How to determine the onset of childbirth in a cat?

Significant changes in the body of a pregnant cat occur at about 4-6 weeks. At this time, there is a sharp jump in the development of kittens, an increase in the body weight of the cat and, as a result, an increase in the appetite of the animal. A caring owner understands that the mating took place successfully, and begins preparations for childbirth.

What needs to be done before childbirth?

1. Visit a veterinarian. Determination of pregnancy is possible with the help of ultrasound on the 21st day after mating. And the sooner the owner knows that the cat is pregnant, the better. The specialist will talk about how the cat’s pregnancy proceeds, determine, if the term allows, the approximate number of fetuses and give recommendations for care;

2. Make an appointment with your veterinarian for a home visit. Agree that in case of complications during childbirth, you can call him home even at night;

3. Equip a place for childbirth. It is worth preparing a large box in advance or buying a special house for a cat and newborn kittens in the store.

There are a number of signs of cat behavior that will help determine an imminent birth. However, they manifest themselves differently for everyone, it all depends on the individual characteristics of each pet.

For example, cats without a breed most often try to hide from a person, while thoroughbred ones, on the contrary, are looking for support and affection.

Signs of an upcoming birth:

• For a day or three, the body temperature of a cat can drop to 37 ° C (normally, it ranges from 38 to 39 ° C). But, unlike dogs, this may not happen in cats. The body temperature drops before childbirth due to the fact that the level of the hormone progesterone decreases, which, in turn, is produced by the corpus luteum of pregnancy, but in cats, progesterone is also produced by the placentas of kittens;

• The cat begins to actively lick itself, especially the belly and genitals;

• The mammary glands swell, become hot, sometimes colostrum is released;

• The activity of the cat is markedly reduced. When she is at rest, you can see how her stomach moves: this is due to the movement of the kittens;

• On the day of birth, the cat’s appetite may drop sharply or completely disappear.

In addition, there are at least two sure signs of imminent labor, but it is quite difficult to notice them. The first is the removal of the birth plug, the mucus clot that separates the uterus from the vagina. Most often, the cat eats the cork, so you are unlikely to find it. The second sign is the outflow of amniotic fluid, which has a yellowish tint and a mucous consistency. As a rule, after this, within a few hours, the cat starts giving birth.

Premature birth in a cat

Unfortunately, there are cases when childbirth begins long before the expected date. Kittens born prematurely usually die. The causes of premature birth can be different:

• Physical injury to the cat;

• Sexual infections;

• stressful situations;

• Injuries and pathologies of development of kittens;

• Diseases of the reproductive tract;

• Genetic incompatibilities.

If the birth began prematurely, it is urgent to contact the veterinary clinic. The main thing is not to panic. A cat is able to stop contractions and delay labor on its own, but only a veterinarian can identify the cause of premature labor and help the animal.

It is quite simple to determine the onset of childbirth in a cat, it is more difficult to remain calm at the same time. Do not panic and try to help your pet in every possible way, especially if this is happening to you for the first time. The best thing you can do is call your veterinarian and trust their professionalism.