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Birthing an entire litter
Becoming a mom is hard work, especially when you’re a cat. On average, a cat gives birth to three to six kittens at a time. However, litter sizes can sometimes be much larger. On August 7, 1970, a Burmese-Siamese cat in Kingham, Oxfordshire, UK, gave birth to a whopping 19 kittens—a world record!
Feeding so many mouths
For the first few weeks of their lives, kittens drink only their mother’s milk. This fluid provides them with essential nutrients and antibodies that strengthen their immune systems, promoting healthy growth and development. In addition, a mother cat’s milk contains the perfect balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to support her rapidly growing kittens’ energy needs.
This all demands a lot from momma cat! Did you know that a nursing cat has two to six times the energy requirements of a healthy adult cat? Way to go, mom!
Keeping her kittens warm
Until they reach about four weeks of age, kittens cannot regulate their body temperature. To stay warm and survive, they must cuddle up with their mother—or, when she’s not around, with their siblings. Now you know why you’ll always find a litter of young kittens huddled together, especially when mama cat is away eating, hunting or just stretching her legs.
Helping her kittens go potty
During the first three to four weeks of life, kittens cannot pee or poop on their own—they need a little help from their mother. Mama cat will lick her babies’ private area to stimulate the urethra and colon, triggering a reflex that allows the kittens to relieve themselves. This process, called ‘toileting,’ may not be the most pleasant task for mama cat, but it’s absolutely necessary if she wants her kittens to survive.
Keeping her babies safe
In the wild, a mama cat has to keep her kittens safe from all sorts of dangers, especially predators. If she feels their current nest isn’t secure anymore, she’ll move her babies to a safer spot one by one, holding them by the scruff. Pet cats do this too, even when there’s no real danger around. It’s likely an instinctive way to stay one step ahead of potential threats.
Does mama cat need special food?
Raising kittens is hard work, so mama cat needs plenty of good calories to keep herself and her babies happy and healthy. Catit kitten food is formulated to provide both mama cat and her kittens with all the nutrients they need to thrive. So, don’t hesitate to let your lactating feline dive into the you’ll soon be serving the little ones.
