When Our Cat Got Pregnant
When our cat got pregnant we had no idea what to expect with the impending birth. I searched all over the web looking for information about what to do when the kittens were born, but ultimately nothing I read prepared me for what happened. There was so much information lacking, so many things I had questions about and had no answers. So this is our story.
When Our Cat Delivered Kittens
Our cat was pregnant a total of 64 days, but that can vary depending on the cat. Usually she would eat all day long and sit in the windowsill when she was resting. The day she went into labor, she didn't eat and she hid in a closet all day where I had put a box for her to give birth in. The box was a good idea it gave her a place to feel safe and deliver the kittens. I placed a clean towel in the box for her to be comfortable and I monitered how she was doing. When her contractions started I was able to see them and I could tell when she started pushing to get the kittens out. Finally she delivered the first one, and about every 10-15 minutes she would deliver another one. She did clean each of them off and she did clean up the mess from the delivery, those were two things I was worried about. The kittens each starting nursing with no problems.
Newborn Kittens
The kittens were born with their eyes closed and their eyes would not open for about a week. They did not walk but kind of dragged themselves across each other and over their mom. At this point they really don't want to play and have no idea what is going on. The mom would leave the box while the kittens were sleeping but only for about 10 minutes or so to eat or use the litter box. As soon as she would set foot back in the box all the kittens would wake up and start crying and she would cover them with her body to quiet them down. This is something they do out of intinct to keep predators away from the litter. The kittens would eat about every two hours and mom would take care of all their needs. She would feed them, clean them, keep them warm, and stimulate them. There was nothing outside of the box they needed. At this point they did not have any teeth and their claws were not sharp.
Kittens At Ten Days Old
Within ten days the kittens eyes open and they have started trying to walk around on wobbley little legs. They still cannot hear for about another week but that is to protect their eardrums which are so much more sensitive than ours. The kittens do try to play a little but really just crawl around and try out their legs. Their world is all about eating right now and they cry louder now when mom jumps into the box, they all sense her presence. The kittens do allow us to pick them up, but we limit the time they are out of the box to very short intervals so the kittens don't cry. They sleep against mom or piled up together and this is to keep their bodies warm since they don't yet produce body heat.