For cats after pregnancy, the owner needs to pay certain attention to the pregnant cat. After the cat successfully gets pregnant, the pregnancy period is about 63-66 days, and some cats may last up to 71 days. The daily life, diet, exercise, and medical care of the cat all require further comprehensive attention.

Attention should be paid to pregnancy testing in American short-haired cats

The superficial symptoms of a cat’s pregnancy are initially the change of the nipple color from light pink to dark pink, and the nipple appears very prominent due to the falling hair around it. This condition should appear within 3 weeks after mating, and it becomes significantly spherical in 3-4 weeks after pregnancy. After this point, the fetus is not so easy to feel, but it can still be touched. If necessary, the fetus can be observed with an ultrasound within 2-3 weeks, and the number of fetuses can be checked with X-rays at 5 and a half weeks of pregnancy.

Pay attention to the care of American short-haired cats during pregnancy

The gestation period of cats is about 63-66 days, but some may last up to 71 days. If there is an early delivery, most are stillborn or die shortly after birth. During pregnancy, the mother cat will need more protein and calories, but if you feed high-quality food and balanced nutrition, there is no need to change the quality of the food in the first 2-3 weeks of pregnancy.

Pay attention to the diet of American short-haired cats during pregnancy

High-quality proteins such as dairy products, raw eggs, and meat can be added to dry feed (about 10% of the amount) to increase the protein content and flavor of the food without destroying the nutritional balance. The milk formula for kittens can also be given to pregnant and lactating mothers. The amount of food should be gradually increased as the pregnancy progresses, and by the end of pregnancy, the mother cat should eat twice as much as she did before pregnancy. However, due to the development of the fetus, the surrounding organs may be compressed, and the mother cat may not be able to eat the required amount in two meals, so you must increase the frequency of feeding or leave the food outside for the mother cat to eat at her own pace.

Pay attention to the delivery of American short-haired cats during pregnancy

During the pregnancy of American short-haired cats, it is important not to overfeed them or to become overweight or muscle weak due to insufficient exercise, which may反而 lead to difficult delivery. The simplest birthing box is a cardboard box, with an opening 10-15 cm from the bottom for the mother cat to enter and exit easily, and to prevent the kittens from falling out. It is also best to have an outer cover that can be opened to respond to the kittens when needed. It is best to start acclimatizing the mother cat to the box one week before delivery, and you can try placing clean soft cotton towels to encourage her to sleep inside.

Pay attention to the delivery of American short-haired cats during pregnancy

Generally, 1-2 days before delivery, the mother cat may lose its appetite and become more restless than usual, with more frequent crying, or may tear apart the items placed in the box used for delivery, or even vomit. The closer it is to the time of delivery, the more the mother cat will lick her abdomen and male reproductive organs.

Pay attention to the delivery of pregnant American short-haired cats

Once the kittens are born, they should be immediately separated from the amniotic sac to embrace nature. Generally, the mother cat will do this promptly, but some mothers without experience or those who are anxious may forget. In such cases, you should immediately break the sac, otherwise the kittens may suffocate and die. If the umbilical cord has not yet dropped at the time of birth, after the mother cat has given birth to the kittens, she will clean the kittens and naturally bite off the umbilical cord. If the mother cat has not started cleaning the kitten 15 minutes after birth, you can use a clean thread without waxed dental floss sticks, tie the umbilical cord 1-25 cm away from the kitten’s body, cut off the excess umbilical cord, but the umbilical cord should not be too short as it is very prone to infection, and dip the cut end in iodine or disinfectant solution.