Owners! The cat will know that your cat is in heat much earlier than you! Sometimes estrus can occur with muted signs; usually such phenomena are observed in overfed animals.
Feeding kittens does not prevent the onset of the next heat. As a rule, in cats it occurs when kittens are 1.5 months old. In this way, a nursing cat can be fertilized again (I have encountered this many times when a cat and a cat lived together). The number of kittens in one litter ranges from one to six, but sometimes a cat gives birth to 7-8 kittens. This mainly depends on the physical condition of the cat. A young cat gives birth to fewer kittens than a mature cat.
The number of kittens does not depend on the fertilization period. If the time of onset of estrus is incorrectly determined, the cat will either reject the cat, or even after mating, fertilization will not occur. Even the number of matings between a cat and a cat does not affect the number of offspring. Typically, a cat mates with a cat several times, and a stray cat can mate with 6-10 cats during one heat.
In some cats, the semen contains many non-viable and inactive sperm that cannot fertilize all the mature eggs. Unleashing a cat too early, the nature of his diet, mental state - all this affects the quality of sperm. Very often, when two mating cats live in the same territory, the stronger male suppresses the weaker one, to the point where the cat refuses to mate the cat.
Cat semen is milky white in color and contains 65-200 million sperm. Their concentration depends on the time of year: starting from September - October it increases progressively until June, and in July it decreases sharply, and this process lasts until September.
Cats have quite distinctive personalities, so mating is a serious problem for some of them. Some are greatly hindered by their pride, others by cowardice. If during the mating season the cat and cat did not overcome this barrier, cats would have died out long ago.
How can you help a cat and a female cat during mating? Do not interfere in the process; it is better to provide a separate room, with a minimum amount of furniture and objects that a cowardly cat can hide behind. The cat is brought to the cat. If you do the opposite, the cat will either not cover the cat in an unfamiliar environment, or will do so only after properly sweeping the entire apartment. Find out the cat's pet name and try to talk to her kindly and courteously. Some cat owners, dissatisfied with the cat's intractability, behave inappropriately with it, even spanking it.
You should always remain human, even if you have to return the money for mating!
To offend someone who depends on you is vile. In addition, after such a “reception” the cat may refuse to mate even under favorable conditions. Their memory is very good. Over the many centuries of the existence of cats, they have developed a special mating ritual that they observe. And if cats can only mate during heat, males are always ready for this. But there is also a certain cycle of increasing and decreasing sperm count.
How to prepare for the birth of a dog or cat?
Physiology of childbirth in dogs: from A to Z
In this article we will tell you how a normal birth should proceed, when you should and when you shouldn’t worry, in which cases you need to go to the clinic immediately, and when you should just wait.
Do I need to go to the veterinary clinic or call a veterinarian?
Cat giving birth
- This is a normal and natural process. Human intervention should only occur when non-intervention would lead to a problem. Healthy animals give birth on their own and do not require human assistance. This does not mean that childbirth should not be monitored, because childbirth is an unpredictable process, and, unfortunately, sometimes something can go wrong.
“The heat is separate, and the cat is separate”
Sometimes a 5-year-old cat is brought in for the first mating. Family circumstances: the birth of a child, moving, buying an apartment and many other things could prevent you from breeding a cat on time. As a rule, these meetings bring nothing but discomfort to the cat and disappointment to the cat. By this age, a cat has already formed ideas about the cat: this is its owner. And the fact that there are no kittens from him - well, “everyone has their own shortcomings.” Instead of the owner, there can be a neutered cat living with the cat, or a dog.
How is childbirth different for pets?
Childbirth in cats
Cats usually give birth faster than dogs.
The harbingers of labor take only a few hours for them; the birth itself and the intervals between babies pass faster. However, if there are complications or abnormal births, they are more likely to end in caesarean section in cats than in dogs.
An important point to know!
Remember that even normal childbirth is extremely stressful for the body. But it is your pet who is giving birth, not you, so you should not increase stress by infecting your pet with your nervousness. No matter how much what is happening scares you, control yourself, talk to the animal in a calm and confident voice, know that it is from you that it expects support. Prepare for childbirth in advance: read the literature, enlist the help of a doctor, find out the number of a 24-hour clinic to be fully prepared.
Do not panic! Animals sense your condition and may become frightened, which can lead to them hiding from you. Create the most calm and comfortable environment for the animal. You shouldn’t grab it and rush to the clinic to give birth if there is no reason for this. Traveling is an additional stress, which, especially in cats, can lead to the cessation of labor. If you are very worried and unsure of your abilities, it is better to invite a doctor to your home. You can call the clinic and get doctor's advice.
We will tell you how a normal, uncomplicated birth proceeds.
How do you know when an animal is due to give birth?
There are even special online calendars on the Internet that are very convenient. Enter the mating date and get the estimated due date. If you are not sure or do not know the exact date, you can do an ultrasound to determine the date. A good diagnostician uses ultrasound to determine the period with an accuracy of up to a week.
However, even the best doctor can make a mistake with the number of fetuses. The fact is that the uterus in animals is two-horned, shaped like the letter V, so during research you can easily make a mistake by counting the same fetus twice. The exact number of babies can only be determined by x-rays, but this method is not recommended for pregnant women. If the owner insists, then he takes the risks for the consequences.
Miscarriages in a cat
As a rule, they are a consequence of rough handling of the cat, underdevelopment of the uterus or uterine infection. The cause may be weakness of the fetus or underdevelopment of the mother's body. Most often, miscarriages occur in the 4th-5th week of pregnancy. The embryo by this time is half the size of a human finger.
Some cats cannot carry kittens to term even after a normal start to pregnancy. They also have a miscarriage. The reasons for this anomaly have not been reliably established. One of them may be a discrepancy between the Rh factor of the cat and the cat.
Unfortunately, in our country the blood type of cats is not determined.
Precursors of childbirth and symptoms of an imminent birth of a cat...
External manifestations of imminent labor are called precursors and are similar in dogs and cats.
- Animal behavior,
- lactation,
- appetite,
- frequent urination,
- prolapse of the abdomen,
- loop softening,
- thermometry.
A week before giving birth, the animal’s behavior changes
. This is due to the growth of the hormone estrogen, which causes contraction of the muscle fibers of the uterus (contraction). This increases anxiety and stimulates the animal to build a nest. Dogs begin to dig, cats begin to build a “nest.” It is recommended to provide the animal with a box or house in which it will feel safe.
Lactation
– does not always appear and not for everyone. This is not a completely accurate sign of the harbingers of labor. In some dogs it may appear from the 40th day of pregnancy, and in others only after birth.
Appetite.
In general, the appetite before birth worsens, or may become selective, that is, the animal may become more picky about food.
There are animals that eat even during the birth process, but these are exceptional cases, of course. And some people completely lose their appetite before giving birth, which is a very bad symptom and can lead to ketoacidosis
. If the animal does not eat for more than a day, and labor does not begin, you should consult a doctor. So, everything is individual.
Frequent urination
– normal before labor, usually associated with increased uterine contractions. Urinating in inappropriate places can be an involuntary leakage of urine. Sometimes the animal simply does not have time to “run” or wait until the walk.
«Abdominal prolapse
“- is considered perhaps the surest sign of imminent labor, but it is associated not with the harbingers of labor, but with an increase in the weight of the fetus. The most active weight gain occurs in the last weeks, and the growth of babies continues until the very birth, so the stomach drops under the gravity of the uterus. The more fetuses there are, the more pronounced the prolapse of the uterus is. If the animal has only one fetus, then uterine prolapse may not be noticeable at all.
Loop softening
– she is preparing for childbirth, so she becomes softer and more pliable a couple of days before giving birth.
One of the most accurate precursors of labor is Thermometry
. It is of key importance in determining the period of labor.
For control, it is advisable to measure the temperature 1-2 times a day, starting from the 55th day of pregnancy. When we know what it usually is, we can determine when they will start. A drop in temperature by 2 degrees (to 37) usually indicates the imminent onset of labor.
Physiology of childbirth
In ripened fetuses, cortisol (stress hormone) is formed, which passes the placental barrier, it stimulates the mother’s production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins dissolve the corpus luteum of pregnancy, which produces the pregnancy hormone progesterone. The amount of progesterone drops sharply and labor begins.
In addition, the amount of estrogens increases, which increases the sensitivity of receptors to oxytocin. The contraction of the uterus increases. The hormone relaxin, produced by the placenta, stimulates the dilatation of the cervix and prepares it for the expulsion of the fetus.
Resuscitation of kittens during birth
Sometimes kittens are born very weak and need emergency care to survive. To stimulate lung function, aspiration of amniotic fluid from the nasal and oral cavities with a syringe or a special baby suction is necessary. If breathing does not appear, then tracheal intubation is needed, but this can only be done by a veterinarian.
To improve blood circulation and revive the kitten, you need to wipe it with a sterile cloth and give it an intense massage. Under no circumstances should you use ammonia!
Such a pet must be shown to a veterinarian so that he can prescribe the correct treatment and prescribe immunomodulators and vitamins.
Hormones prolactin and lactation hormone
The hormone prolactin is a “maternal behavior” hormone and a lactation hormone.
Stages of childbirth in detail.
Childbirth is divided into 3 stages, each stage has its own time interval.
The intervals and duration of labor are unpredictable, and past births are not an indicator. One time an animal can give birth in a couple of hours, another time the birth will last almost a day and both options can be the norm.
Stage 1 – harbingers of labor.
This is the most painful stage for the animal and the owner. Behavior changes as the uterus contracts, but we do not see this in the abdomen. The dog (cat) is breathing heavily and digging or making a nest. The period can take up to a day. To confirm the onset of labor in dogs, a progesterone test can be done. Its decrease confirms the onset of labor.
Exception: In cats, progesterone is also produced by the placenta, so the drop in progesterone will not be as significant as in dogs. A strong decrease in cats occurs only the day after birth.
Similarly, in the case of “single puppy/kitten syndrome”, one fetus may not cause such a cascade of reactions, as a result of which pregnancy may be delayed. And there is no decrease in temperature, since progesterone does not drop and labor does not begin for a long time.
Immediately the moment of lambing
Depending on how the cat’s pregnancy is progressing—how many days the pet has been carrying kittens, the approach of lambing can be predicted by a number of signs, the main ones being the appearance of milk from the nipples and a slight decrease in body temperature below normal. The onset of labor is accompanied by contractions and the breaking of red-gray water, and there is an average break of about ten minutes between the birth of kittens. That is, depending on the number of kittens, the procedure itself should not take more than an hour from the moment the first kitten is born.
Usually the cat copes with childbirth on its own, but in some cases the help of the owners is necessary. For example, the umbilical cord should be cut and processed; make sure that the kittens are freed from the membrane in which they are born; turn them face down so that they begin to breathe fully on their own and excess fluid comes out of the respiratory tract. After birth, kittens usually crawl to their mother and suck milk. If this happens, then the owners have nothing to worry about and should leave the cat and kittens to rest in peace.
The main signs of the imminent onset of labor:
- Anxiety, tremor, anorexia. Dilated pupils.
- Rapid breathing, sometimes with an open mouth.
- Digging, nest building.
- The temperature is about 36.7–37. The entire first stage of labor persists. By the 2nd stage it will return to normal.
- Vocalization in cats. They walk in circles and lick themselves.
- During this period, the cervix opens inside. There is no effort. There may be weak contractions that are mistaken for pushing.
- Another external manifestation of this stage of labor is the release of the mucus plug. It comes out when the cervix opens, and thick mucous discharge always comes out of the loop. It looks like a long thread hanging from a loop.
In cats, due to their cleanliness and immediate licking of anything that could dirty them, the removal of the plug can be difficult to notice. But often 1-24 hours before birth it can be noticed.
Normal birth
The following stages of lambing are distinguished:
- First stage. Characterized by an increase in pain. Bloody excreta appears from the swollen vulva. Contractions begin. The duration of stage I is 12…24 hours.
- The second stage is the birth of the first kitten. An amniotic sac (bubble) appears. Liquid flows out of it, the cub moves forward with its head or hind legs. The cat frees its cub from the bladder, licks it, bites the umbilical cord. The kitten takes its first breath, accompanied by meowing. The mother applies it to the nipple and eats the afterbirth.
- The third phase is manifested by a temporary cessation of contractions after the release of each kitten and placenta. It is not recommended to let your cat eat more than two placentas. After 10...15 minutes, new attempts and the birth of the next one follow.
The cat releases the kitten from the amniotic sac.
It is necessary to count the released placenta. Their number should be equal to the number of kittens born. If any of the placentas do not come out, you need to contact your veterinarian. In total, the second and third stages of labor last 2...6 hours, with an average of 3...5 kittens being born.
Delayed birth is considered a variant of the norm. The cat is busy with the kitten, and suddenly, after 1/2…3/2 days, labor resumes.
The amniotic sac comes out
Beginning of pregnancy
The intrauterine development of a kitten goes through several important stages, when, starting from the moment of fertilization of the egg, it increases in size by more than a hundred times!
Between 11 and 13 days after fertilization, implantation of the embryo occurs - its attachment to the wall of the uterus.
© shutterstock
Further, in the period from 10 to 24 days, the process of formation of vital internal organs occurs. At this time, the cat’s mood may begin to change, its appetite may improve, or, conversely, it may worsen. The first signs of pregnancy become noticeable at this time. A pregnant cat does not require special care ; it is only important to provide it with high-quality, balanced nutrition and protect it from harmful factors: do not give medications without a veterinarian’s prescription, do not vaccinate, and do not treat the fur with chemicals against insects.
Starting at 4 weeks, an experienced veterinarian can easily feel the kittens in the cat's stomach.
Now the embryos are quite similar in appearance to real kittens. But their first movements will begin a little later - while the babies are “busy” with other important things, it is too early for them to move. You should not try to palpate the abdomen yourself - this can easily cause a miscarriage.
