How to Care for a Cat's Pregnancy

Proper care of the mother during pregnancy will help ensure healthy kittens.

You can do your best to ensure your cat's kittens will be healthy by taking proper care of the mother during her pregnancy. Female cats are called queens, and usually give birth to multiple kittens after a gestation that averages 63 days. Since female cats sometimes take multiple mates, all of the kittens might not have the same father. So the appearance of the kittens can vary dramatically, even with siblings in the same litter.

Things You'll Need

• Kitten food
• Laundry basket
• Towels

Instructions

1. See your veterinarian within the first two weeks of the female cat's pregnancy. She should be examined for parasites and treated if necessary. Talk to your vet about supplementing the mother's diet with vitamins and minerals.

2. Begin substituting part of the mother's adult cat food for kitten food during the fourth week of pregnancy. Gradually increase the amount of kitten food until she is on all kitten food by two weeks before her due date.

3. Feed the female cat small, frequent meals as her pregnancy progresses. The kittens will take up room inside her and press on her stomach. In the last week of pregnancy, you may need to feed her 3 to 4 times per day.

4. Prepare a nesting box for your cat several weeks before her due date, or she may choose to have her kittens in an inconvenient spot. A laundry basket lined with towels and located in an out of the way spot is a good choice.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to your vet if the cat has not had her kittens by the 65th day of her gestation.

• Don't let the female outside during the last week of her pregnancy, or she may decide to have the kittens outdoors where you can't find them.

References

• PetEducation.com: Pregnancy Diagnosis & Caring for a Pregnant Cat
• Washington State University: Cat Anatomy and Physiology
• " The Cat Breeder's Handbook;" Brigitte McMinn; 2009