Is your cat pregnant and due to give birth soon? Her belly is rounded, she seeks more and more attention and meows a lot? Don’t panic, these are all normal behaviors announcing the imminent arrival of the kittens. We will give you some tips below to make sure it goes smoothly.

In cats, the usual gestation period is 64 to 69 days after mating, that is, up to 71 days after the onset of heat.

A normal calving can last from 4 to 42 hours, with an average of 16 hours. The farrowing can be longer if the cat is stressed, putting the lives of future kittens in danger.

In the vast majority of cases, female births take place naturally, without human intervention. However, beware of cats of brachycephalic breeds, that is to say with the flattened Persian type face. In these cats, the head, which is large even at birth, sometimes has difficulty passing through the mother’s pelvis, and cesarean deliveries are frequent.

If the birth is too complex or takes too long, there may be the need to schedule an emergency Caesarean section to release the kittens. In particular, you must know how to spot the signs of distress in the cat: if she meows a lot, does not eat any more or seems dejected, urgently contact your attending veterinarian who will then tell you what to do. 

The pregnancy diagnosis, made by a veterinarian, is important in order to know precisely the date of birth and to be able to set up a non-stressful monitoring of the animal. Indeed, stress is a source of significant complications, and the cat can stop giving birth for several hours if she feels stressed. If the mating date is unknown, it is possible to know the ovulation date from an ultrasound. Taking an x-ray at 60 days of gestation can be useful for measuring kittens and ensuring that they can pass through the pelvis of the cat.

In dogs as in cats, there is a significant stillbirth of newborns, which can reach 10 to 12%. This rate increases sharply if the birth is complicated. Thus this period, as well as the first days of life of young kittens therefore require significant monitoring, in order to be able to intervene quickly in the event of problems.

A few days to a few hours before giving birth, one can spot the preludes of the birth, that is to say the warning signs of the happy event. A few days before the term, the cat will change its behavior: it will isolate itself, or on the contrary particularly seek contact with its owners. She will also tend to seek a quiet place and then create a nest there. This is why it is important to provide her with a quiet place where she can settle down before giving birth. It can be a box, laid out calmly, with an opening on the side and a small rim preventing the kittens from coming out for the first few days. You can then fill this box with easily changeable litter, such as mattress pads or newspaper.

A few hours before the arrival of the first kittens, we will be able to observe physical signs in the cat, with the appearance of hanging udders, a loss of appetite, and sometimes repeated meowing, especially in Eastern and Siamese breeds.

After giving birth, most mothers take good care of the kittens. These should be kept warm and calm, and quickly breastfed by the mother. Feedings take place regularly and in very small quantities for the first 48 hours. The kittens then drink a few milliliters of milk every 20 minutes. If the cat does not have enough milk, especially on large litters, then it is important to take over with powdered cat formula. Be careful, cow’s milk is very poorly digested by young kittens.

During their first days of life, young kittens need to be stimulated to defecate. The cat will tend to lick them in the perineal area in order to stimulate urination and defecation. If the mother is absent or does not, then take over by massaging this area with a damp tissue.

Calving like the first days of kittens’ life is a very energy-intensive period for the mother. It is therefore important to offer him a particularly energetic diet at this time. The easiest solution is to offer him to eat kitten kibble, which is enriched with protein.

Unfortunately, there are almost as many homeless stray cats in France as there are domestic cats. Also, having a litter should be a thoughtful act so as not to end up with kittens without families.

In the event of involuntary pregnancy of her cat, an interruption of the gestation is possible by a simple medical treatment at your veterinarian. This should ideally take place between the 22nd and the 35th day of gestation. The pregnancy will then be stopped and the fetus will be absorbed, without expulsion. On the contrary, if the abortion is performed after the 45th day, then your veterinarian will most often suggest that you hospitalize the animal.

Sterilization is obviously the simplest act to prevent unwanted pregnancies in your cat. Remember that an unsterilized cat can have offspring of up to 20 kittens in 000 years.