Pets Smile Plus

Pregnant cats have to eat for two, three, four, five, even six cats. So her regular meal is just not enough. What should you give instead?

Pregnant and lactating queens need more calories than normal. However, you won?t have to force her to eat. Cats are very intelligent animals. They know when they have to eat and how much.

Don?t get worried if your cat?s appetite decreases in the very early stages of pregnancy. Soon her appetite will increase, and this time dramatically.

The quality of the food is essential. Of course you should always give your cat a nutritionally balanced meal, but this time it?s even more important than usual. You are not feeding one cat anymore, but a few (soon-to-be) kittens as well!

It?s recommended to buy food from a pet store. Most experienced breeders agree that kitten food is the best for your pregnant cat ? yes, even when the kittens are not there yet. Why? Because kitten food contains more calories and protein, and that?s just what your queen needs.

Gradually start mixing your cat’s regular food with this high-quality kitten food you found in your pet store. Add more kitten food every week. During the week of birth your queen should eat only kitten food.

Some breeders also serve raw meat and say that?s good for a pregnant cat as well. However, there is some controversy about this.

About 24 to 48 hours before delivery a pregnant queen will refuse food. Her appetite should return within one day after she gave birth.

Keep her on a kitten food diet until the kittens are weaned.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Journalist Marc de Jong is a long-time cat lover and owner of a popular web site on cats. More in-depth information about food for kittens and pregnant cats is found in his ebook How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat, available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com.

Did you ever wonder if cats love? Are you ever curious about their origin, about what they dream of, about the way they communicate?

Cat Facts by Marcus Schneck and Jill Caravan is a great book to answer these and more questions about cats, their history, their behavior, their care, and then some. Filled with interesting facts, anecdotes, and information, this is a great reference book for a pet lover’s collection.

This isn’t, by any means, the ultimate guide to caring for your cat. There are much better books on actual pet care on the market, and your vet would be the best person to recommend a good one. This book is meant to be fun and informational, to give you more of an insight into your cat’s breed, behavior, and background.

A fun book to flip through, the pages are filled with photos and color illustrations. Boxes on many pages present assorted cat care and cat watching tips as well as common myths and the truths behind them. What’s nice about this book is that it isn’t a book you need to devote a large chunk of time to in any one sitting. A minute here or there can provide you with entertaining tidbits and digestible chunks of information. There’s also an index in the back for quick reference, something I always find particularly useful in any reference book.

An entire section of the book is dedicated to detailing the individual breeds of cats. Though it doesn’t cover every single exotic breed that’s out there today, I particularly like this section. It’s informative, entertaining, and easy on the eye. For each breed, there are photos and/or illustrations, maps detailing where that particular breed originated, information about the breed’s characteristics and personality traits, special care for the bred, and other assorted information. In a short amount of space, there’s actually a wealth of information and it’s presented in a reader-friendly manner.

Though it’s obvious that this isn’t an expensive coffee-table book — there are obvious flaws in the book’s binding and the pages, though slightly glossy, have an odd feel to them — it’s still a fun piece to keep out for conversation with other pet lovers.

For a cat owner, or anyone interested in learning more about the world of cats, this book is a worthwhile purchase. Fun and filled with interesting bits of common and not-so-common knowledge about cats, it’s a great addition to any cat lover’s book collection.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.

The cat population is astronomical. Most experts agree that average cat owners should spay their cat, not breed. Still there are people who want to have a litter from their pet. But there?s a lot to think about before planning a feline family.

Here are five things you should know:

1. It takes time. You?ll have to clean the nest every day, for two months. You should keep an eye on the kittens and watch their development ? you won?t have time for a holiday.

2. It takes space. It?s not a good idea to breed if you have a 3-room apartment. Your family members should agree with your plan of having kittens. You can?t lock up these little balls of fur. They?ll go everywhere - in your partner?s study, in your baby?s bedroom, your kitchen, your bathroom.

3. It takes responsibility. Do you know beforehand that you will find a good home for your kittens? Some of your friends or relatives will say ?Yes, lovely, I?ll take one of them?. But one or another may change his/her mind once the moment is near. Are you willing to keep the kitten that nobody wants?

4. It takes education. Have you thought about what could happen at birth? Do you know how to cut an umbilical cord? What to do if a newborn remains in its fluid filled sac? What supplies you need? How to know when a c-section is necessary? What to feed a pregnant cat?

5. It takes money. Kittens cost more money than you probably think. It?s not only the food. Even if you go through pregnancy without a vet?s help, you need to have them vaccinated and dewormed.

Yes, there?s a lot to think about! However, if you really want to breed, make sure you get the right information, so you are prepared for the best and the worst.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marc de Jong runs an acclaimed web site on cats and is the author of the book How To Take Care Of Your Pregnant Cat, available through http://www.pregnant-cat-care.com. In this book vets and breeders reveal the secrets they use to help a cat deliver and raise a healthy litter.