Post by Tiger on Aug 21, 2010 0:34:50 GMT -5
Heat Cycles
Female cat’s generally come into heat in January or February and extends to September or early October. They generally have three estrous cycles per breeding season. The first generally between mid January and early March, second between April and June, then the last is between July and September.
The cycles consist of several phases. Estrous is also known as “heat”, this is when the female is fertile and will allow mating. Each phase generally last for seven days. During these seven days the female cat’s behavior changes dramatically. They start rubbing against objects, rolls about, purrs, kneads her paws, meows more than normal, and may even spray urine on objects. She will continue these until she becomes pregnant or her heat cycle is over.
Pregnancy
Normally after twenty to thirty days after mating is when you can determine pregnancy. As her pregnancy progressed her abdomen begins to swell, sometimes dramatically enough that they can’t continue normal activities. Depending on how many kit’s the queen is having will depend on how much weight she gains but may only gain two or three pounds. Between two and three weeks her nipples will turn a rosy pink and then enlarge around week four. Gestation usually last an average of sixty-five days.
Pregnant cat should have constant access to food. When pregnant they generally begin to eat more as soon as pregnancy sets in and then a few days before the end of it. The queen ends up eating one and a half more times than her normal diet.
Birth
A few days before kitting the queens mammary glands will fill with milk. Sometimes kittens have a hard time with finding their mother’s nipples in a long coat. When delivery time is near a queen will shift her nest and make frequent trips to and from it. A queen may appear restless, refuse to eat, vomit, pace, pant, meow excessively, and or/make frequent visits to the nest.
When delivery beings most cats lie on their side while rhythmically contracting their abdominal muscles. As kitting is continues a kitten is usually still encased in it’s membrane. Usually it just takes a few minutes for a kitten to be fully delivered. Once out the mother licks away the membranes that surrounds the kitten and massages and dries it with her tongue. This will continue till all kittens are born. Some times a queen will delay labor of her kittens if she is to stressed. Four to five kittens per litter are average.
Kitten Hood
The queen generally will stay in her nest for the first day or two following delivery. But generally will remain with her kittens at all times. Kittens feed up to three times in an hour. Though if a queen is not producing enough milk for her litter the kittens will detach from the nipple and cry loudly. Unless they find another queen to take food from they will die. If a kitten refuses to nurse, feels cold to the touch, draws away from its litter mates or is rejected by the mother generally are abnormal. Rejected kittens normally never survive.
In the first week of life kittens double in weight, normal weight gain is around three and a half ounces although it various depending on survival. Kittens that fail to gain weight are at much greater risk of sickness and then finally death. After feeding the queen washes her kittens very thoroughly. Usually around six and fourteen days after birth kittens eyes and ears usually begin to open. By about two weeks kittens will be playing with objects. Then by the third week they normally tend to paw and bite one another.
After a month kittens began to scratch at another loose. During five weeks they begin to stalk and chase one another and finally by week seven they wrestle. Between six and seven weeks kittens are capable of chewing dry food and generally are weaned from the mothers milk.
