Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
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Mammary gland enlargement
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Developing mammary cysts
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Mammary cancer
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Decreased fertility
THE BIRTH OF KITTENS
You can expect that a queen will soon be delivering when she shows
interest in creating a nest for the kittens to be born. You can express
milk from her mammary glands a day or two before she delivers.
You can monitor a queen's rectal temperature twice daily if you are
not sure when she will deliver. Twenty-four hours before delivery, the
body temperature of most queens drops to about 99°F.
What Happens During Labor?
The length of a queen's labor depends on whether she has had kittens
before and how many kittens she is having. The period from the start
of contractions to the end of labor can be minutes, hours or even a day
if several breedings were responsible for the litter.
You may observe a mucus plug being passed when a cat begins
labor. Contractions will follow and kittens will be born.The queen will
lick and remove the sac from the kitten; if she does not, the kitten can
suffocate and you need to intervene. The queen will then bite off the
umbilical cord that connects the kitten to the placenta.
When kittens are born, they weigh only a few ounces and are
extremely fragile.They are very dependent upon their mother for sur-
vival because their eyes are closed, their ears are not completely devel-
oped and they can only crawl.
The queen may continue her labor and produce more kittens. She
will continue to lick and clean the kittens that have been born and gen-
tly nudge them toward her nipples so that they can begin nursing.
Kittens are able to nurse within an hour of being born.
Kittens receive their initial immunity to disease by absorbing anti-
bodies present in their mother's colostrum. Kittens are only able to
absorb the antibodies in colostrum during their first 24 hours of life. It
is therefore very important for kittens to nurse from their mothers as
soon after birth as possible.
The queen may eat the placentas, and as unappetizing as this looks,
it is very normal. She may have a vaginal discharge for up to two weeks
