Raising Kittens. . .

I would like to say that I strongly recomend getting your cat spayed or neutered. There are way more cats than there are good homes. I understand that it is not always possible (money was the issue for me, and thus I have kittens at home right now). I also did not realize until Sassy was pregnant how overpopulated cats have become. There are tons of them euthenized every day. If at all possible, spay or neuter.

You will know your queen is pregnant, because she will start putting on excess weight, her teats will be more noticable, and she will start eating more. Let her eat as much as she wants, because she needs the extra nutrients for the growing babies inside her. A queen's pregnancy usually lasts about 9 weeks.

If you are expecting, it is a good idea to cut out the front of a couple of boxes and layer the inside with towels or blankets. Something to make them cozy. Spread them around the house. She will hopefully pick one of them when she is ready to have her babies and will keep them there until they get out to start exploring.

Right before Sassy started going into labor, she was walking around the house crying. I knew something was wrong, but it took a minute to click in what was wrong. (I have not heard that most cats do this, so your's may not.)

When she starts going into labor, she will be breathing more heavily. Keep track of what time this starts. If she is straining for more than thirty minutes, contact a vet immediately, as there may be complications with the pregnancy. The kittens are usually about fifteen to thirty minutes apart. She may take a break after the first or second to let them start nursing. After each one comes out, it is followed by the afterbirth. If the queen eats the afterbirth, this is normal. She would do that in the wild, because she wants to hide the scent. She will immediately lick the kittens to clean them.

After the kittens are born, be sure they are near the abdomenon. Encourage them to suckle if they are not doing it on their own.