Birth of kittens and care for them

It is worth noting that all mammals have a strong maternal instinct, it is especially well expressed in cats. A caring mother-cat completely devotes herself to raising her children. And this is not accidental, because we all know that kittens are born completely helpless, and in nature the cat bears all responsibility for its offspring.

As a rule, the first estrus in a cat begins at 6-8 months, when puberty occurs. Physically, during this period, the cat can already become pregnant and successfully bear kittens. However, the owners do not always trust the natural instincts, and limit the communication of the cat with the “cavaliers” in order to avoid further health problems for their pet. For the body of such a young cat, pregnancy will be a real test. In addition, kittens in this case are often born weak, and in the future they often get sick. Therefore, caring owners are in no hurry with mating, and are waiting for the next estrus.

A healthy cat’s pregnancy lasts approximately 65 days (plus or minus 7 days). Depending on the body of the mother cat, there can be up to 6 kittens in the litter. If the pregnancy is the first, then this is usually 1-3 babies.

It is important to understand that if a cat carries babies by the scruff of the neck to another place, then something was bothering her in the same place. You should not return her to a place where she is not comfortable.

The main moment after the birth of kittens is feeding. Here the instincts of the kittens work perfectly, and they easily find the nipple. The task of the owner is to monitor the weight of the cubs so that they all develop equally well. A cat needs special help if many kittens were born. In this case, the cat may not cope with the load on its own, it simply may not get enough milk. Then you need to take care of the availability of special mixtures for kittens, or purchase special supplements for cats that help increase the amount of milk.

Also, a caring mother-cat regularly licks kittens for their harmonious development.

It happens that a kitten is only two days old, and he already opens his eyes, but there are also less nimble ones, whose eyes open only on the sixteenth day. On average, babies begin to see the world somewhere on the seventh day (moreover, the darker the place where the kittens live, the earlier their eyes open), at about the same time they begin to crawl and take their first timid steps, and after a month they already frolic on complete.

So, if a responsible cat licks its babies properly, their place of residence is clean. In addition, this process allows for a close relationship between mother cat and kittens. As soon as the cub is born, the cat immediately begins to lick it, especially the muzzle, which activates the baby’s respiratory system, as the nose and mouth are cleared. After the first breath, the kitten’s lungs expand and begin to function.

After two weeks, the kittens are already learning to lick themselves. An interesting fact: if a cat did not take care of her kittens enough in childhood, then as adults, they will not be distinguished by cleanliness.

Licking also contributes to the good functioning of the excretory system. By licking the bottom of the baby’s tummy and his genitals, the cat thus stimulates bowel movements. Cats are generally known for their cleanliness, and if we talk about a sleeping place with kittens, they always keep it clean, in addition, they instill cleanliness in their children. And when the kittens reach the age of one month, the responsible parent begins to teach them to go to the toilet on their own.

It is very important to remember that everything is provided for in nature, so there is no need to interfere in the process of establishing a close relationship between a cat and kittens. The farther the family nest is from prying eyes, the safer the cat feels. The more a person interferes with the natural process of upbringing, the more likely it is that a cat may abandon its offspring.

Having reached the age of six months, kittens from defenseless animals turn into active and playful. And although they are still kittens, they already have natural predatory instincts that help them protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations.

The growing up of a small pet, like a person, consists of several stages, each of which somehow affects the character of an adult animal.

As mentioned earlier, if a cat is pregnant for the first time, she can give birth to up to three kittens. Also do not bring large offspring and older cats. Finally, the moment comes when a cat at an age completely loses the ability to produce offspring, although maternal feelings do not go anywhere. Therefore, there are times when old cats accept stray kittens as their own.

The most important period in the life of a kitten is the first two weeks of his life. If these days the babies establish a harmonious relationship with the cat, she pays enough attention to everyone and properly cares for everyone, we can safely talk about the healthy development of the cubs, not only in terms of physical health, but also in terms of character.

Also in the cat family, everything is strict with discipline. A responsible cat mother always monitors the behavior of her children, and if someone is guilty, she will definitely punish him. For example, if a kid who has played out bites his mother too painfully, she will definitely “explain” to him that this cannot be done by lightly hitting the kitten on the nose with her paw. Therefore, it can be observed that kittens raised on artificial feeding and without mother’s supervision, to some extent, have less control over their behavior, and may behave more aggressively.

Starting from the fourth week of life, stronger kittens can be accustomed to complementary foods. As babies become more independent, the cat can already afford to be away for a longer time, and more often watch her offspring from the side. There are also changes in the feeding procedure: the cat does not go to her children herself, but waits for them to come to her, while she calls them with a special meow.

During this period of growing up kittens, the owners need to restrain themselves, and interfere as little as possible in the process of education. Guided by love and care for the growing offspring, the owners can force the cat to be with the children. But it is highly undesirable to do so, in nature everything is thought out. After all, overly playful kittens can cause aggression in the mother cat, she will become restless, and this will be passed on to the cubs, who, in turn, will also behave unrestrainedly towards each other. This situation is fraught with the fact that aggressiveness may remain in the nature of adults.

The second month of life of kittens is characterized by long games, during which they develop communication skills and learn to hunt. To do this, they need more space, and they begin to actively explore the surrounding space, leaving their bed.

And now the moment comes when the owners can show all their love and care, because from two months old babies begin to learn to live in society.

When little kittens are born, the cat reveals itself in a completely new way in the eyes of the owners. She turns into a caring and gentle animal, always ready to defend her offspring. Defenseless babies evoke a feeling of love and care not only from the cat mother, but also from her owners. Therefore, you need to remember and understand that now the responsibility of the owners increases several times. But watching kittens grow up is incredibly interesting, because every day with them is a sea of ​​​​positive emotions (with the exception of situations when already adult kittens can misbehave).