Welcoming a new litter of kittens into your home is a joyous occasion. However, it’s also best to be prepared so that all the kittens have the best chance of surviving. A stressed and uneasy cat can have difficulty giving birth. If your cat is pregnant and is soon to give birth, there are a number of items you can have on hand to help make the experience more comfortable and less stressful for them.
Essential Items When Preparing for a Litter of Kittens
- Queening/nesting box
A pregnant cat will always need a safe space where they can go to give birth. The easiest way to provide this to your cat is with a queening box. You may either buy a premade box or make one yourself.
The queening box must be comfortable for your cat, while allowing you easy access to the kittens so you can monitor their health. It should also be secure and not allow the kittens to escape or wander around.
A cardboard box on its side or a cat carrier make fine DIY options. Some cat owners will buy cat litter boxes just to use as queening boxes. At the end of the day you know your cat best, and can tailor the box to their preferences.
Place the queening box in a quiet room that’s not too hot nor too cold, and away from other pets or small children. At the opposite end of the same room, you can place the pregnant cat’s food, water and litter box.
You may allow your cat to sleep in the box and get accustomed to this space a couple of weeks before their due date.
- Clean towels or sheets
These are always useful, either as bedding for the queening box or to wrap around your hands to help receive a kitten that’s being born.
- Digital thermometer
In the lead-up to your cat giving birth, you’ll need to monitor their temperature. You’ll also use this to keep track of the kittens’ temperatures after the queening.
- Heating pad or lamp
Newborn kittens will need to be kept warm while their mother continues the queening. A heating pad or lamp will help ensure that the kittens don’t get too cold. If you use a heating pad, cover it with a blanket or use it at a low setting so that the kittens don’t overheat.
- Weighing scales
You’ll need to weigh each kitten after they are born and the umbilical cord has been cut.
Other Useful Supplies
- Veterinary disinfectant
Once your cat is done queening, it’s a good idea to clean up the whelping box and surrounding area to prevent bacteria from growing. Veterinary disinfectant is formulated to clean up almost any mess, while being non-toxic and biodegradable.
- Unwaxed dental floss
This can be helpful to tie off the kittens’ umbilical cords.
- Powder-free latex gloves
Wear these when you’re handling the kittens or the queening cat.
- Kitten ID band
These bands can be helpful in identifying each kitten, especially if they have few distinguishing marks.
In Case of Emergencies
Experienced cat breeders know that most cat pregnancies will go smoothly, but will still do their best to prepare a suitable queening area and supplies. Aside from that, there are also two other things that they will do:
- Speak to the veterinarian – Making sure that your veterinarian is aware of your cat’s pregnancy and the due date can help them prepare, as well. Get your veterinarian’s emergency contact info, or the number of a nearby emergency animal clinic. If anything goes wrong, you’ll want to have these numbers on-hand.
- Start putting aside an emergency fund – Emergency procedures can be expensive, so having the funds set aside can give you some peace of mind. If everything goes right and you don’t need to use these funds for a caesarean delivery, the money can then go towards the vet visits of the kittens after they’re born.
Be Prepared for Your New Litter
Watching over the birth of a new litter of kittens can be stressful if it’s your first time doing it. If you’re prepared, the process will be easier on both you and your cat. Ushering in new lives into the world can be extremely rewarding – who knows, you may even want to become a registered cat breeder yourself.