Finding your pet waiting when you return home puts you in a cheerful mood. This feeling elates you when you own a cat. As a responsible cat owner, you need to go through these necessary points to ensure the health of your mother-to-be cat and newborn kittens.
After delivery, the crucial period begins, both for the mother cat and the owner. Observation skills come in handy during this time.
If you ever come across a momma cat as a caregiver or an owner, below is a comprehensive guide on how to take care of newborn kittens and the mother cat.
1. A Visit To A Veterinarian
Take the mother cat and the kittens for a check-up. Vaccination after birth is crucial and foremost. Moreover, a check-up also provides treatment for roundworms in both mother cat and kittens.
A complete checkup gives you insight into the health of both the momma cat and her nursing newborns.
2. Peace And Privacy
A couple of weeks after birth are delicate and if the mother cat is going to face any mood swings it’s going to be in this period. Let the mother cat decide for herself and give the girl some privacy.
If she is your pet for some time she might entertain your visits but a fostered mother cat feels antsy around humans. As long as the kittens are thriving it is all set.
A spare room or a bathroom away from the noise of the household works best. However, if you don’t have space you should take a large basket, a cardboard box, or maybe a closet; provided that it is well ventilated. Nonetheless, you’ll need a place which is large enough for both the kittens and mother cat.
Stack some clean towels in the box for a comfortable bed. You can easily remove the top layer when it gets dirty. The top layer may get sullied soon as the kittens defecate. Hygiene is non-negotiable. Ascertain that you change the towel periodically.
TIP: Even if the mother cat is your pet for some time; she will not entertain strangers near her kittens. A private place is very important.
3. Warmth
A few days-old kittens are not capable of regulating their body temperature. This warmth is provided by the mother cat. But when she gets out the newborns might get cold. To avoid the risk of cold keep the mother cat’s food, water, and litter close. You can also place a heating lap at a mild temperature near the box to keep the kittens stay cozy. How could someone leave those little ones in cold?
4. Momma Cat’s Diet
As the mother cat feeds the younger ones special care should be taken for her nutrition intake. You should get cat food which has all the essentials and also fits with your budget.
Feed the mother cat the best quality cat food. Prefer the best cheap cat food supplemented with Kitten Milk Replacement. Specially formulated foods help the cat get good health and also provide stable moods.
Cats don’t hate water that much. Keep a clean bowl filled with water near the food bowl. Freshwater is also important to maintain a good mother cat’s health.
5. Flea Control
Newborns are vulnerable to flea-anemia. Therefore, you should make sure the beddings, kittens, and the mother cat are flea-free.
Use an anti-flea product for mother cat but avoid using it on the kittens. It is very harmful to their fragile skin. If you find a flea on the newborns use Dawn soap to bathe them or you can use the flea combs to clean them.
6. Litter Clay And Cleanliness
Cleanliness is gold when you are talking about a mother cat and newborn kittens. Make sure to change the litter clay frequently. Infrequent litter change results are foul smell in the house and, if you have a secret kitty, the smell will get you suspected.
When choosing a litter clay, always go for the non-clumping one while kittens are nursing. The clumping-clay might harm the little ones. Clumping-clay clumps as soon as it gets wet and if the babies ingest any. It will deposit in their intestine leading to a medical problem.
7. Socializing The Kittens
Handle the kittens when they are two weeks old. Be gentle and spend some time playing with them. The prime socialization period for cats is between the second to seventh weeks after birth.
FAQS
Q. Is it safe to have a cat around a newborn child?
A. A newborn child should not be left alone with a cat, especially if the baby is asleep. A cat’s closeness may interfere with the child’s respiratory system.
Q. Does a mother cat like a stranger if she is an old pet?
A. Mother cat feels insecure around strangers even if she is your pet for a couple of years. She will carry the kittens away from the strangers to a private place.
Q. What is the best cheap cat food which incorporates all the nutrients?
A. Some of the healthiest cat foods for momma cats include Weruva Paw Chicken Formula and American Journey Cat Dry Food.
Hope this article was useful to you. If you have any other information regarding pets or would like to share your experiences, we are all ears.
Cheers!!
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