Essential Care for a Pregnant Cat: What Pet Owners Must

Feeding Tips for Pregnant Cats:

1. For a newly pregnant cat, no additional care is needed beyond ensuring her regular nutritional requirements are met.

Cats often repeat their routines daily. Breaking these habits by paying extra attention to her during pregnancy can actually cause stress and discomfort.

2. Maintain her regular exercise routine. If she's a caged cat, she should have been allowed to roam and exercise daily before pregnancy. Continue this practice during her pregnancy.

However, about two weeks before giving birth, avoid letting her engage in vigorous activities, especially jumping from high places to the ground. Although the risk of uterine inversion is low, it's better to be cautious.

3. As her belly grows, her nutritional needs will increase. She'll likely eat more. During this time, gradually switch her main food to kitten weaning cans and puppy food.

4. Provide her with a private space about a week before she's due. Let her get accustomed to this private area so she feels secure during labor, avoiding the risk of giving birth in a hidden spot like under a bed or in a cabinet.

5. You can place her in a large cat cage or purchase a pet enclosure. There are many modular pet enclosures available that can be disassembled after breeding. This saves space and allows for various configurations.

6. Inside the enclosure, provide a comfortable nesting area. You can make one using a cardboard box, which can be discarded after use. The box should be tall enough to prevent kittens from爬 out but still allow the mother to enter and exit freely. It should be at least one and a half times the length of the mother's body, but not too large, as it can be difficult for her to gather the kittens.

7. Place water and food near the nesting area. However, avoid filling the water bowl too much after she gives birth, as some cats might accidentally drown their kittens if they fall into the water.

8. Keep the litter box clean at all times. Some cats may bring their kittens into the litter box. It's embarrassing if the box is dirty, as the kittens might end up covered in feces.

9. Position the breeding cage where you can easily reach it, such as in your bedroom. This allows you to monitor her labor and care for the kittens at all times. If this isn't possible, consider installing a baby monitor.

10. Try to keep other cats away from her for a week before and after her pregnancy. If there are other pregnant cats, keep no more than two in the same space, ideally ones that get along well. They might even help each other with the kittens if they give birth around the same time.

11. Lastly, prepare a breeding toolkit well in advance. Ensure you have all necessary tools and medications, such as ear cleaners, scissors, oxygen machines, thread, nursing bottles, substitute milk, oxytocin, antibiotics, colostrum, liquid calcium, blood tonics, and milkboosting supplements. The list can be extensive, but it's crucial to have everything you need to avoid any surprises.