Owners of cats need to plan ahead before embarking
on a breeding program. Both female and male cats need to be adequately
prepared by responsible breeders for the producing of litters. Health
and safety are the paramount concerns and should be addressed prior
to mating, during the female's pregnancy and after the delivery
of the kittens.
Step 1: Wait until your female cat is a minimum of 12 months old
before breeding her. Remember though that females mature sexually
younger than this, usually around 6 months old, and can become pregnant
by accident. Males are usually mature around 10 months of age. Step
2: Locate a veterinarian you are confident in prior to breeding.
Make sure the cats you plan to breed are current on their vaccines
and have a clean bill of health from this vet. Male and female cats
should both be de-wormed and thoroughly checked for parasites. Step
3: Prepare your female for breeding by providing her with nutritious,
well-balanced meals. Once she is about 5 weeks pregnant, increase
her feeding by an extra meal a day. If she acts hungry, feed her
more, but check with the vet if you become concerned about the amount
she is consuming, whether you think it is too much or too little.
Step 4: Increase the chances of a successful breeding by having
the cats mate in surroundings that are familiar to the male cat.
If you do not own the stud, you will need to prepare arrangements
for your female cat to stay with the owner of the stud during the
mating. Some breeders prefer to leave the female for 2 weeks to
help ensure she will become pregnant. Step 5: Provide your queen
with a special area for delivering her kittens. Some breeders prefer
to use cages to make sure a new mother won't move her newborns to
undesirable areas. Other breeders choose to use a box that the mother
can go to and from comfortably. Step 6: Prepare a long-haired queen
for the impending birth of her kittens by clipping the hair away
from her bottom and her nipples. This will help ensure easier birthing
and nursing. Be careful not to cut too close to the skin.
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