Spring is here and kittens are born. It might be something new for many of us. Let’s have a look at this topic with a Siberian cat breeder, Helena Rückerová. We will learn what kittens need in their first moments after they are born and how we can help the cat take care of them.
Spring kittens are usually born by now. Can the cat mum handle giving birth to them and taking care of them alone in the first moments?
Our cats give birth with a help from a breeder. They do it usually by themselves but they mainly need emotional support and the sense of security. If it is the first labour for them, we help them clean the kittens or with first breastfeeding.
What environment and conditions should we create for the labour?
Before the labour, we can prepare a box for the labour, absorbent mats, clean cloth wipes, a weighing machine, a pen and possibly a breast pump, kitten milk and a contact for a vet.
Can we, for example, somehow support lactation or supply energy? Is it good to change the cat’s diet or to feed the kittens more than it does?
If the cat has proper diet before and during pregnancy, no vitamins are needed. After labour, it’s necessary to provide the cat with enough high-quality food (usually wet) and enough water. She needs a lot of nutrients to produce milk.
What can we do in the case the cat rejects the kittens or her medical condition doesn’t allow her to take care of them?
If a cat can’t breastfeed her kittens, it’s necessary to have kitten milk at home and feed them using a syringe or a bottle with a soother. It’s important to massage kittens’ bellies to support excretion as well.
What do kittens need in their first months?
In their first days, if they are mainly fed by their mother, they mainly need warmth and enough milk (the mother needs to be fed very often and with high-quality food). As they grow, it’s important to socialize them properly. They should get used to the household hustle, you should cuddle them and play with them.
When do they start getting independent and when are they ready to eat solid food? What should we start feeding them with?
Kittens start discovering solid food when they are around four weeks old and they usually like minced meat or kitten patés. We can gradually add kitten cans and dry food.
It's definitely necessary to socialize the new family members well. When to start it and how to do it?
Kitten socialization basically starts from the moment they are born. They get used to people’s voices and touches and we gradually start offering them various toys when they start exploring the environment.
Do kittens need any veterinary car? When should they get vaccination and be dewormed?
Deworming should take place three times until the first vaccination which usually takes place when they are nine weeks old. The second vaccination is done when they are twelve weeks old. The kittens stay with their mother at least a week after that, so their immune system develops well.
At what age are kittens fully independent on their mother? When is the good time to find them new homes?
Kittens are ready to leave to their new home when they are at least thirteen weeks old. By that time, their mother usually teaches them everything they need.
Is it difficult for you as a breeder to say goodbye to kittens? Do you stay in touch with them after that?
We look for responsible and loving new owners for our kittens. A lifelong breeding service is a natural thing for us and most new owners are our friends or acquaintances and they inform us about the kittens. It is also valuable for us as breeders to see how the kittens develop.
Although it might appear that the cat doesn’t give a tail about you and it is indifferent towards you, maybe you will still find some displays of affection in its behaviour. Do you know how cats show such affection towards a person?
Cats love grass. They nibble at it if it's to clean their belly from hairs or just for fun. In addition, if you get a cat its own flowerpot, you can hope that it will leave your other plants alone :).
Whether you remove a tick from a dog’s or cat’s fur the right way might affect whether the animal will become infected with Lyme disease or another malign disease transmitted by ticks. Have you got the right technique and tools?
Just like with people, also in dogs, Lyme disease is a very grave illness. There are an estimated 20% of ticks infected in the Czech Republic. And because despite the use of antiparasitic agents, your dog might get a tick from time to time, it’s good...
I’ve already written about cat mint, today, we’ll take a look at another, lesser known drugs. Since not all the cats respond to all of them and they don’t respond to everything the same way. Therefore, if you didn’t succeed with cat mint, maybe you’ll...
Every cat owner has certainly already heard of cat mint, catnip or catswort. Under all these names hides a herb that makes most of the cats “high”.
When your family grows by a new (human) member, it isn’t necessarily a happy event for everyone. For many dogs, it’s very difficult to come to terms with such situation, therefore, it’s better to start preparing them already before the baby is born....
I’ve already written about the fact that you’re not supposed to leave your dog closed in a car on summer days or on how to prevent hyperthermia in cats and dogs. So you have mastered the prevention already. But it is also necessary to know how to...
Without a question, chinchillas are beautiful and cute furry animals with large ears, a long tail and distinctive eyes. Do you know where they actually come from, what their name means and that we almost succeeded in nearly exterminating them before...
You have probably noticed that cat tongues are quite unique. They are rough and somehow scratchy. It seemed weird to American biologists and therefore they decided to look deeper into it.
What should I say, the cats are simply different. Since the time immemorial, they have been surrounded by mysteries and secrets. Most of them behave as if they were the master of the world and as if they don’t need the human at all. A couple of...
It can be quite a task to choose the right pet food precisely for your cat. To even understand the contents... That’s why we’re going to take a look today what to focus on, what to look for in the contents and what you should rather avoid.
