Caring for a cat that has kittens is a rewarding activity. During this period, you have the opportunity to see how the mother cat cares for her kittens, as well as each trainee through which their relationship passes. Your role is to provide the cat with a suitable environment for the maternal period, where the cat will feel safe with her kittens, where she will have privacy, tranquillity and a minimum activity around. Stress can cause the cat to become aggressive and thus abandon the kittens or even eat them (in extreme cases). Your role is to make sure that the mother cat has a comfortable and peaceful environment so that the only energy she consumes is to care for the kittens.
Feeding the mother cat
Make sure the cat has access to food and fresh drinking water. During breastfeeding, the mother cat needs to feed on nutrient-rich food, preferably with cat food. If the feline is mild in dry food, you can try to feed her with canned food. Do not give him milk of any kind, since cats are lactose intolerant
Socialization of the mother cat
Adaptation of the cat to the new environment must be done gradually. During the busy time with the care of the chicks, do not try to take her in your arms or comfort her unless she comes to you, or if she asks you through the well-known language. Thus, when the mother cat is ready to receive your attention, she will tail, put her ears to her back and head to one side so that she can comfort her between the ears or under the chin, will tease the spit, etc. Over time, the mother cat will return to play, which means you have to make sure it has both toys to play alone and toys that presume to play together.
The care of the mother cat for her kittens
In the first 2-4 weeks after birth, the mother cat will comfort and lick her kittens very often. Licking in the genital area stimulates the elimination of urine and feces, which are practically eaten by the mother cat. Thus, the cat ensures that both the kittens and her nest are clean. As they get older and leave the nest, the kittens begin to do their homework in other areas, this being the time when you have to get them to use the litter box.
In the first weeks of life, the mother cat does everything necessary for her kittens. After 4-5 weeks the responsibilities for the kitten are divided between the cat and the masters. In general, cats are very careful with their chicks, but there are also cats who simply abandon them. If you reach such a moment, you have to intervene and take care of the kitten.
Breastfeeding by the mother cat
Kittens begin to suck in the first 2 hours after birth. Although they are born with closed eyes, they can identify the mother by the heat of her body emanating from it; at the same time, it is easier for them to find it if you place the cat next to them. The breastfeeding process has three stages: initially, the mother initiates each breastfeeding session, waking the kittens by licking and surrounding them with her body. The second stage begins after 2-3 weeks after the kittens already have eyes and begin to hear. At this stage, both the mother cat and the kittens initiate the breastfeeding process, but the mother cat is placed in a position that allows for easier breastfeeding. In the third stage, which begins after the fifth week, the kittens are the ones who initiate breastfeeding, according to their needs. At this stage, the mother cat begins to become more elusive and uncooperative. At the end of this stage, the weaning of the kittens also begins, the mother cat becoming less and less available for the chicks. At this stage, it is time to interview and learn kittens with another type of food.
