If You Have A Pregnant Cat,You Should Take Care Of Her

Your pets reward you with favors now and again which you may not even realize. The miracle of birth, for instance. There's something very beautiful about seeing your pet mature and give birth to its own little ones, isn't there? And if it's a pregnant cat that you're going to be taking care of, then, even though they take care of almost everything on their own, you'll need some pointers to well, point you in the right direction. This Buzzle article has some tips on how you can take care of a pregnant cat, and in turn, help her have an easy and comfortable pregnancy delivery.

Exercise
There are some simple things that you can do to make sure that your cat's fitness level remains intact even during her pregnancy. You may take her for short walks or have her play with you for some time. Take care not to get her too tired as this may cause her some discomfort. Plus, pregnant cats generally like to be rubbed in their belly. So, you can do that for her as well. She'll feel nice. However, if she displays any signs that she doesn't enjoy it, stop immediately. You may end up doing some damage to the kittens, that can be as serious as a miscarriage.
 Nutritious Food
Just like any other animal, eating nutritious food is important even during a cat's pregnancy. Make sure she gets her fill of whatever she feels like eating. She will require two to three meals a day. Make sure they are filling, but at the same time ensure that you do not overfeed her. For a pregnant cat, foods that are high in minerals, protein and vitamins are very important. So, make sure she gets enough of these nutrients through her cat food. Good quality canned cat food is your best option. If that's what you've been feeding her, then you can continue with it until the last 2 weeks of the pregnancy. During this period, you may consider giving her canned kitten food, which is highly nutritious, even more than cat food. This will help her store more nutrients until her kittens are being weaned by her.

Health and Grooming
One of the most important points that you need to keep in mind when you have a pregnant cat at home is her health and her grooming. Her external as well as internal health needs to be check thoroughly to ensure that she does not contract any diseases to her kittens or to any other cats in the vicinity. If you know of her pregnancy within the first week, based on when she was mated, then ask her vet to have her examined for any possible infections, contagious or not, that could be contracted by her. If you think she has a problem with fleas, get her treated in the first week itself. The same should be done in case of worming her. Refrain from doing any of the above after the first week of pregnancy as it could harm the cat as well the babies. Also, avoid using any kind of antiseptics or creams that humans use, as they could cause skin irritation in her. As far as grooming is concerned, when she's nearing her due date, if she has long hair, you can trim the hair around her nipples a bit so that her litter can find them easily when they need milk.
Appropriate Arrangements
The responsibility of taking care of your cat during her pregnancy is a very important, not to mention rewarding one. When she's nearing her due date, she'll begin to exhibit some very telltale signs of it. She may start nesting, which means she will start looking for warm and cozy places to have her litter in. So, you can assist her in this process by making such places available to her and setting them up with the things that will keep her comfortable. A nice big cardboard box (which is almost twice her size), insulated with a nice warm blanket (fibers of which cannot get stuck in her claws), and her water and food bowl nearby are some of the essentials that you can keep at the ready wherever she decides to settle down. Also, see that in the last two weeks she does not go outdoors. This will ensure that she deliver the litter indoors and also she'll be protected against any potential dangers lurking outdoors.
The signs that your cat is ready to give birth include her nipples becoming pink, a slight fall in her body temperature and a change in her mood, which could vary from becoming lethargic to constant meowing and attention seeking. She could even not eat for a day prior to delivery. Keep the emergency vet's number at close hand at the time of birthing, because you never know what can happen. Besides everything mentioned above, give your cat all the love and affection that she needs, and she'll have a perfectly healthy delivery!