What Do Kittens Do After Birth

Things to do following the birth warmth is important as newborn kittens can lose heat very quickly.

What do kittens do after birth. If the mother is attentive she will clean the kittens and use her body heat to keep the kittens warm. Bear in mind that the queen will usually eat the placenta to hide evidence of the birth and protect her kittens. Most kittens will open their eyes between seven to ten days after birth. At first the retina is poorly developed and vision is poor.

When you understand your mother cat s changing care needs you can better support both her and her kittens after the birth. Cat giving birth problems. Feeding newborn kittens newborn kittens should get all of their nutrition from their mother. The first milk produced called colostrum is rich in antibodies and will help protect kittens against diseases.

Kittens open their eyes about seven to ten days after birth. All kittens are born in a thin membrane birthing sac which your cat should remove as soon as her baby has arrived. Their nervous systems are not fully developed. Newborn kittens are unable to produce concentrated urine and so have a very high requirement for fluids.

Three days after birth a kitten s eyes start opening and the umbilical cord will also fall off. This twitching is entirely normal and indicates the development of their nervous system and muscles. There is really no reason to be concerned unless one kitten is lagging behind the others or if you notice any signs of infection. This feed is recommended for the cat to produce a milk that s very rich in the nutrients that the kittens need.

This will continue until they gradually transition to solid foods when they are around four weeks old weaning. If after half an hour the kitten still isn t suckling gently open the kitten s mouth and latch him onto a nipple to suckle. A red brown vaginal discharge may be seen for up to three weeks after the birth. The kitten doesn t suckle after one hour.

It is abnormal if it is green or foul smelling although there may normally be a small amount of greenish discharge after the kitten or placenta. However some kittens may open them sooner while others won t open them until a few days later. It is very normal for cats not to eat much after giving birth. The care that you give your mother cat after the birth of her kittens is just as important as the care you provided her leading up to the birth.

This milk transfers antibodies to the kittens which helps protect them against infectious disease. Immediately after giving birth a cat s appetite is affected and will want to eat almost nothing. Most kittens suckle within an hour or two of being born.