your cat will start having contractions, and will most likely start crying before she has the first kitten. She will cry louder with the first kitten, because it is “paving the way” for the next ones (if any).
Your cat could be in any of the following positions when having her kittens:
- Laying on her back with her hind legs apart
- Squatting like she is using the litter box
- Lying on her side
When your cat goes into labor, you will want a towel at hand in case the kittens come out too fast for the mother to properly clean them and get their airways working. A mother cat will have the kittens between twenty minutes to two hours apart from each other. This gives the queen time to clean each new kitten and get it to breathe.
The queen may feed the kitten after she cleans it, or she may wait until she has had all of them.
If the queen cannot properly clean the new kitten, gently pick it up and rub it all over with the clean towel. If you don't, the kitten's airway could still be blocked and it will die from suffocation. It is common for a queen to give birth too quickly and not be able to properly clean them.
Make sure there is plenty of food nearby. After all the kittens are born, the queen will want to eat. Don't forget to provide plenty of water. You don't want the queen to get dehydrated.
Caring for your Young Kittens
The queen may move the kittens if she feels they are in danger. Make sure you never crowd the room, because the mother could get nervous. If the queen gets too nervous she might try to move the kittens and could hurt them.
The queen should feed the kittens every two to four hours. You will know if the kittens are eating well if their tummies are getting round, and if they are sleeping soundly.
The kittens' eyes will open when they are 7-14 days old. Their ears will start to poke up too. They will also start playing with each other at about 3-4 weeks old.
Some kittens will start to climb out of their box and will want to explore the area. Make sure there is nothing around that can hurt them.
Starting Kittens on Food
When the queen shows interest in weaning them, make sure there is food ready for them in a small bowl. Make sure they have plenty of fresh water! Talk to your vet about what to feed them.
When to Say “Goodbye”
There are lots of different opinions about when you should give kittens away. Some people say to give them away at six weeks old. This is probably unhealthy for the kittens because they're not quite ready to be away from their mother yet. Most experts say to wait until they are 8-12 weeks old.
