What to feed a pregnant cat

An important question for the owner is how long the cat’s pregnancy lasts. The average duration of a cat’s pregnancy is 59 days. However, the gestational age of a cat largely depends on the age of the expectant mother, breed, and individual characteristics. The duration of a cat’s pregnancy can be 55 – 63 days. How to care for her during this period?

Vaccination and treatment against parasites is important before mating, because during pregnancy it is impossible to vaccinate and give medication to a cat. Except in special cases when the drug is prescribed by a veterinarian. Keep the contacts of your veterinarian and the nearest veterinary clinic handy in case your pet needs urgent help.

Equip a cozy corner for the cat with a spacious soft bed. It should be a quiet and warm place, away from drafts, where no one will disturb the cat. A pregnant cat becomes less energetic, more lying and sleeping.

Don’t let the expectant mother of kittens turn into a couch potato. Moderate exercise, games will help maintain muscle tone. It is important to protect the cat from risks and stress. No jumping from a height, no walking without the supervision of the owners. Contact with other pets in the house and younger family members who want to cuddle the kitty should be avoided. In a pregnant pet, immunity decreases, it becomes more vulnerable. And instincts can make a cat aggressive, because its task is to protect offspring.

The first two weeks after mating, the cat can be fed in the same way as always.

If your pet is on natural feeding, discuss in advance the changes in the cat’s diet during pregnancy. The main part of the diet should be meat. When feeding a natural woman, one cannot do without vitamin complexes.

If your cat is accustomed to a complete food, your veterinarian will help you choose a special food for pregnant and lactating cats. Typically, pet food manufacturers produce ready-made food that is suitable for both kittens and mother cat at the same time. It is advisable to choose a specialty food of the same brand as the regular food you give your cat. Don’t set yourself the task of saving money. High quality food will help the mother cat stay healthy and give birth to healthy beautiful kittens.

Be careful, a complete feed already takes into account all the needs of the pet, additional vitamin supplements are not needed. An excess of vitamins is not only harmful to the mother cat, but also dangerous to the health of future kittens.

What should be the composition of dry food that corresponds to the concept of the correct diet for a pregnant cat? The basis should be high-quality selected meat. Make sure this important protein source is at the top of your ingredient list. At the same time, the package must clearly indicate which protein of animal origin and in what quantity is used in the basis of the diet. For example: chicken (dehydrated meat 26%, fresh meat 10%). If in the composition instead of meat you see the wording “meat products” or “offal”, then this is a reason to opt for another brand.

Liver, animal fat, vegetables, fish, rice are all suitable ingredients for a pregnant cat and they can be found in the composition. The main thing is that the pet does not have a food intolerance to any of the components.

Transferring the ward to food for pregnant cats should be gradual, over the course of a week. Gradually add new food to the plate with the old one. Start with small amounts and increase as you push out the old diet. An abrupt transition to a new type of food will be unnecessary stress for the pet.

Discuss with your veterinarian the choice of healthy and tasty treats that will fit into the diet of a pregnant cat. They must have a high palatability. Do not overdo it with treats so that the cat does not gain too much, and do not replace treats with a full meal.

Stick to your diet. The daily rate should take into account both the food and the treats that you give your pet.

Too much food will make your cat overweight. And also to the fact that the kittens in the womb will become very large, it will be extremely difficult for the cat to give birth to them. But you should not limit food for a pregnant woman, and especially for a nursing cat. In fetal development, kittens grow and develop, and the larger the kittens become, the more they put pressure on the cat’s stomach, so the pet will not be able to eat a lot of food right away. It is better to leave dry cat food in the public domain. She will eat as much as she needs.

Observe the drinking regime. A pregnant cat should always have a bowl of clean water nearby. You can even arrange several bowls of water in different parts of the house. It is important for your pet to consume enough fluids.

During the period of feeding kittens, a cat may need noticeably more food than usual. This is normal, because the cat-mother gives almost all the nutrients to the kittens, which are growing rapidly. It is better to diversify the diet of a nursing cat with wet food. If a quarter of the food consumed per day is wet food, this will improve the production of mother’s milk. At the end of feeding within a week, transfer the cat back to her usual diet for adult pets.

Proper feeding of a pregnant cat will help maintain the health of the pet during the crucial period. To provide a cat with care and proper nutrition during pregnancy and feeding offspring is the task of the owner. Don’t let your pet down!

We wish your ward health and beautiful kittens!