A cat's pregnancy lasts between 64 and 67 days and they have litters of between 1 and 5 puppies on average. The pregnant cat requires a lot of care, but this is just the beginning of all the care you will have from now on, especially with the baby cats that just born.
Newborn cats are very fragile, little by little they will become independent, however in the first days they require a lot of care and attention to be able to develop in the best way.
In this article on our site we have made a compilation of useful tips so that your puppies achieve optimal development and gradually reach adulthood in a he althy way and above all enjoy a he althy life. full and happy, from childhood. Keep reading to find out about the monthly cat care
Care in the first days of cats
It is appropriate that during the first days of life, the baby cat spends as much time as possible with its mother. She will take care of all the necessary care, such as providing colostrum, the most important food for puppies during the first month of life.
Colostrum provides great benefits and should be drunk by baby cats during the first 24 to 72 hours of life. Colostrum provides antibodies and antimicrobial factors, which enhance the defenses of the intestine, not to mention that it provides growth factors, which are very important for puppies. During this process we must not touch or manipulate them.
However, it is common to find litters of kittens abandoned by people or by the mother herself. It can also happen that the cat does not breastfeed or rejects her offspring. In this type of situation we must take care of the kitten or the litter.
You should know that taking care of a single cat or even several is a very complicated task because you will have to watch over them 24 hours a day to feed them regularly and provide them with warmth. A carelessness or a bad ingestion can cause the death of a small newborn.
The first care of a newborn cat
- Create a stable environment such as a carrier or box.
- The temperature should be around 20ºC - 22ºC, to maintain it you can take an electric blanket, place a towel on it (never in direct contact with the cats) and place the kittens' "nest" on top.
- Cover the false burrow with a thin blanket so they feel safe and sheltered from the cold.
- You can add a clock to simulate the mother's heartbeat, it usually reassures the little ones.
Feeding in baby cats
Continuing with the care for one-month cats, we are going to focus on feeding these little ones, the most important of all care. The first thing to keep in mind is that under no circumstances should you give cow's milk to a kitten, and that means you should not do it in any of its presentations: whole milk, semi-skimmed milk or milk for human babies.
This is because the puppies' immune system is barely developing and therefore infections or digestive disorders can occur, which endanger the lives of your little ones. They also have a greater difficulty in metabolizing this type of milk. The best option is to buy milk formula for cats, this has the necessary proteins and nutrients such as phosphorus, which will help in the correct development and growth of the puppies.
The best thing you can do is go to your vet so that he can tell you which is the best food option for your case. It can also help you develop a homemade formula specific to your kittens and their needs.
How to feed a newborn kitten
- Get artificial milk formula.
- Buy a bottle and a nipple for each cat (you will avoid the transmission of diseases) and boil all the objects to sterilize them.
- Heat the milk until it is at the right temperature, not too cold and not too hot. Use your skin to check that it is at the right temperature.
- Stimulates the kitten until it wakes up.
- Never vertically, always horizontally allow your kitten to drink the milk, to find out the right amount you should consult your veterinarian. You should also check the indications of the product you have purchased.
- Let him nurse little by little and slowly, it is preferable that he receives more than less formula.
- Pay attention to a strange cough, excessive noise or the expulsion of milk from the nose. If it happens, it will be a consequence of a bad intake of milk. Go immediately to a veterinary clinic. Never rock him like a baby.
- When he finishes eating you should stimulate his genitals so that he urinates or defecates, it is very important that you always do so. Use a damp washcloth or towel to simulate its mother's tongue.
Extra tips on feeding newborn kittens
- Newborn cats should be fed every 3 or 4 hours, as they grow this time will expand.
- Always clean and disinfect all bottles well, also remember that each one is individual.
- Never store prepared milk for more than 12 hours.
- Do not stop feeding a cat if he is listless or discouraged, stimulate him until he wakes up
- Go to the vet in a strange situation, baby kittens are very sensitive and could die in a matter of minutes or hours.
Baby Kitten Development
By following the advice mentioned above, your little kittens will begin to develop and grow. To make sure that everything happens correctly it is useful to create a table of notes in which we write down the weight of the cats every day.
Each day they should increase by about 10%. If not, you may need to increase the kittens' milk intake.
You will feed the baby kittens every 3-4 hours (including at night) until they are 4 weeks old. From the fourth week we will begin to reduce milk consumption and provide small doses of wet food (a spoonful for example), always soft food.
Little by little we will reduce the milk and increase the wet food until weaning him. Then we can start him on the dry feed.
Play and take care of your little cats
You should also stimulate play needs, since by repressing this need, cats can grow up depressed and traumatized. In addition, this develops their perceptive and orientation skills. To play with your cats, you can use any object that does not cause any damage, such as a ball of yarn. Play is also an indicator of cat he alth.
You should pay attention to his weight, which should increase steadily during the first three months. Normally, baby cats double their weight after the first week of birth, at birth they weigh between 90 and 110 grams, by the third week they should weigh around 280 grams.
Puppy He alth
Last but not least in this month-long cat care series, you should get them checked out ASAP possible. Take your cats to the vet so they can check for dehydration, parasites, weight and the general he alth of your puppies. Some warning signs and symptoms are:
- cough
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- low temperature
- lack of weight
- poor appetite
- lack of energy
If you face any of these symptoms, you should see a professional as soon as possible. As we have mentioned, kittens are extremely sensitive and could die in less than an hour. It is also super important to be able to rule out diseases and parasites that can seriously harm your kitten.
Further on and following the schedule of vaccinations for cats, you should vaccinate them to prevent them from suffering diseases in the future.
By following these tips from our site, you will guarantee the proper development of your puppies. It is true that it is an arduous task that requires full time and above all a lot of love, very difficult but not impossible and in the end you will obtain the satisfaction of having done the right thing.
