This is quite an undertaking if the kittens are tiny and the decision needs to be thought through carefully. Occasionally kittens seem to be rejected perhaps because they are ill or have a problem and trying to hand-rear may prolong the suffering, so it is not always appropriate and needs time and expertise to do it properly.
Kittens are very fragile, and raising them can be difficult, time-consuming, and it is not always successful. See our information on hand rearing kittens. All our advice is freely accessible to everyone, wherever you are in the world.
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What happens during a normal cat birth? How do I care for newborn kittens? Thank you for visiting our website, we hope you have found our information useful. Donate Now. Spread the Word Twitter Facebook Linkedin. Search iCatCare. You are now being re-directed to an external website — www. Thank you for supporting International Cat Care through your shop purchases! Without estrus, females stop attracting males through long, drawn-out cat calls at night.
Week 3: Pinking up Three weeks into the cat gestation period, felines show the first visible symptoms of pregnancy called pinking up. Week 4: Morning sicknesses Some cats experience a similar morning sickness condition to the human version in week four of gestation. Nausea and vomiting may initiate food refusal during this time. Do not push on or touch her tummy as this may affect the growing kittens. Always ensure a cat has fresh water available, and set her feeding and drinking bowls on the ground for easier access as jumping up may be difficult for her and could hurt the kittens.
Week 6: Affectionate, frequent purring Cats are known to become more affectionate. Pregnant cats purr more frequently during the final weeks. Felines can be aggressive or intolerant of other pets in the household. Her appetite will increase again during this time. The best food for pregnant foster cats is kitten food as it contains a high volume of calories. Week 8: Nesting Two weeks before a feline delivers kittens she will begin nesting.
A cat starts looking for quiet, warm, safe places to settle into for labor and the birth. To minimize her nesting choices, keep doors to rooms, closets and cupboards closed. Leave large, cleaned cardboard boxes lined with soft newspaper, paper towels or a washable blanket in a convenient, wind-free, pet-free, low-light areas in the house.
Week 9: Kittens A pregnant cat may refuse food as she enters the final stage of gestation in week nine. Contact your vet if you your cat does any of the following:. If your female cat is around a male cat that is not neutered, she could become pregnant again before she is even done weaning her current litter.
Most veterinarians prefer to wait until about a month after she is done weaning to spay her, as this allows time for the uterus to shrink down and makes the surgery safer. If you are in this situation, have your male cat neutered as soon as you know your female is pregnant, or keep your female cat confined so that another pregnancy is not possible before she can be spayed. According to the ASPCA , a cat can have an average of four to six kittens per litter, and can have one to two litters per year.
That adds up to a lot of kittens! Shelters are full of cats and kittens across the United States. To help with the serious problem of overpopulation, talk to your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your cat. It is also important to consider the risk of pyometra infection in the uterus , which is a life-threatening condition that can happen in intact not spayed cats. The best way to prevent this serious and expensive medical condition is to spay your cat.
Spaying before the first heat cycle which can occur as early as 4 months of age , can also reduce the risk of mammary cancer in your feline friend. Although you may want to pet and hold the kittens constantly, do not intervene too much in the first week or two of their lives. During this time, kittens are very susceptible to disease, and it can be stressful to the mom and babies. During the first few weeks after birth, the mother cat will stimulate her kittens to eliminate by cleaning their genital areas.
She will also clean up after them, so there is no need to add a litter box specifically for the kittens during their early days. Kittens are unable to regulate their own body temperature until they are 3 to 4 weeks old.
So for the first four weeks of their lives, you should provide a warm, clean box or bedding for the mother and kittens to share. Use a heating pad below the nesting box or a heating lamp above it to keep the kittens warm. But make sure there are accessible unheated areas, as kittens will need to be able to move away from the heat source if they become too warm.
They may want to see them right away to evaluate for cleft palates, umbilical hernias, and other health concerns, or they may advise you to wait until they are a bit older. Many veterinarians recommend deworming at regular intervals, starting at 2 to 4 weeks of age, and vaccinating at 6 weeks of age.
If you notice that one of your kittens is smaller or has less energy than the others, consult your veterinarian. Socializing them at an early age can help ensure that they fit well into a household. Kittens should NOT be taken away from their mother and go to their new homes too quickly, as they learn very important social rules and behavior from their mother and siblings.
They should never be separated from their mother if they are younger than 8 weeks old. Waiting until they are closer to 10 weeks old to adopt out or place the kittens in homes will have an even greater behavioral benefit. Once the kittens are 3 to 4 weeks old, you can begin the weaning process by giving them access to kitten food. You can mix dry kibble with water and let it soak to make the kibbles softer or canned kitten food to make it easier for them to eat.
They should still have constant access to the queen, who will continue to nurse them. Over the next few weeks, they will rely more and more on kitten food rather than nursing.
Most queens will wean their kittens by 5 to 6 weeks of age. At this age, you also can put out a small litter pan with a thin layer of litter. Most kittens will naturally scratch in the litter and learn to relieve themselves in the litter box. Pet statistics. Animal homelessness, shelter intake and surrender.
Small Animal Internal Medicine. Louis, Mo. Reducing the risk of cancer. Special pet topics. Cancer and tumors. Merck Veterinary Manual. Brooks Wendy. Giving birth to kittens. Veterinary Information Network. Williams Krista. Pregnancy and parturition in cats.
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