As delivery approaches, the female cat will become very restless. She always likes to rub against her master's legs and act coquettishly. Her breasts swell and milk leaks from her nipples. When there is a sudden loss of appetite and transparent leucorrhea appears, the cat should not be allowed outside. The owner should also try to guard the cat as much as possible. During labor, the body temperature will drop to about 37°C, so keep warm in winter. What do we need to know about pet cats’ pregnancy and delivery?

Bombay Cat

​Cat development:

The arrival of puberty in cats is extremely sudden and rapid. Cats develop very early. When they are still kittens, they can go into heat with just a casual pose, which is shocking. Female cats generally develop symptoms for the first time 7-8 months after birth, and at the latest when they are 1 year old. This may vary depending on the cat's breed and living environment. The disease usually occurs in 7-8 months after birth in Aura cats, and in 10-18 months in Persian cats. Recently, perhaps due to good nutrition, some Auro cats began to go into estrus at 5 months old. Male cats come into estrus 2-3 months later than female cats. They go into estrus at about 1 year old and can mate until about 10 years old.

You can find out whether it is in estrus by observing its behavior. Although a female cat in estrus does not bleed like a dog, it is obviously different from usual, and the owner can easily detect it. First, he felt restless and had no appetite. He rubbed himself against his owner's feet, made a noise that made the male cat upset, and urinated a small amount in the room. While walking, it rubs its butt on the floor, squats with its tail raised, arches its waist, makes a low cry, and assumes a mating posture. On the other hand, male cats come into heat due to the scent and sounds of a female cat in heat. The urine smelled worse than usual, and he screamed irritably and ran out. In the world of cats, female cats must choose male cats. If a male cat that she doesn't like comes close to her, the female cat will make an angry cry and lie on the ground to prevent him from succeeding. Even if an immature male cat approaches a female cat, the female cat will ignore it.

If you don’t want your cat to get pregnant, perform sterilization surgery as soon as possible. The period between winter and early summer is the cat’s estrus period. 5-10 days each time. If they do not mate, they will come into estrus again after 2 or 3 weeks. If they are not allowed to mate for a long time, their hormones will be out of balance and the intervals between estrus will be shortened, and they will continue to go into estrus. So if you don’t want your cat to breed, you should have it neutered as soon as possible.

​First mating:

Discuss with experts to jointly select a breeding cat. If you want a purebred cat to breed offspring, you must first choose a son-in-law for it. First go to a cat club or pet store to consult and tell them your ideas. Experienced experts will help you with the breeding procedures. When a female cat mates for the first time, she should choose an experienced male cat. Lead unskilled female cats to mate successfully in a short period of time. In addition, the following conditions must be met:

1. Whether the child is over 2 years old, healthy and capable of childbearing.

2. Whether it is authentic and purebred.

3. Does the owner also have many other cats, and does he have an elegant mating environment?

4. Whether the marriage is between close relatives. After deciding on a mating partner, negotiate the mating conditions. The amount of the mating fee, whether to "return the kitten", that is, give a kitten to the other party after birth, etc., must be negotiated in detail to avoid disputes. Female cats that go to other people's homes for mating are very exhausted both physically and mentally. Before mating, they need to undergo a health check to see if they have been vaccinated, whether they have skin diseases, fleas and ear ticks, and a fecal examination to see if there are parasites. .

Don’t miss the opportunity to conceive. As soon as the estrus period comes, the female cat owner should get in touch with the male cat owner immediately. It takes one night to make a blind date, and it takes 2-3 days for a female cat to get to know each other's family, so she should be taken to her husband's house early. The third and fourth days of estrus are the easiest to get pregnant. Tell your husband's family in detail about the food, the type of sand used in the toilet, etc. Before mating, you should meet in advance to see if you are compatible. After mating, take the cat home and give it something it likes to eat. When you get home, ask the female cat owner for a mating certificate. Because it may mate with other male cats, it is best not to take it out casually.

​Caring for pregnant female cats:

Three weeks after mating, check for pregnancy signs. Cats have a 90% chance of becoming pregnant after mating. The pregnancy period is 63 days, but it is generally believed to be between 56 and 65 days. Three weeks after mating, the cat's nipples swell and turn pink. This is the first sign of pregnancy. Cats rarely "vomit". However, they will experience mild vomiting 4-17 days after mating, and their preferences for food will also change. Basically, they will be fine after 2-3 days. After 4-5 weeks of mating, the belly will swell slightly. The size of the belly varies depending on the size of the fetus. Cats are prone to miscarriage during this period, so don’t touch their belly. Short-haired breeds have shiny coats due to the effects of hormones. After 7 weeks, the belly became more obvious and the breasts opened. My weight is 1-1.5 kg higher than usual, and my movements are slightly sluggish.

Provides rich protein and calcium. Pregnant cats will have a great appetite when the fetus begins to develop at 4 weeks. For cats with appetite, the amount of food can be doubled, but not too much at one time, and should be given in 3-4 times. Food should be rich in protein and calcium necessary for fetal growth, such as liver, lean meat, eggs, milk, cheese, dried fish, etc., which should be fresh and easy to digest. Severe diarrhea during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, so be careful not to eat too much or suffer from indigestion.

Consult your veterinarian about diseases and abnormalities during pregnancy. If you fall ill after pregnancy, you should not give your cat medicine without permission. You must consult a veterinarian. At this time, the most important thing is to tell the veterinarian the exact time of mating. In addition, you should always observe the vagina. If you find any blood, even if it is very small, you should call the animal immediately.Medical examination. If the cat can be treated quietly, even if some of the fetuses die, the rest can still be saved. When pregnant, moderate exercise is also necessary, but jumping from high places or being with male cats may cause miscarriage, so care must be taken.

​Preparation for childbirth:

Prepare a birthing box that is suitable for the size of the cat. Two weeks before giving birth, the female cat begins to look around the house for a place to give birth. At this time, it is necessary to prepare a birthing box for the female cat so that she can wait for the birth with peace of mind. Delivery boxes are also available on the market, but it is more convenient and faster to use cartons or corrugated boxes. First of all, the width should be enough for the cat to lie down. Too narrow may cause the baby cat to suffocate. The appropriate depth is to cover its body. Create an opening where the cat can easily access it. Spread foam plastic on the bottom, spread more than 10 newspapers on top, and then spread a thick layer of shredded newspapers. The birth box should be placed in the corner of the room that cats love, or in a slightly dark place where few people come around. Choose a place that is warm in winter and cool in summer to facilitate your baby's growth. The farrowing box is prepared 2 weeks before the expected delivery date, so that the female cat can get used to it. In order to reduce the burden on the female cat, the toilet and water basin were also moved near the birthing box.

Carefully observe the daily status of the female cat. When the female cat is giving birth, the owner should reduce the number of times she goes out and check the cat's vagina every day. In addition, considering the possibility of dystocia, you should keep in touch with your doctor frequently. For long-haired breeds, the hair around the buttocks should be trimmed so that the kitten can suck milk. The hair on the pubic area should also be shaved. Be prepared to help pick it up when necessary: ​​several towels, sterilized scissors, gauze, toilet paper, etc. Especially in winter, it will be more convenient if you have an electric foot stove. In addition, you should prepare as many newspapers as possible.