Method 1: Prepare for delivery.
1, observe the signs of pregnancy. There are some signs that can help you confirm whether your cat is pregnant. Signs that usually appear in pregnant cats include: nipples become larger and pink; Abdominal swelling; No more courtship calls.
Take her to have a check-up. Once you know that your cat is pregnant (or you suspect that she is pregnant), please take her to the registered veterinarian for a comprehensive medical examination. If the veterinarian confirms that the cat's pregnancy is normal, he will explain to you how to prepare for the cat's birth.
For overweight cats or cats with health problems, once they are found or suspected to be pregnant, they must be taken to the vet immediately, otherwise the female cat will face greater risks.
In some cases, if the veterinarian confirms that pregnancy will cause some harm to the female cat, then ovariectomy at this stage is the most appropriate and kind plan.
Veterinarians will predict how many kittens will be born. This information is very important, because it needs to judge whether all kittens are born and when the production will probably end.
3. Adjust the cat's diet in the late pregnancy. A cat has different nutritional needs in the late pregnancy (about 42 days pregnant, and her abdomen is obviously swollen), so as to ensure that the female cat can get enough food and nutrition. Keep the mother cat's diet unchanged during the first two pregnancies.
When the mother cat is in the third trimester, she changes the kitten's food to feed her, and the kitten's food can provide higher calories with less amount. Because the uterus squeezes the stomach when the mother cat is pregnant, the amount of food she eats is limited, so the kitten's food is an ideal source of nutrition for the mother cat.
4. Build a nest for the cat. The cat needs a warm, secluded and safe place to give birth, and it will deliberately choose such a place first. In the days before giving birth, the mother cat will show signs of nesting, which is an excellent opportunity to lead her to a warm nest. The laundry room and bathroom are the perfect places to nest for her, just make sure that no children or dogs disturb the pregnant mother cat in these places. The mother cat must feel safe and relaxed in her nest.
The location of the cat's nest should be convenient for the mother cat to get close to water, food and litter box (just two feet away, and putting the litter box too close can easily lead to disease).
Find a cardboard box big enough and deep enough to put some old and soft waste cloth, such as old towels, old blankets, waste newspapers and so on.
No matter what material you choose to build your nest, please make sure that there is no strong smell on the material, because mother cats and newborn kittens need to distinguish each other by smell.
5. Prepare to deliver your cat. Feeding high-quality cat food to the female cat continuously and carefully observing whether the appetite of the female cat is declining is usually a sign of impending childbirth. The mother cat is a long-haired cat. You need to cut off the hair around the vulva of the cat in advance (a few days or a week before delivery). And trim the long hair around the cat's nipple so that the cat can eat.
If it is too late to clean the cat, don't do it, because it may affect the ability of newborn kittens to distinguish the smell of their mothers.
Step 6 get ready. Besides building a nest for your cat, preparing food, water and a litter box, you should also prepare some emergency supplies. Keep the cat carrying box by your side so that you can see a doctor in time in an emergency.
Fully charge the mobile phone, and be sure to keep the phone numbers of the veterinarian and the nearest pet hospital in the mobile phone to prevent the mother cat from having an accident in the production process.
Prepare a pile of clean and dry towels and clean the kitten if necessary.
Buy milk powder suitable for kittens and a cat feeding machine from a local pet store to prevent problems when the mother cat takes care of kittens.
7. Track the progress of pregnancy. The length of pregnancy may change, which will especially bring difficulties to the estimation of the expected date of delivery, but if the cat is pregnant for more than 67 days, it should be examined professionally. The vet will scan the mother cat's abdomen to see if the kitten inside is healthy, and then suggest waiting for another four or five days. If the female cat has not given birth by then, it must be delivered by caesarean section.
8. Pay attention to the possibility of complications, including abnormal secretions and symptoms. Abnormal secretion: It is not normal for a female cat to have vaginal secretions during pregnancy. If there is yellow-green secretion, it means uterine infection; Bright green secretion suggests placental separation; Bloody secretions indicate placental rupture. If you see secretions in any of the above situations, please contact the veterinarian immediately.
Symptoms: Pregnancy will put pressure on the female cat's body and greatly reduce her immunity. If the female cat looks unwell (vomiting, diarrhea, cough, sneezing, loss of appetite), it must be taken to the vet immediately.
Method 2: Midwifery
1, keep your distance. Your cat doesn't need you much during childbirth, but your presence will make her feel more at ease. Keep enough distance from the mother cat, don't invade her space, don't hinder the production, but make sure you can appear in time when there is an accident.
Prepare for possible complications and understand the symptoms of these complications.
2. Pay attention to the signs of delivery. Be familiar with some symptoms of the female cat before giving birth. The first stage of delivery usually lasts 12 to 24 hours. Things to pay attention to are: listlessness, irritability, finding a place to hide (you can take the opportunity to lead her to the nest).
Wash and dress frequently, including licking the vulva.
Walking around, panting.
To purr or shout loudly.
The body temperature will drop by one or two degrees from the normal 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius).
Stop eating.
vomit
If you find your cat bleeding, please seek the help of a veterinarian immediately. Prenatal bleeding is a typical symptom of the problem, and the mother cat should take it for examination immediately.
Disinfect your hands so that you can lend a helping hand when needed. Throw away your watch and ring and wash your hands with disinfectant soap. Rub the back of your hand to your wrist with soap. During the whole process, the soap should stay in your hand for at least five minutes. Clean the nails with a nail brush or an old toothbrush. Do not use disinfectant. Bactericide can't kill all bacteria. You don't want the mother cat to lick your kitten covered with fungicides, which will make you sick.
Hand cleaning needs to be careful. The mother cat should complete the production steps by herself and take care of the kitten by herself. You just need to help the kitten when it is in danger, and then please return the kitten to its mother at once.
4, every delivery should be carefully looked after. Once the mother cat enters the cat nest and begins to give birth, the best thing you can do is to keep calm and continue to look after the delivery. Remember to calm down and keep quiet. If there is any trouble around, or the mother cat is moved to a strange place, she will delay giving birth. When the second stage of delivery is about to begin, it will develop according to the following steps: the cervix begins to relax and the female cat begins to contract.
When the first kitten enters the birth canal, the contractions will intensify. Contractions are usually every 2-3 minutes, and the mother cat curls up. At this time, the female cat will scream and gasp.
At first, the amniotic fluid broke, and then the kitten came out (usually the head came out first, and in rare cases the claws came out first).
Thirty minutes to an hour after the second stage of delivery, the first kitten was born. The birth interval of each independent kitten will be about half an hour, sometimes it may be an hour.
If the mother cat is quiet and squeezes hard for more than an hour, something is probably wrong. Check if there is any near the labia. If it's nothing, you'd better contact the vet. If a part of the kitten comes out, let the mother cat continue to squeeze hard for five minutes. If the female cat doesn't make any progress, wash your hands, gently grab the part that you can see of the kitten and gently pull it out-please pay attention to keep up with the rhythm of the female cat's contractions. If the kitten is still not born successfully at this time, please contact the veterinarian.
5. Make sure that the mother cat cleans the fetal membranes in time and licks every kitten. Mother cats usually lick their kittens hard to remove the fetal membranes. Kittens should move and breathe in a few seconds. If the mother cat fails to remove the fetal membrane from the kitten in time, she should immediately disinfect her hands, put on gloves, open the fetal membrane on the kitten's face so that it can breathe, and then wipe the kitten's face with a clean dry towel.
It is best to return the kitten to the mother cat at once. Put the kitten directly under the mother cat's nose, and she will naturally start licking. If the mother cat ignores the kitten in front of her, and the kitten is wet and starts to tremble, please dry the kitten with a clean dry towel. At the same time, it will cause the kitten to scream, attract the attention of the mother cat and arouse the interest of the mother cat. At this time, the kitten will be sent back to its mother.
6. Check the placenta. Every kitten has a placenta and will be excreted after birth. Pay attention to record the number of placenta, because the placenta left in the female cat is easy to cause infection, which will threaten the life of the female cat if it is not treated in time. Do not try to pull the placenta out of the body. Because dragging the umbilical cord will cause the uterus to tear and threaten the life safety of the female cat. If you suspect that the mother cat has not discharged the placenta, please take the mother cat to see a doctor.
After giving birth to a baby, a mother cat usually eats the placenta, which is rich in hormones and nutrients that the mother cat needs. Don't interfere with the mother cat in this process, just make sure she doesn't eat her children by mistake.
After the mother cat eats two or three placentas, you'd better take away the rest placentas, because too much nutrition will lead to diarrhea and vomiting.
7. Don't break the umbilical cord. Do not disconnect the umbilical cord connecting the placenta without authorization. Most cats bite the umbilical cord by themselves. If she doesn't, she can consult a veterinarian. Never cut the umbilical cord without authorization, even if part of it is still in the female cat. Because the umbilical cord is connected with the placenta, the placenta may not be excreted in the female cat. Cutting the umbilical cord without authorization may cause the mother cat to die of infection. As a last resort, please contact the veterinarian and operate under his guidance.
Method 3: Help postpartum recovery.
1, to ensure that newborn kittens are breastfed in time. Cat colostrum is extremely precious, which contains antibodies needed by kittens. Cats can't hear or see when they are born, so they will find their mother's nipples through smell and touch. Sometimes they do it at once, but sometimes they wait a few minutes first.
Please make sure that all kittens are born before breastfeeding. If the mother cat refuses to breast-feed the kitten, prepare the milk powder you bought and breast-feed the kitten by herself.
If the mother cat actively feeds the kitten, but the milk can't be discharged, you may see the kitten trying to suck the mother cat's nipple and make a gentle cry. If there is no milk coming out, please contact the veterinarian immediately. Veterinarians have a way to stimulate milk to come out. In an emergency, you can feed the kitten with a feeding machine first.
2. Take care of the kitten. Remember to look after the kitten from time to time after birth to ensure that the kitten can adapt to the environment normally and settle down. If the kitten chokes or cackles, it is because there is liquid in the trachea. Hold the kitten gently in your hand with your fingertips (imagine throwing things with your hands). Swing down gently, which is beneficial to discharge the liquid from the kitten's lungs. Clean the kitten's face with a gauze pad. Please use gloves carefully, because the newborn kitten is very fragile.
If the mother cat is not interested in the kitten, you can try to rub the smell of the mother cat on the kitten. If she is still not interested in kittens, you have to take care of them yourself. The process of caring for kittens includes continuous feeding and heat preservation. If this part of the article is very difficult to understand, please consult a veterinarian.
If one of the kittens dies, please don't be nervous. Even if it is confirmed that the kitten is dead, don't throw it away at once. Try to rub the kitten gently and quickly in this stimulating way to wake it up. It is worth trying to rub the kitten's limbs with a slightly wet hot towel and blow air into its face.
3. Take care of the mother cat. Ensure that the mother cat puts a lot of high-quality food and fresh water next to the cat nest after giving birth. The mother cat doesn't want to leave her children even when eating or using the litter box, so she tries to put the food and litter box near the kitten. The mother cat must eat by herself, so as to maintain physical strength and deliver nutrition to the kitten. On the first day after delivery, the mother cat may not want to get up at all, but she can put food nearby for the mother cat to eat.
It is closely related to whether the mother cat can take good care of the kitten to check whether her postpartum recovery is good.
4. Record the delivery. Record the time of each delivery, the kitten's sex, weight (you can use the kitchen balance), and the time to expel the placenta. If you are a cat trainer, this information will be very useful for medical tests or documents.
Tip When the delivery time is approaching, you can put dark sheets or blankets on your bed, because in addition to your "delivery room", the mother cat may choose your bed as a suitable delivery place, because the bed is comfortable and safe.
When the mother cat gives birth, try not to get close to the mother cat to avoid being scratched and bitten. When the mother cat needs your help, remember to come forward.
If you are interested in domesticating cats, you can consider neutering the female cats, in order to have more kittens in the future (many accidentally conceived kittens eventually become wild cats and can only starve to death or be euthanized in the future), which is also good for the female cats. Sterilization reduces the risk of pyometra in the uterus of female cats-pyometra means that the uterus is full of pyometra after thermal cycle, which will lead to infection or sudden death of female cats if not found in time.
If the female cat has no fertility problems, please don't bother.
Warning If the mother cat has started to give birth, but there is no sign of the kitten being born within two hours, please contact the veterinarian immediately, because there may be serious problems. If each kitten is born more than an hour apart, there may be problems. Don't panic at this time. All you can do is keep calm for the mother cat and kitten, and then ask the veterinarian for help.
If you notice the following, please contact the veterinarian immediately: after one hour, the female cat's contractions intensified, but she did not give birth to a kitten;
The mother cat will give birth to some kittens, but she can't keep pushing;
The female cat's vagina began to discharge bright red blood.
What you need is a disinfectant solution (such as povidone iodine)-it is used to disinfect anything that comes into contact with the mother cat, such as surgical scissors and pliers. These tools are needed once the umbilical cord is broken.
Pliers (consult a veterinarian or ask an experienced pet store for help)
Surgical scissors (blunt)
Gauze piece
Thin rubber gloves
Clean old towels, sheets or blankets are placed at the bottom of the production box.
A cardboard box about the size of a cat's nest, with high edges, is conducive to protecting the mother cat and kitten.
Baby cat food (in case the mother cat has no milk) and feeder.
Guidelines for caring for kittens
Catch lice for cats.
Calm the cat down and relax.
Maintenance of cat litter basin
Caress a cat
Put a protective collar on the cat.
Make a cage for the cat.
Teach cats to use the litter box.
Take care of kittens from birth
Use baking soda to deodorize cats.