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Your Pregnant Cat - Building a Nesting Box

In the final week of your cat's pregnancy, you will be able to see her displaying an important behavior - nesting behavior. Although she may be the most pampered cat ever, she will still think that she is living in the wild and will feel compelled to search out a birthing place that is safe,warm and secure.

Under - or on - your bed is often top of her list of preferred places!

As birth is a messy business and you may be needed to give assistance, it is wise to prepare a 'nesting box' so that you are in control - even if your cat thinks that she is!

To build a desirable nest, find a cardboard box that is roomy enough for her to move around in to give birth and to have her newborn kittens close to her whilst she delivers subsequent ones.

Afterwards, there will need to be enough room for all the kittens to suckle easily and for their mother to care for them.

The sides of the box should be high enough to give privacy and security and the top should be partially covered for the same reason. One side should be cut away to allow access to feeding and toileting facilities and for you to be able to monitor what is going on. However, leave a lip of around 3 inches at the bottom to prevent a kitten or two from rolling out accidentally or venturing forth before they are quite ready.

Line the bottom of the box with a good amount of old newspaper, shredding some to provide cushioning. Put more, individual sheets on top. These can easily be removed as they become soiled after each kitten is delivered and disposed of appropriately.

Have the box ready two weeks before you think that the kittens are due and allow your pregnant cat to become familiar with it. Place it in a position that is warm, free from draughts and away from the hustle and bustle of family life. Your cat needs to feel secure and unthreatened so that she can get on with the business of delivering her kittens without added stress.

Of course, she may not think that you have chosen a suitable place for her nest, so watch for signs that she is constructing her own nest elsewhere and simply move the box to that position.

What ever you do, don't let your cat out of the house for two, or even three weeks before her due date. If she decides to build her nest outside and disappears into it to give birth, you will have no chance of finding her and the consequences don't bear thinking about.

Once you have constructed your lovely cat a nesting box, you are all ready to welcome your new kittens!

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