This is the age when the people caring for Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley and the rest of their cat family begin teaching the kittens how to play, letting them know that human hands are not for biting or scratching. Alley Cat Allies is a 501(c)3 organization. When kittens are first born, they are helpless—they cannot see, hear, keep themselves warm, or eliminate waste on their own. The important thing is not to disturb her or allow her to give birth outside. Looking pretty grown-up, Darling! Your cat’s nipples will be very large and swollen as labor looms closer and closer. It's hard to believe that a tiny, mewing baby that fits in the palm of your hand can grow into a full-fledged adult cat in the length of only twelve months. It’s amazing how quickly these helpless kittens have grown up over a four-week period. The kittens have been introduced to scratching posts and had their claws trimmed for the first time. /* Content Template: Content template for Resources - end */ It is critical to provide a gentle heat source to keep the kitten warm and stable. It’s been one whole month! The kittens are almost fully weaned and continue to play and learn. He developing lots of personality! Do not disregard veterinary advice/treatment. The kittens are now proficient at cleaning themselves, having learned it from birth from their mother. Monitoring Your Cat's Health Before Birth. Help us continue our work for cats: Join our online community and become part of the movement to save cats’ lives! This stage can last 12 to 24 hours. While they are experimenting with solid food, kittens like Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley are still nursing from their mother (or being bottle fed by you) a few times a day. By the end of the week, their ears will be almost completely uncurled and they will begin to crawl. Double check your birth kit and make sure you have everything to hand. It’s a good idea to keep a close eye on them during this time and ensure their play area is safe for budding daredevils. My cat is pregnant and to be honest I’m not sure how far along. Well normally you would see some motion from the kittens but it may not be that often as they will be asleep most of the time. On average there are between 4 and 6 kittens. The kitten's environment should be kept between 85-90 degrees at this time. © 2021 Alley Cat Allies. Pregnancy in cats usually goes smoothly, but premature contractions and labor do happen from time to time. Occasionally, a cat may deliver a few kittens, then wait 24 hours to deliver the remaining ones. Please help!! Want to learn more about kittens and how to care about them in the fifth week? That means it’s time to begin socializing these kittens! Some trapping advice if the kittens are older. They spend 90 percent of their time sleeping and the other 10 percent eating. Throughout my life and my career as a feline veterinarian, I've been involved in raising kittens many times. A healthy newborn will writhe and meow if handled. You can start providing a litter box and wet food. Want to learn more about kittens and how to care about them in the ninth week? Visit our Kitten Guide. /* ----------------------------------------- */, How Old Is That Kitten? The kitten is not freed from the birth sac: The kittens usually emerge in individual birth sacs that the mother then licks away. Corduroy, curious and looking forward to new experiences. Shortly before start, the kittens have grown quite a bit within their mum’s belly – and may have even been seen moving around! Get ready for a lot of fun! While a kitten born on or after the 61st day of gestation has good survival odds, contractions and labor before then can endanger both the kitten and its mother. These kittens all have short fur. As they start to look more and more like adult cats, the kittens’ growth rate is finally beginning to slow. All rights reserved. Darling is eating all solid food, and his eyes have gone from blue to yellow. All you have to do is stay close by during the birthing process to moni… After almost a week, the kittens begin to wiggle around on their own a little bit and their eyes start to open. The kittens are fully weaned from their mother, but their continued development and growth together is important enough to put off adoption for another couple of weeks.