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Has your female cat been pacing the house and crying? Did she manage to escape for the night - or even longer? It’s possible she could have been in heat (estrous), which means that she might have come home with buns in the oven! While there isn’t a feline home pregnancy test yet available, there are still a few ways to figure out whether or not she is pregnant,By looking for Symptoms of Pregnant Cat.

Female cats can have many heat periods in each breeding season. Each heat period lasts between five to 14 days. If she is mated, the cat will usually go out of heat within 24 hours. When in heat, the cat may display several Symptoms. These may vary between breeds and even between individual cats. Signs include the famous calling (loud meowing), increased appetite and restlessness. Many cats begin to roll on the floor and demand to be petted.

If the cat is not mated and does not become pregnant, she can go into heat repeatedly every two to three weeks. This means that if your cat goes into heat - you can’t simply keep her locked up at home, waiting for it to go away. Unless you spay the cat, she will keep going into heat practically every month. Occasionally, a cat may exhibit a condition called pseudo-pregnancy or false pregnancy, where elevated levels of hormones cause symptoms that look much like a pregnancy.This condition can last for several weeks and then gradually fade away.

When owning a cat, it is important to know what the symptoms of a pregnant cat are. When a cat becomes pregnant, pregnancy symptoms are initially noticed at approximately the three week stage of pregnancy.

Fertilisation in the queen takes place in the oviducts and 6-8 days post-mating the blastocysts migrate into the uterus. Implantation is thought to occur 11-14 days post-mating.

WATCH FOR THESE SYMPTOMS OF PREGNANT CAT.

Pregnancy is most commonly confirmed by abdominal palpation: a series of discrete, firm spherical uterine enlargements can be readily felt by days 17-25 of gestation. Developing kittens can be seen using ultrasound as early as day 14-15 and foetal heartbeats can be seen from day 22. Foetal skeletons can be visualized on radiographs from day 43 of gestation onwards. No laboratory tests are currently used routinely for the diagnosis of pregnancy in cats, although there has been substancial work on the faecal excretion of progesterone.

The duration of pregnancy is 67 days on average (range 62-71). The average number of kittens born alive per litter is 4, with a range of 1-8 live kittens per litter. Approximately 5% of kittens are stillborn; the percentage is higher in Persian cats. On average, 87% of kittens born alive are reared successfully. There is no apparent breed difference in the duration of gestation.

Once You have Confirmed The Symptoms Of Your Pregnant Cat you should consult your vet just to make sure She’s Healthy and Discuss a Plan For Those Cute Adorable Kittens Coming Soon!

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Bringing home a new kitten is exciting. Be sure that you prepare your home with the essentials before picking up your new arrival. Here are the top 8 must haves.

1) Bed

Kittens are happy just about with anything soft and cushy. You can get a fancy bed, but even a soft pillow in a box will suffice. Small beds aren’t that much, but make sure it’s one that you can wash if you do choose to buy one.

2) Food & Water Dishes

If you only have one kitten at home a couple small, shallow bowls will work fine. Be sure the water bowl is sturdy enough that it won’t tip over. Clean them regularly. Water bowls tend to start building up residue around the sides. Make sure they have fresh water to drink at all times.

3) Brush and Comb

For a long haired kitten you can use a long toothed metal comb and a brush. They should be brushed at least once a day to help keep their fur free of mats. For short haired kittens a bristle brush will work. You don’t have to brush them as often, but it’s good to keep brushed regularly. Be sure to start this while they are young so they get used to it.

4) Carrier

A carrier is important to have right away since you will be taking your new kitten in to the vet for check ups and shots. Any kind is fine as long as it is ventalated and large enough for them to move around. Throw something soft in it for them to lay down in. Don’t let your kitten loose in the car because they can climb all over the place, under your feet, around your neck, or even up on the dashboard which is unsafe.

5) Litter Box, Litter, Scooper & Mat

The litter box needs to be kept clean and fresh litter should be added regularly. A mat or piece of carpet placed outside the box is recommended to catch the loose litter they may have in their paws while exiting their box. If you have dogs keep the litter box out of their reach since some dogs will eat the kittens fecies.

6) Collar with Name Tag

Even if your kitten is strictly indoors it is still good to have a collar with their name and your phone number on a tag. You never know when it might sneak out the door and get outside. Get them used to wearing one while they are young.

7) Scratching Post

A kitten uses the scratching post more for exercise than it does to sharpen it’s claws. They like to stretch out while clawing down their post so make sure that it is tall enough for them to do so. They come in all shapes and sizes. You can get one that they can climb up or one that is simply a post with carpet or rope wrapped around it.

Toys

Toys are a must as kittens as they love to play. Just be sure they are strong toys and can’t be torn apart or swallowed. Kittens love mice, catnip, boxes to climb in, balls, etc. A ball or a soft mouse hanging from a string off a door is always a favorite.

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Having your cat urinating all over your home can be extremely troublesome. Especially when it happens after you thought you had successfully litter trained your cat. Rather than getting angry, it may be more appropriate for you to be worried. You should strongly consider taking kitty for a check-up at the vet. There are a number of diseases which can cause your cat to suddenly start urinating uncontrollably. One of these diseases is a urinary tract infection which could be potentially fatal if left untreated. As a matter of fact, any sudden change in kitty’s behavior merits a visit to the vet, just in case.

While kitty peeing outside the litter box is an obvious clue, you should also be on alert about your cat’s urination habits. If you notice kitty making more trips to the litter box than normal, or releasing a greater than usual volume of urine, or its urine having a different smell, etc, all these are warning signs of illness. If you truly love your cat, then you need to be vigilant about its health.

Once ill health has been ruled out, you need to look into environmental factors. The most obvious one is moving house. There are one or two cat owners who somehow failed to realize that their cats became confused and could not find the litter box in their new homes. Or simply did not like the new location of the litter box. In any case, if you move house, be prepared to litter train your cat all over again.

Any number of factors could cause stress to your cat and cause it to urinate away from its litter box, even something as subtle as a change in your working schedule. On the one hand, this is rather inconvenient to you. On the other hand, a part of me would be happy, because this shows that kitty misses me and cares about me. It’s nice to know that you are more than just the person who fills kitty’s food dish, isn’t it? Anyway, if you cannot remove the cause of kitty’s stress, you will just have to toilet train your cat again. Besides this, you may want to learn cat massage. Just like for humans, massage can soothe away some of your cats’s stress. If all else fails, you may need to get a something from your vet to help soothe kitty. However, I strongly advise against aromatherapy or the use of massage oils unless your vet can recommend a safe brand. Cats are often sensitive to such oils and scents. There have been cases of poisoning reported.

Something that few people think about is the litter. Just because you still buy the same brand does not mean the manufacturer is still making the litter exactly the same. There could be major or even just minor changes to the final end product, and it could be noticeable to your cat. Remember that its sense of touch and smell is much better than yours.

The problem could even be the litter box. Are your cat still using the same litter box as when it was a kitten? Or has your cat grown old… You may need to try a different-sized litter box.

Did I mention that smell is important? Did you change the cleaner you used to wash the litter box? Are you cleaning the area around the litter box with a different cleaner? Perhaps kitty hates the smell of the new cleaning product and that is why it is urinating elsewhere. Or did you use a different cleaning product for your house. The new cleaner could be confusing kitty.

Your cat is a sensitive creature of habit. First, you need to eliminate health problems as the cause of your cat’s urination problem. After that, it takes time and patience and loving care to investigate the cause of the problem. A case study published by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (JAVMA, Vol 224, No. 10, May 15, 2004) reported that they took several years to resolve the problem. Partly it was because the cat in question had health problems. The vet needed to try different medications which would both clear up the medical conditions as well as not cause the cat to urinate uncontrollably. At the same time, there was no stability in the home environment. The owner got a divorce, and found a new boyfriend. And apparently some stray cats moved into the neighborhood.

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Volunteering with the local animal shelter and the rescue groups, I have sadly come across orphaned kittens more than I want to think about.

The kittens have ranged in minutes in age on up. Depending on exactly how old they are, the first thing I do is start with an anti-bacterial bath. It is good to get whatever they might have on them OFF! This is especially important when getting them from the shelter. If they are newborns, I wait until they are a bit older.

Always keep the kitten warm and dry using licking like rubs. Have you ever watched a mama cat clean her babies? I try to intimidate the same process. Small strokes over and over again even around the face. I do this quite often throughout their growing stages. Not necessarily the bath but the cleaning process. And this can be replaced using a damp warm rag.

Most important is feeding them.

The formula is very simple and cheaper and healthier than buying pre-made mixes.

1 can of evaporated milk 2 small jars of meat baby food (stage 2) 1 plain yogurt 2 egg yolks 1 T of Karol syrup Mix all together and add enough water to make 1 quart.

Depending on the age of the kittens they will need to be feed every 2 hours. But like any mother will tell you eventually you can get them to sleep through the night and feed first thing in the morning and regularly throughout the day.

I actually use a surrogate mama cat that happens to be one of my own. She didn’t start out that way. She was my first pregnant foster mom from the shelter. She is like 100 years old, rotten teeth and not exactly what I call eye candy. Even though she does not have milk, she tends to all of the other needs like bathing, and trust me, the first time you notice the mom cleans the hineys of the babies you might re-think using one too. But if this is not an option for you here are a few other tips:

· They need their mama, and in this case that is you! So be there.

· Carry them around, especially when very young inside your shirt next to your skin, let them feel you and smell you. Keep them warm.

· Clean and sterilize your hands in between other pets in the home. You do not want sick babies! And remember to even have clean clothing when being around them.

· If you do have a sick kitten, it is very important to see your vet

· I used a bottle so that my kittens got to experience the sucking just like mom. But in some cases a small syringe will do the trick.

· Use a damp paper towel to “lick” the back ends and tummies of the kittens to stimulate the potting process. Do this after every meal.

· At about 4 weeks, you can introduce kitten food and the litter box. Use unscented, un-clumping brand. Your kitten’s health depends on it. You do not want them to lick anything with too many chemicals in it.

I loved the changes that occur right down to watching them learn to walk, and soon explore my home.

If you want to experience kittens, instead of allowing your cat to have kittens, foster a pregnant mom from the shelter. There is no short supply of them unfortunately. And they are happy to move them out to a safer, cleaner atmosphere. Not that our shelter is by any means, not clean. But you have animals coming and going. And you don’t know anything about them or what they are bringing in to the shelter.

Most of all enjoy the process. They will be excited to see you. And before long you will be saying goodbye to your babies as they find their first real forever home.

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