Pregnant Cat & Newborn Kitten Care

Our mission is to promote the humane treatment of animals and to prevent cruelty to animals

My cat is pregnant, what should I do?

Every year shelters around the country are forced to deal with thousands of unwanted kittens due to uncontrolled breeding. Many will never find homes; there are simply too many kittens and not enough good homes.

Wellington SPCA strongly urges all cat owners to have their animals desexed at an early age, to avoid pregnancy and reduce the huge over-population problem.

Consider having your pregnant cat spayed, as this is often the best option for the cat, the caregiver and the SPCA.

Remember: it is cheaper to have your cat spayed than to pay for mother and kitten care and feeding

Should you decide to let your cat have kittens, please take note of the following information:

Things to Consider

Vaccinations
It is important for cats and kittens to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of disease. Cats and kittens are vaccinated against Feline Calicivirus, Herpes Virus, and Feline Enteritis.

An initial vaccination is given, followed by a booster a month later. Yearly vaccinations are required to maintain immunity.

Kitten Vaccination
Kittens should be vaccinated at 8 and 12 weeks of age. They should be kept indoors and away from unvaccinated cats until their final booster.

Vaccinations can be given at Wellington SPCA. A booking is necessary.

Worming
The queen (female cat) should be wormed approximately 10 days before giving birth, and at 2 and 4 weeks after giving birth. We recommend Drontal All Wormer for cats, for the control of roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms. This is available from Wellington SPCA and other vet clinics. (Supermarket brands are not as effective and will not control all types of worms.)

Kitten Worming
Kittens should be wormed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks and 12 weeks. We recommend Cancare wormer for the control of roundworms.

Phone for an appointment to see the Veterinarian to have your cat and kittens treated for worms and fleas. (04) 389 8044

Flea Control
The queen and her kittens should be protected against fleas. Currently the only product on the market safe for young kittens is Frontline. This is licensed to be used on kittens from 2 days of age. (Care should be taken to keep small kittens warm for 10 minutes after spraying with Frontline, or spray hands then rub over kitten.) Use Frontline Spray of Frontline Topspot for the queen. A flea comb may help. If there is a big flea problem in the house, an insecticidal fogger may be necessary.

Desexing
Wellington SPCA desexes kittens at an early age (as long as they’re in good health and condition). It’s a good idea to have your kittens desexed at 12 weeks of age, at the same time as their second vaccination.

There are definite advantages to early age desexing.

• Generally the younger the animal, the quicker the recovery from the operation

• As the reproductive organs are less developed, the surgery time is reduced and there is less risk of bleeding

• No risk of females getting infection of the uterus, and low risk of mammary tumours

• No chance of an unwanted pregnancy and the subsequent cost involved when caring for a pregnant cat and kittens.

• Most of all, no unwanted litters that shelter have to euthanase.

Important
Cats can get pregnant while still feeding kittens. Book the queen in for spaying when the kittens are 6 weeks old. (The kittens should be eating on their own by this time.)


Adoption
Responsible owners will have their kittens desexed, vaccinated, wormed and de-fleaed before placing them into new homes.

Low cost desexing
Call Wellington SPCA regarding low-cost Desexing. Encouraging our community to help control animal overpopulation.
Phone: (04) 389 8044

If your cat has kittens

• Newborn kittens should be thoroughly checked for abnormalities such as cleft palates or deformed limbs.

• Provide the queen and newborn kittens with a warm, draught-free – and quiet area, provide a cardboard box or basket and warm bedding. The queen will need a litter tray so that she can stay near her kittens at all times. This will need to be cleaned twice daily.

Never leave young children unsupervised around kittens.

Feeding
The queen will provide all of the kittens food requirements until weaning, provided she is adequately fed. She should have constant access to food because to feed her kittens she will use 3 – 4 times more energy than usual. This will enable her to stay fit and healthy.

A diet designed for kittens and lactating queens is needed, which is high in energy. We recommend a good quality diet such as Hill’s Science Feline Growth, which is available from Wellington SPCA. There are other premium diets available.

Plenty of fresh water should be available. (Cows milk is not necessary as some cats are allergic to lactose which may cause diarrhoea.)

Don’t dump animals

Prevent unwanted litters
Have your animals desexed at Wellington SPCA today!

Weaning
Weaning should be done gradually. Introduce kittens to solid food at 4 weeks of age, by offering warmed tinned kitten food, mixed with a little water in a shallow saucer. The kittens will walk in it, slide in it, and track it all over the place. Usually one will begin lapping right away and , in its anxiety to consume as much as it can, it will often bite the edge of the plate. Some will prefer to lick it from your finger after they sniff it. Slowly lower your finger to the plate and hold it to the food. The kittens need to learn to eat with their heads bent down.

Kitten Weaning
Kittens will start to wean (eat solid food) at about 3 – 5 weeks of age.

Sometimes it takes two or three meals before they catch on. If they do not seem interested enough to even sniff your finger, try gently opening the kitten’s mouth and rubbing a little of the food on it’s teeth. Hopefully then it will start licking your finger. Be patient, this process takes time.

Be sure that they have access to fresh water in a bowl, stable bowl. When every kitten is more or less skilled at lapping, continue mixing canned food with water. Repeat rubbing the mix onto paws and mouths as added encouragement.

Toilet-training
Start providing kittens with a litter tray at 3 weeks of age. Use a shallow litter tray at first. Line with newspaper and use only a small amount of kitty litter each time. Cats and kittens are very clean animals, so clean the tray out a least twice a day.

• Show kittens the litter tray several times a day, especially after meals and naps.

• Gently take their paw and scratch the litter with it to encourage them.

• Be sure to give kittens lots of praise when they first start using their boxes.

Kitten - Fact
Most kittens will use a litter box from the start but, like other babies, might make an occasional mistake. It is a good idea to confine the kittens to a relatively small space, because the larger the area the kittens have to play in, the more likely they will forget where the litter tray is. Keep the litter box clean and away from their food.

Never punish a cat or kitten for toileting in an inappropriate place. This does not work and may make the situation worse.

If your kittens are not catching on to the idea of using a litter tray, please call us for advice.

Play
When the kittens reach 3 – 4 weeks of age you can begin to play with them. It is a good idea to wear long sleeves and long pants, as they play roughly and their claws are sharp. Some kittens may be fearful at first; do not force yourself on them. Make them an important part of your household activities; accustom them to the sounds of the TV, vacuum cleaner and other household sounds.

Kitten Handling
Gently handle your kittens each day. Pick them up with one hand around the chest and the other hand supporting the hindquarters. While they are very young, keep kittens close to the mother cat when handling them.

Wellington SPCA - Facts
Cats and kittens make up 50 – 60% of all incoming animals in our Newtown shelter each year. In the year 2000 – 2001 we received 206 abandoned kittens and cats, and 330 wild kittens and cats. Please ensure that you find your kittens and cats good homes where they will be cared for throughout their lives.

For more information on the care of cats and kittens contact: Jacqui or Jo on 04 389 8044