Curiosities about pregnancy in cats

Know all these curiosities to be prepared at the moment your cat has her litter.

The gestation period of female cats is similar to that of dogs, but with peculiarities peculiar to cats. Next, we will tell you some facts that you will not only find interesting, but useful in case you have a pregnant cat at home.

In order for kittens to develop and be born well, it is important to monitor the future mother and provide her with all the care she needs.

Ovulation in felines is induced

Ovulation in female cats occurs when the cervix is stimulated by coitus. The number of eggs released depends on the number of sexual acts that have taken place during the last estrus.

Copulation is very fast, with hardly any courtship. The male approaches from behind, bites the neck of the female who goes down and sticks the body to the ground while the male rides her. It may seem a little rough and the female is usually aggressive with the male minutes later.

Pregnancy in cats lasts 63 days

Just over two months is the time that kittens need to fully develop. Around 20 days of pregnancy, their heartbeats can already be detected. Between the fourth and sixth week of pregnancy the kittens double their size and at 50 days their head and legs are perfectly distinguished, they also begin to move.

The cat gains between one and two kilos of weight

A very obvious sign of pregnancy in cats is the weight gain of the future mother. Depending on the number of kittens that come on the way, the cat can gain one or two kilos.

Of course, more specific dietary requirements may be necessary during pregnancy, as you tend to eat more. To adequately cover this need, there is a wide variety of feed for pregnant and lactating mothers, which it is convenient to provide them.

The temperature decreases just before delivery

An imminent sign of labor is usually a drop in body temperature that drops to approximately 37.8 °C between 12 and 24 hours before the start of labor. This phenomenon is also observed in other animals.

Litters are usually three to five kittens

This can give us a clue as to how advanced the birth is going; it is normal that a time of about ten minutes to an hour elapse between breeding and breeding. If the cat shows clear signs of not being able to continue with the birth and still has kittens inside, which she cannot expel or we see that one gets stuck in the birth canal, we must immediately go to the veterinarian.

Mother helps kittens to be born

The cat helps her young to get out of the amniotic sac by breaking it with her teeth, then licks the kittens to remove fluids from the airways and thus help them breathe, with the lick also stimulates the functioning of the digestive system. The mother also cut the umbilical cord with her own teeth.

In a C-section the veterinarian breaks the sacs and cuts and ties the umbilical cord, it also helps the kittens breathe by rubbing them quickly and shaking them quickly.

Once "awake," kittens immediately reach for their mother's nipples to start feeding.

The placenta comes out at the end

Placentas come out after each cat is delivered. Normally there is one placenta per brood, although two cats can share one.

It is important that the mother attempts to expel all placentas. Otherwise, placental debris can cause serious infections. In that case, urgent veterinary care will be indispensable.

Make sure that all the placentas come out and that the cat is well and does not present dark vaginal discharge once the birth process has passed.

It is very normal for the mother to eat the placentas. This is instinctive behavior. Remember that in nature wild cats do it to obtain a quick source of nutrients after the effort involved in childbirth. In addition, by keeping predator odors away and eliminating nest odors, they can prevent flies and other insects from entering the area.

Final note

If you have a pregnant cat, be sure to take her to her appropriate veterinary checkups and provide her with adequate nutrition throughout her pregnancy. Also, remember that you should pay attention to certain issues at the time of delivery, so you can prevent complications.

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