my cat is pregant need advise

[Patch and kittens]

my dad said that my cat is pregnat and i don't know waht to do
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[Maresche]

Brianna--There are a couple of things you can do for your kitty at this point.
First-make sure she has plenty of good food and fresh water to drink. She'll need it to feed her babies both now and after they are born.
Secondly-start looking for families for these babies. Make sure that they are kind people who will take good care of the babies and get them spayed/neutered as soon as they are old enough.
Third-make an appointment with your vet to have your kitty spayed a few weeks after the babies are born. This will keep your kitty from having anymore babies; there are too many unwanted kitties out there as it is to be adding more. :( Tell the vet that your kitty is pregnant and they will tell you how soon after the babies are born she can be spayed.

[4 feline house]

If she's an outside cat, bring her inside. Make a box big enough for her to comfortably stretch out in with at least one low side. Put it in a quiet, secluded place that's also big enough for a small litter box, food and water, because the first few days after the kittens are born she will not leave them. Show it to her, but don't be surprised if she has the kittens under the bed anyway. If she is not used to being inside and refuses to come in or stay in, make sure there is a secure, secluded, weathersafe place outside that she can get into that can also accomodate a small litter box, food and water, but again don't be surprised if she picks her own place to have them (if this happens, you may never find them). Start feeding her kitten food now, and keep her on it until the kittens are weaned, which will begin in about 4 weeks and will be complete in about 6 to 8 weeks. When the kittens are weaned she will need to be spayed - not a moment too soon...please do not put it off. The day she is ready to deliver you may notice that she is listless, restless, and refuses food and water. She may even vomit. Just give her some peace and quiet. If she likes the nest you make for her she will go to it. If not, moving her to it will probably only make her anxious and nervous. It is exciting to watch the birth of kittens, but please resist the temptation and let her labor in peace and quiet. It won't hurt to occasionally check on her to make sure things are going okay (I had to assist with a foster cat's delivery) but it's not a good idea for a bunch of people to hover over her. When the kittens are born they will be blind and deaf, but within 10 days their ears and eyes should be open. Do not try to pry their eyes open. Mom will help them eliminate until they are old enough to use the litter box, and then she will show them how. You should handle the kittens to socialize them and get them used to human touch, but it's best not to disturb them when they are asleep or nursing, and the first couple of weeks it will seem like they are always doing one or the other! Always be gentle and quiet when handling the babies or even just visiting them. Whether they are inside or outside (assuming you know where they are if outside) be sure to kittenproof the area they are in, and later the entire house. You'd be surprised how fast a tiny kitten can jump up onto a toilet - but not be able to get out when they fall in. Keep all doors to unsafe areas closed, all toilet lids down (or bathroom doors closed), no toys with small parts, etc - basically the same as for babies.

Good luck with her and her babies, and I hope you find homes for them all.

[ July 10, 2001: Message edited by: 4 feline house ]