If your cat is expecting, you need to learn your role. Preparations must be made before birth and after the birth, as well.
Event Preparation
Well before kitten delivery time, you should get the vet’s office phone number and home number, if possible. Check the hours the office is open. Get contact information for a reliable 24 hour veterinary service as a back up.
Select a quiet and private location for the mother cat to give birth. A birthing box can be created by lining a box with soft materials. Place absorbent materials nearby (such as newspaper, towels or paper towels) to be used when the cat delivers. Be sure to introduce the pregnant cat to the birthing box ahead of time, so she will become comfortable with it.
Your delivery kit should also be kept nearby, containing items such as scissors, which should be sterilized with alcohol or betadine.
As the date of delivery nears, the pet owner should check the cat’s temperature once or twice per day. The cat’s temperature will sometimes drop tunder 99 degrees Fahrenheit 24 hours before delivery.
During Delivery
When the cat begins labor, she should receive 1cc of Calphosan to replace her calcium as she produces milk for the kittens.
Before assisting in the actual delivery, the pet owner should sterilize his or her hands with a disinfecting soap, or with hibatane, betadine, or nolvasan. It might also be necessary to use gauze pads or a face cloth to help grip the kitten when it begins to emerge from the female. Vaseline can also be helpful in freeing the kitten if it is stuck.
It sometimes is necessary to enter the birthing canal in order to determine the position of the kitten and to help with delivery. If so, sterile gloves should be used (from that delivery kit you prepared ahead of time).
After Delivery
After the cat delivers the kittens, it is a good idea to administer .5cc oxytocin. This helps contract the uterus and it limits the amount of bleeding after the kittens are delivered. If the placenta does not extract itself naturally, contact the vet to get removal instructions.
In order to cut the cord, dental floss or other form of sterile suture material can be used to tie the cord. A small hemostat can also be used to seal the cord before cutting it. Then sterile scissors should cut it. Iodine should be applied to the cord ends to prevent infection.
Kitten Care
After birth, newborn kittens need to have the fluid cleared from their airways before they suck it into their lungs. A small syringe or a bulb syringe can be used for this job. If the kitten appears to have difficulty breathing, a drop of Dopram should be placed beneath its tongue. This will stimulate respiration. No more than one drop should be used.
Kittens also have difficulty maintaining their body temperature. Therefore, they must be kept warm. If kittens are born while the pet owner is not present and are found alive yet cold, they can be warmed by immersing them in warm water or by using a hair dryer. Care should be taken, however, to not overheat the kitten. After the kitten has been properly warmed, it can rejoin its mother.
The mother’s milk is enough to provide proper nutrients to the newborn kittens. Some pet owners, however, choose to supplement the mother’s milk immediately with a formula. This is a bit dangerous because the formula lacks the antibodies that mother's milk passes on. When necessary, though, the formula is fed to the new born kitten with an eye dropper. In a couple of weeks, the kittens can feed from a small bottle (with a lot of your help).
With you and mama cat working together, you'll soon have a fine, healthy batch of kittens.
Now it's time to start thinking about neutering. The "miracle of birth" is lovely, but feline overpopulation inevitably leads to the "miracle of death" and, trust me, that one isn't pretty at all. But that's an article for another day.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
