Content
- Cat reproduction
- Why cats move kittens: causes
- Because cats eat their own kittens
- Why cats eat their own kittens: how to avoid
- When to separate kittens from their mothers
Before making the decision to breed your kitten to have kittens, without a doubt, it is essential that you know what are the necessary cares with a pregnant cat. However, it is also important that you understand how to care for a kitten, the feline mother's behavior towards her kittens, so that you can help her care for the newborns and ensure they grow up in a positive environment.
With this in mind, we decided to address in this new article by PeritoAnimal some curious and peculiar behaviors that felines can present after the birth of their puppies. Next, we will explain to you because cats move their kittens, when separating the kittens from the mother, because cats eat their own kittens after giving birth, among other questions that will help you to better understand their pussies.
Cat reproduction
If you've decided to adopt a kitten, you need to know that your pussy will probably have the first heat between 6 and 9 months of age. Of course, the exact date of your kitten's first heat may vary depending on the breed, size and particularities of the organism. There are even cat breeds whose sexual maturity can only reach after the 1st year of life.
The arrival of heat in male and female cats announces that these individuals become sexually active and your body is ready to procreate. But unlike female dogs that usually have only two heats a year, cats can come into heat every two or three weeks, especially during spring and summer.
If the cat crosses a male and becomes pregnant, she will have a pregnancy that usually lasts from 60 to 67 days. The cat's gestation is a delicate period, in which the organism has several hormonal and physiological changes that allow the development of the kittens inside the womb. Therefore, it is essential that the pregnant cat receives proper care and has a positive environment.
A few weeks after giving birth, the cat will go back into heat and be receptive to males again. Considering that the life expectancy of cats is between 15 and 18 years, a female is capable of having hundreds of kittens throughout her childbearing years.
In addition to being a huge drain on the female's body, consecutive or frequent pregnancies end up worsening the overpopulation of abandoned cats on the streets, which is already an alarming social problem these days. Therefore, it is essential to provide effective reproductive control for felines.
Here at PeritoAnimal, you will find all the information about the benefits of neutering a cat and about the ideal age to neuter a female.
Why cats move kittens: causes
To understand why cats move kittens after giving birth, you first need to consider that your pussy is an independent individual who retains some of the instinctive habits of her wild relatives. Despite enjoying enormously the comforts, affection and delicious foods that life in a home provides them, your cat is a small feline and demonstrates this, for example, through the powerful hunting instinct and the way it takes care of a kitten .
In nature, when the time of birth approaches, pregnant cats should look for a hiding place or refuge where they can be calm and safe to give birth to the kittens. And after giving birth, this female is particularly sensitive and must remain very alert to detect any threats and prevent predator attacks on newborns.
When they identify strange movements or stimuli in their hiding place, the cats move their offspring to ensure they are always in a safe haven.. Likewise, cats move their kittens around to preserve the integrity of the newborns and the continuation of the species.
As newborn cats are not able to see or hear well, as they are born with their ears covered and eyes closed, they are especially vulnerable to attack by opportunistic predators and depend on their parents for survival.
This instinct, which is commonly known as 'maternal' or 'maternal', is indispensable for the survival of felines in the wild. After all, the continuity of a species depends on the ability not only to reproduce, but also to generate new individuals strong enough to reach adulthood and generate their own offspring. This being the reason why cats move their kittens.
Because cats eat their own kittens
Although this attitude may seem very strange and even repulsive, it is a natural behavior that can be found in many species, not just felines. Although there is no single reason why the cat eats the kittens after giving birth, usually the female does this because she considers that one or more offspring are fragile, have any disability or deformation and they won't be able to survive in nature. However, there are other reasons why cats eat their newborn kittens, such as:
- Stress;
- Feline Mastitis;
- Lack of interest in caring for puppies;
- Not recognizing the puppies as your own.
Why cats eat their own kittens: how to avoid
To prevent the cat from eating the kittens, you must first avoid touching newborns if it is not really necessary.. Yes, it is very tempting to pet and pamper the puppies, however, interference and human odor can lead the cat to ignore the puppies or consider them fragile.
It is also fundamental. provide a safe environment and comfortable where the cat can be at ease during delivery and breastfeeding. This will decrease the possibility that the feline will feel stressed and have the need to move her puppies around or eat them thanks to the accumulated tension.
In addition, pregnant cats must have excellent nutrition, a hygienic and positive environment, and appropriate veterinary care to preserve their health during pregnancy and prevent diseases such as mastitis.
Lastly, your cat may reject puppies because she doesn't feel this natural instinct to care for them. In this case, you need to know how to care for a kitten and how to feed the newborn kittens, otherwise they will not be able to survive on their own. The ideal is to always count on the guidance of a veterinarian to provide the necessary care for the puppies to grow up healthy and strong.
When to separate kittens from their mothers
If your cat is pregnant or has already been a mother, it is likely that you will decide to give some puppies for responsible adoption, but it is important to know when to donate kittens, as you should always look for a conscientious and loving guardian for the small cats. But, you also need to know when to separate the kittens from the mother, for that, you will need respect the weaning period, which begins during the third week of life of the puppies and usually extends to the eighth or ninth week. Kittens that are separated from their mothers prematurely tend to have a weaker immune system, being more vulnerable to suffering from common cat illnesses, and also show certain learning and socialization difficulties and may present behavioral problems in adulthood.
Regarding weaning, many guardians have doubts about when cats' milk teeth fall out. Although the exact age may vary depending on the kitten's body, milk teeth usually begin to grow during the second week of the kitten's life. The baby teeth are temporary and must fall out to make way for the growth of permanent teeth, which are appropriate for the cats' strictly carnivorous type of nutrition. The fall of baby teeth begins between three or four months to live of cats. The permanent dentition, composed of 30 teeth, should be completely and fully developed when the cat is seven months old.
Also check out our YouTube video about how to care for a kitten: