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Cares for newly
born kittens
Basic food for the cat’s
generation is maternal milk. In this period drops of milk appear
on the swollen milk warts. Glandules began intensively to function
several days before parturition, but the latest – after
the birth, when the first kitten starts to suck. It is very
important in the period of suckling to take care of the mother’s
food.
Milk, calcium and phosphates
in kind of bone powder and a few drops of cod-liver oil should
be added to the daily doze of food, which the cat should get
three times a day. The cat should also get enough quantity
of water. When the cat stops feeding the kittens, she turns
back to normal feeding regime and the quantity of liquids is
limited. During the first 24 hours after taking kittens away,
the cat-mother should get no liquids.
Very often convulsions can be
observed at the pregnant or feeding cat. This is in result
of sudden drop of calcium in the organism. This problem can
be sorted out only by a vet, who puts an intravenous injection
of special solution to the cat. Such injection has a momentous
impact and only in a few minutes time the cat will feel normally.
If you do not intend to leave the kittens, it is better immediately to give
them away. The generation will not suckle and the glandules will soon begin
to function normally.
The newly born kittens of both
sexes and all breeds have approximately the same weight – from
80 to 100 grams or 99 grams at an average. During the first
week they put on weight nearly as twice and after that each
following week they put on about 100 grams /or to be more precise
from 81 to 138 grams/. Near the end of the second month the
normal weight of the kitten is approximately 1000-1300 grams.
From the third week on male kittens put on more weight than
the female ones. If a kitten hardly puts on weight only a vet
can define the reason for this.
The cat’s generation changes
from maternal milk to normal food at the 3rd -4th week after
their coming to live. If you notice that the kittens are nervous,
make attempts to crawl out of their “nests” and
purr very loudly, this means that the mother has less milk,
the little ones are hungry and they need additional feeding.
What to start with? During the
first two days you should add two tea-spoons warm milk to the
ration of food of the kittens. Cow milk is not the most appropriate.
It is better to use dry milk with average butter content, that
to be diluted with warm water and a little honey or a pinch
of sugar to be added. Milk is poured with a tea-spoon directly
into the kitten’s mouth. During the next days the ration
of food is increased in the following way: 3rd -4th day - one
tea-spoon twice a day; 5th-7th day - one tea-spoon three times
a day;8th -10th day - one tea-spoon four times a day. During
the last days dry milk is diluted to the consistence of mash
and it is served in a plate to the kittens in order to teach
them to lick food on their own.
Sometimes the cat owners force
the nose of their kittens in the plate. It is not the most
proper way. Milk can get into the nose of the kitten, it will
get frightened and after that it will not dare to reach the
plate for a long time. It is better to dip your finger into
the milk mash and to rub it over the mouth of the kitten -
thus it will be forced to lick the milk and to try its taste.
After that push it slightly towards the plate and the kitten
will start swilling.
Approximately at the same time,
actually when the kittens are 3-4 weeks old, try to feed them
with meat. This should be done at the exact time of day each
time. Make a ball of the shape of a grain from raw or boiled
meat and put it into the kitten’s mouth.
During the first four months milk food is extremely necessary for the kittens,
but even later it is of great importance for the proper growth of organism.
If the kitten suffers from diarrhea, replace ordinary milk with concentrated
that should be diluted with warm boiled water in the proportion of 1 part of
water and two parts of milk.
Sometimes the cat dies when
giving birth to kittens and the little ones become motherless.
In order the kittens to survive, the owner should find a suckling
mother-cat to which to throw the motherless kittens unnoticed.
In most cases the suckling mother-cat willingly accepts the
new kittens. If the cat owner is unable to find such cat, he
should feed the cat’s generation artificially.
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