Who doesn’t feel excited of welcoming a new member to the family? When your cat has delivered its babies, it is the joyful time as you get some new members at home.
You might have taken care your pregnant cats by looking at the signs of pregnant cat since the beginning carefully and tenderly, and now you might be wondering what you should do after the delivery of the babies.
Taking care mother cats after delivering their babies is also a critical moment. You can see the tips to take care of mother cat after giving birth. As an owner, you must be aware of this condition and how you should handle it.
It won’t be as easy as it was before as now you have to take care of two different groups of cats: the mother and the kitten (s). In this moment, you have to be more attentive observing your cats.
There might be some signs of warning from the mother cat or the kittens that need to be taken care seriously.
Here are the things you should do and pay attention to after your cat is having birth.
- Warmth is Essential
It is very essential for mother cat and the kittens as well. Newborn babies tend to lose heat very quickly and fortunately if the mother is attentive enough, it will keep its babies warm with its body.
However, if the mother cat is too tired and a bit ignoring the babies, then it is your turn to give them warmth. You can simply use heat pad or a covered hot bottle, but make sure it is not hotter than body temperature.
Don’t forget to cover the babies with blanket or light towel as well. Lastly, keep the room temperature warm and the bedding clean and dry. First aid items you should prepare for kittens will also be needed and prepared.
Perhaps, if you prepare a box for the kittens, make sure your box is taller than the kittens so they won’t be able to climb out from the box. Make sure the box is also large enough for the mother and the babies to move and lie down away from the kittens. Get to know the best types of cat litters suitable for kitten too.
- Leave the Mother Cat Alone
Don’t interfere too much on taking care of the kittens. Let the mother cat initially take care of its kittens. What you need to do is feeding the mother cat with enough nutrients and both the kittens and the mother are healthy.
Leaving the mother cat alone taking care of the kittens does not mean that you just ignore them. Still, you need to pay attention to them. In some cases, some mother cats don’t want to nurse the kittens or does not allow the kittens to nurse.
If this case happens, then you need to start the action. Use milk replace to feed the kittens. If this case happens, contact your vet as well if your kitten’s health declines.
After giving birth, mother cat will also show some strange behaviors and these are the answers about mother cat that acting weird after giving birth.
- Feeding the Mother Cat More
Mother cat spends more energy after birth because it needs to nurse its kittens and provide nutrients for them as well. Provide your cat with a high-quality food. Many veterinarians recommend some products of food that are made special for nursing cats.
This kind of food will stimulate the cat to produce more milk for its kittens. You can give more dry or wet food to the mother cat and increase its amount.
Make sure your cat’s bowl is always refilled so whenever it feels hungry, it always has access to it. Fresh water is also must available all the time too.
If you are confused what food you should give to your newborn kittens, check what should you give to feed your newborn kittens.
- Check the Mother Cat’s Body
After giving birth, vaginal discharge might happen. Make sure that vaginal discharge does not happen too much. Mother cat is supposed to keep her body clean and might not realize if there is any drainage.
Check the mother cat daily in case of any vaginal discharge. Swelling breasts might also happen, but make sure you check whether the swelling is excessive, painful or discharging. If this condition happens, contact your vet for further treatment.
- Socialize with the Kittens
Kittens are safe to be handled at any age. The mother cat might seem to disapprove, so you need to take this process slowly. Once the mother cat approves, you may start socializing with the kittens.
By socializing with the kittens, you will be able to enable them to be tame and social. Wash your hands before and after handling the kittens. You can check the suitable games that will make your kittens go crazy and enjoy the game. Just make sure that don’t play too much with them as their body is still weak.
Taking care of mother cat after giving birth might be hard, but with patience and love, you will be able to do it. Mother cat has been struggling hard to deliver cute babies for you and now it is your turn to praise the mother cat by giving lot of attention and love.