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How to Prepare Your Pregnant Cat to Give Birth & Kitten Care

Chipman Road Animal Clinic • February 22, 2022

Are you ready for your precious purr queen to deliver her kittens? Is your cat giving birth for the first time? Yes, for the most part, it’s best to let a mother cat do her job when delivering kittens, but you should know now to prepare kittens ahead of time. 

How to Prepare for Dog Giving Birth

Prepare your cat for giving birth by staying current with vaccinations before your cat gets pregnant, but when it’s too late for that, seek advice from your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will advise you on how to best prepare your cat for giving birth, including safely treating worms and fleas while pregnant.

 

Three to four weeks before your cat delivers her kittens, she will need to eat about 25% more food while maintaining her normal feeding schedule. She will continue to need more calories until after the kittens are weaned. This is best achieved by feeding her kitten food.

 

During the week before she delivers her kittens, you will begin to see a change in her behavior. She will likely be looking for the purrfect place to give birth. Prepare your cat for giving birth by providing a clean, warm and secluded place for her to deliver her kittens. Warm blankets and clean linens, which can be washed and replaced as needed, should be provided. Your cat should also have free access to fresh water before, during and after birth. Make sure her water source is safely out of reach for the kittens to avoid drowning.

Immediate Things to do After a Kitten is Born

Keep an eye on your cat from a distance when she is about to give birth. You do not want to disturb her or make her nervous. Generally, kittens are born 5 to 30 minutes after your cat starts pushing. Usually, you will not have to intervene, but if any problems do occur, you will be there for her. 

 

Know how to help a cat give birth by looking out for the following problems:


  • When a kitten is not completely born but the mother is extremely tired. If the kitten has not completely passed within a few seconds, very gently pull it out downwards with clean hands and call the Vet for advice.
  • When the mother does not bite through the umbilical cord you should step in. With clean sewing thread tie off twice starting about 3 centimeters from the kitten’s body with a space in-between and farther out tie again. Then gently tear between the two ties with very clean hands.
  • When the mother does not clean a kitten you can quickly and gently clear the membranes from its head with a clean soft kitchen cloth. Open the kitten’s mouth to clear it and wipe its nose. With a circular motion, rub the kitten to stimulate its breathing. It is normal behavior for the mother to eat the after birth.
  • When the mother is not keeping the kittens warm, provide a warm, well covered hot water bottle. 


As mentioned before, it is unlikely you will have to intervene when your cat is giving birth, but if you do, please seek veterinary advice right away. The kittens could be at risk of infection, injury, or of being rejected by the mother. 

Issues to Watch for After Your Pup Gives Birth

After the puppies are born, there are some important health problems to look out for. When you see these problems, take your mother dog to the veterinarian quickly: 



  • When the afterbirth looks like pus, has a bad odor, or looks overly bloody.
  • A fever, lack of appetite and vaginal discharge with an odor will be signs of Metritis (an inflamed uterus). Sometimes the uterus can become inflamed when the placenta is not completely expelled or when a delivery trauma has occurred. Normal vaginal discharge is green and will eventually turn to a red/brown color. This discharge may last 10-14 days.
  • Dogs with eclampsia are restless, have muscle spasms, can have a stiff gait and can even experience seizures. Eclampsia is a drop in blood calcium levels that is caused by nursing.
  • An infected breast that has become hard, red, and painful is called mastitis. New mothers will likely be sore nursing her new puppies, but take her in, if you suspect mastitis.
  • When the mother is not producing milk the puppies will not receive the necessary nutrients and antibodies from the mother.


The mother dog will still need a higher calorie diet while she is still nursing the puppies. She will also still need a quiet place that is clean to take care of her puppies.

Issues to Watch for After Your Cat Gives Birth

You might be wondering: “how long does it take for a cat to give birth”. The complete birthing process is normally finished in 6 hours but can last up to 24 hours. Delivery time between kittens normally takes 10 to 60 minutes. A cat giving birth for the first time will have a smaller litter. While one to nine kittens can be born in a litter, the average litter size is between four to six kittens.

 

Know what to do after a cat gives birth by looking out for the following issues: 


  • Your cat seems uneasy about where the kittens were born. She may try to move them to a different spot. Make sure she has a safe, warm, clean, and quiet place to keep her kittens. Maybe provide a cardboard box lined with soft blankets and sheets to hide her kittens in.
  • If for some reason she rejects one or more of her kittens, putting some of the birthing fluids on the kitten could solve the issue.
  • Constant interruptions, severe disturbances, or pain for the mother can cause a mother cat to kill her kittens. It is imperative her environment is calm and that she is in good health. Keep other pets and disturbances away from very young kittens.
  • Your cat has a poor appetite, or is she drinking excessively or vomiting?
  • Has she become awkward, clumsy? Watch out for physical twitching or collapse.
  • Does she have an infected mammary gland? Mastitis could be present if a mammary gland is hot, painful or enlarged.
  • Look for unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding. It is normal for the queen to have a green/brown vaginal discharge for 7-10 days after giving birth.
  • Look for a prolapsed uterus that may be pushed out through pushing hard.


Consult your veterinarian soon if any of the above issues have been observed. When you contact the vet, ask whether or not you should transport the kittens with the mother. When the kittens can stay at home make sure they will be well cared for while you take the mother in.

Taking Care of Your Newborn Kittens

Newborn kittens will receive rich antibodies from the colostrum produced by the mother’s milk during their first 24 hours of life. Colostrum will protect their bodies against disease. Let your vet know, if for some reason, the kittens were not able to receive the first milk. 

 

Newborn kittens will keep the mother busy nursing every two to three hours. Additional nutrition will not be necessary until after they are three to four weeks old. When kittens cry often and seek teats, they may not be receiving enough food, in which case, supplemental food may be necessary. Contact your veterinarian soon if you suspect the kittens are not receiving enough nutrition.

#1. Handle Your New Kittens with Care

Watch over the new kittens with tender loving care. Monitor their growth rate by weighing the kittens at birth and keeping records. A new kitten will weigh between 80-170g each and gain about 10-15g every day afterwards. By two weeks old, their weight should be doubled.

#2. Make Sure They Feed Every 2-3 Hours

Prepare for kittens by knowing they need to feed every 2-3 hours and should gain at least 10% of their birth weight per day. Feeding the kittens often will help them urinate and defecate properly. 

#3. Begin Socializing Your Kittens

Socialize the newborn kittens for healthy behavioral development. They must be exposed to different sights, sounds, textures, smells and especially interactions with people before eight weeks old. If kittens are not socialized early on, they will be more like feral cats who are scared of people and unusual sounds later in life. Expose them to the different sounds within the house like the noise of the washing machine, dishwasher, and vacuum cleaner. Let them have positive experiences with car rides and being gently handled by adults and children. The mother cat will also socialize them when they remain with her until they are at least six weeks old.

#4. Start Weaning Your Kittens Around 3-4 Weeks of Age

Weaning kittens will take several weeks and you can start the process when they are three to four weeks old. Because the kitten’s premolars come in around 5 weeks of age, there are those who believe you should start then. Follow the advice of your veterinarian and get a feel for what is right for your kittens.

 

Be sure to buy kitten food when preparing to wean your kittens. Kitten food is higher in calories, fat and protein to help them grow strong. Wet kitten food should be introduced first as the moisture will help them stay hydrated. But if your kitten prefers dry food, that will also work – as long as you choose kitten kibble. Place the kitten food on a shallow dish for easy access to the chow. 

 

Introduce your kitten to food on their time schedule – don’t rush them. You can start by offering food on your finger, tongue depressor, or spoon to see if they will accept it. Let them gradually warm up to the idea and eventually they will catch on. When they are eating well on their own, you can switch completely over to solid foods formulated for kittens. 

 

After the kittens are fully weaned, you can introduce water to them. Offer water in a very shallow dish for safety reasons. It will be awkward for them at first but soon they will be drinking confidently after several days. 

#5. Schedule Kitten Vaccinations Around 8-10 Weeks of Age

You will definitely need a consultation with your veterinarian concerning kitten vaccinations around 6-8 weeks of age. Vaccinations after the 6-8 weeks of age period will be repeated every 3-4 weeks until the kittens are 4 months old. This schedule of basic vaccinations will protect your kitty from diseases such as feline distemper, feline herpes virus 1, and rabies. Based on the needs of your kitten, your veterinarian will help you know which vaccinations are best for your kitty.

When Should You Contact Your Local Veterinarian?

Contacting your local veterinarian is the first step to knowing how to prepare for kittens and you should let the vet know as soon as the kittens are born.

Chipman Road Animal Clinic is Your Trusted Local Veterinarian in Lee's Summit!

Chipman Road Animal Clinic serves all of Lee’s Summit, MO and the surrounding areas with excellent veterinary care with affordable prices. Our door is always open and you can stop in any time without an appointment. Call us when your cat is giving birth for the first time or for advice on how to prepare for kittens. We love kittens and will extend the best care for your mother cat and her kittens. Call today at: 816-524-1886. 

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