how do you prepare for kittens??!?

Question

how should i help the mom prepare for them? how old do they have to be weaned?what cat food should i ween them with? when should i move them from the outside in to my house?and how can you tell when a cats about to have kittens?

Answer 1

You can make a space for your momma, right away, in a low cupboard (like in the bathroom) or the back of the closet with some old soft towels or rags in a box. They will drink milk for quite a while so you'll have plenty of time to research foods. Catch your momma and keep her in the house until the kittens are born. You really don't want to let them be born outside because of predators and because she may have them in one spot and then suddenly move them --which will drive you crazy trying to find them! My cat knew she had her cupboard all ready for her but when the time came she ran back and forth acting real funny and then I saw the kitten starting to come out! I gently carried her and the baby to the prepared cupboard and she continued to give birth...7 times! Don't be scared ---you'll see the kittens are born inside their own individual sacs and the momma will lick the sac away and clean each kitten. It took about 3 hours for my girl to have 7 kittens and clean them all up.
Good luck! It's such a precious miracle!

Answer 2

ok i think you should first make some type of bed for the kittens.Kittens can usually be started on the weaning process at 3-4 weeks of age and should be fully weaned by 6-8 weeks of age. Canned food can be mashed up and mixed with water to form a gruel. The gruel can then be smeared around the kitten's lips to encourage the food to be licked off. Some kittens will take the food as a mash but make sure there are no big chunks. Dry food can also be soaked and used to make a gruel. Feed little and often and as the kittens get older add less water to the mixture. Many kittens will eat dry food without it being soaked by 10-12 weeks of age while most will manage a canned kitten food at 6-8 weeks. The cat will start to try and possible get into your house to find a comfortable place to have her kittens so if you want her to have them outside then make her a bed a box with some old rags would be good nothing they could fall off of or get tangled in. a vet could tell you exactly when or you can just sort off tell they will usally lie down in the spot they choose to have their litter. Good Luck!!

Answer 3

How far a long is the mom? She can still be spayed and thus save the kittens that are in the shelter now.

But to answer your questions:
how should i help the mom prepare for them? Inside only, feed high quality kitten food. Make sure your vet and emergency vet knows your cat in case of complaications.

how old do they have to be weaned?
4+ weeks depending on mom and litter

what cat food should i ween them with? Kitten canned and kitten dry mushed with just born formula

when should i move them from the outside in to my house?THEY SHOULD ALREADY BE INSIDE

and how can you tell when a cats about to have kittens?
See links


JUST ONE
http://www.tulsa-animalshelter.com/just1litter.htm


Kitten care Handbook
http://www.kittenrescue.org/handbook.htm


Kitten rescue
http://www.kitten-rescue.com/parasites.html

Answer 4

OK first off to help the mom prepare for them wut u need to do is fine a nice safe spot she likes and place a cardboard box with a towel in it. 2nd they should be weaned at about 4 weeks which is when kittens r able to eat solid food, first try a good wet food, just make sure u get 1 that's for kittens and that is says balanced and complete on the can. 4th u should move them inside the house when they start to understand there surroundings and r walking around. 5th u can tell when her water breaks and if the cat really loves u the cat may even come to u, my last cat went in to labor and came to or door crying and she had them in a box in or house....
~kitty girl~

Answer 5

I got Lorne at six weeks. I feed him kitten chow and water. Milk is bad for them. He is an indoor cat. I have two others. I got them a nice cat condo on ebay for 45$ including shipping and I got two scratching posts. Lorne is over a year now and a great cat. He was a cutie as a kitten. I miss that.

Answer 6

I prepare by not feeding my snake as soon as I find out the cats are due to have kittens.That way once they are born he is really hungry and he can eat all of them in a week.

Answer 7

THEY SHOULDNT BE OUTSIDE!!!!
You obviously dont know much about kittening so go to the vets for advice or look things up on the net. Ive learned alot from reading on the net. It truly is a wonderful thing

Answer 8

YOU'RE SO LUCK! I'm so JEALOUS!!! I love kittens!!

Ask your veterinarian. http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/CATS/catbirth.HTM

Are You Ready for Newborn Kittens?

Whether your ready for baby kittens may not be the question. If your cat is, you have no choice but to get prepared, unless you want the corner of your closet and extra bedding to become part of the new kitten experience. Cat inevitably choose their own spot but can be enticed to a mutual location with some kitten and cat comforts in mind. You also want to make sure birthing goes smoothly for the health of your cat, so information and preparation is key.

Preparation for Delivery

You should begin to prepare for birth of the kittens before the queen gives birth. A box should be provided so that the mother becomes accustomed to sleeping in it and will deliver the kittens there. Most cats prefer a covered delivery box. Food and water can be kept nearby. Place the box in a secluded yet familiar area of the home, away from family traffic, to allow mother and kittens solitude and rest. Newspapers make excellent bedding because they can be changed easily, are absorbent, and can be shredded by the mother as she makes her "nest." If such materials as old quilts, rugs, blankets or mattress pads are used, they should be laundered frequently.

If you want to know more precisely when delivery is near, check the rectal temperature twice daily, starting on the 60th day. Rectal temperature drops below 100 F within 24 hours before the onset of labor. Normal rectal temperature ranges from 100.5 to 102 F.

Labor and Delivery

During the first stage of labor, the mother cat (queen) seems uneasy and restless. She may refuse food or water. The cat's rectal temperature drops, and she seeks dark, secluded places. Considerable howling may occur. This stage lasts 12-24 hours.

In the second stage, contractions and expulsion of the kittens begin. Delivery starts with a small, greenish sac protuding from the vaginal opening. This is followed by a kitten and the attached placenta. The normal presentation of the kitten is nose first, lying on its abdomen. Some kittens, however, are born hindquarters first. After the delivery, the mother normally opens the sac by licking and biting, cleans off the kitten and severs the umbilical cord. You may have to perform these functions for the mother if she refuses to do it herself (see Obstetric Care below). Make sure the sac is removed from the kitten immediately if the mother doesn't do so.

The third stage of labor is a resting stage, which follows delivery of each kitten. This stage may last from a few minutes to one hour. Occasionally, 2 kittens are delivered within a few minutes, followed by resting.

Obstetric Care

After each kitten is born, remove all membranes covering the kitten, clean off its face, and remove mucus from its nose and mouth. Rub the kitten with a clean, dry towel to dry it and to stimulate breathing and circulation. After a few minutes of rubbing, the kitten should begin to squirm and cry. The umbilical cord should be tied about 1 inch from the body with fine thread and cut on the side of the knot away from the kitten. Apply a drop of iodine or merthiolate to the cord end after it is cut.

Assisting with the Birth

If a kitten seems to be lodged in the birth canal and the mother cannot expel it, assistance is necessary. There may not be time to call your veterinarian and drive to the hospital if you wish to save the kitten. Grasp the kitten with a clean towel and exert steady, firm traction. Do not jerk or pull suddenly. The best place to grasp the kitten is by the skin of the back, but gentle traction on the legs may be necessary.

Notify the Doctor if Any of the Following Occur:

* You cannot remove a kitten lodged in the birth canal.

* Labor is strong and persistent for 30 minutes without a birth.

* Labor is weak and intermittent for 5 hours without any results.

* There is a dark vaginal discharge, and no labor or births have occurred within 3-4 hours.

* The pregnancy lasts more than 67 days.

Answer 9

First boil a large pot of water, kitties taste better when they are blanched before broiling.
My mistake, I thought it said chittlins.

Answer 10

THIS SHOULD TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
http://www.waterloowest.com/articles/kittensnewborn.html