NESTING PLACE
Prepare special quiet nesting place for mama and babies in a spare room closet, or some type of enclosed dark area as a large carrier or box. The space you are creating for mamma and her babies need to be quiet and secluded, where mamma will feel safe.
Before mama gives birth you can lay some old clean towels on top of her bedding and some maybe training pads or waterproof mattress pad. After birthing change the bedding as it will be soiled. You will have to change mamma’s bedding often. Place clean towels or small baby blankets in the nesting area.Baby blankets are available for $2.00 at $.99 or Dollar Tree stores. Make sure you wash them to make sure they are sanitary for mamma and babies. After mamma delivers kittens, change bedding even daily to ensure that nesting bed is dry and clean. You can put several layers of training pads between bed and the towels or blankets. As the blankets or towels get soiled remove exposing a clean one underneath.
MAMMA’S NUTRITION BEFORE DELIVERY
Feed a pregnant mamma enough to increase its weight. This is very important as mammas will usually lose weight while nursing. To prevent mamma’s weight loss, feed her more than normal in the final trimester of her pregnancy. Do not feed her too much before the last trimester as she can become overweight and that can make birthing more difficult.
MAMMA’S NUTRITION AFTER DELIVERY
Feed mammas larger portions. After giving birth, continue feeding more than the typical amount she would usually eat. Mamma will need more calories, as she is now providing nutrition for her nursing puppies or kittens. The proper amount of food a nursing mamma needs varies depending on how many puppies or kittens she had.
Mamma nursing more than two babies will need about 2 to 2 1/2 times more calories than usual.
Allow mammas dogs or cats to free feed, which means to have food available to her at all times. Feed mamma cats wet food which is better due to higher protein content. Wet food is healthier for mamma dogs as well. Feed wet food 3 times a day: morning, early afternoon and evening. Along with that have kibble bowl filled all day long so she can nibble when she needs to.
FOOD QUALITY
Please chose cat food that is formulated to provide adequate nutrition for lactating cats, or formulated for kittens, as kitten food is formulated to be higher in protein, calories and calcium. To ensure food quality, chose an food that is Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) certified. In addition you can give mama 1/2 cup of goat milk 2 x daily. This can be prepared from powdered goat milk which is available in most Walmart stores in baking section.
Feed protein rich food, as nursing mamma needs protein rich diet to maintain her health as well as to provide nutrition for her puppies or kittens. Quality food usually provides enough protein, but if her puppies or kittens are noisy or mobile, this can be a sign that mamma is not getting enough protein.
PUPPY & KITTEN NUTRITION
Allow puppies and kittens to nurse for 7-9 weeks but introduce wet food at 4 weeks. See article on Food & Potty Training. At the time you start feeding wet food, introduce water at the same time.
It is very important to monitor development of babies so that you can supplement their nursing if need be. If the puppies or kittens look thin, or cry a lot, this may be a sign that mamma is not producing enough milk. Chose quality Nursing Bottles & Formula.
KEEP NESTING AREA CLEAN
Mamma may move puppies or kittens around if she fees they are not safe in the nesting place or if the bedding is soiled and not changed thus making the babies nesting place not clean.
SOCIALIZING PUPPIES & KITTENS
After delivering, mammas will be very protective of the babies. Give her and babies about a week and then you can start to handle them gently to get used to human touch and to socialize them to be ready for their new homes.
FLEA ISSUE
If mamma is infested with fleas and you did not have a chance to give her a bath before delivering, to remove majority or all of the fleas in the safe non chemical manner, then chances are babies will have fleas ! Babies with fleas have a huge risk of developing anemia. DO NOT USE ANY CHEMICAL FLEA TREATMENTS OR SHAMPOOS ON MAMMA OR BABIES! I cannot stress enough how much human ignorance on this subject angers me !!! Would you put pesticide, which is always a poison, on your skin and then lick it ? Of course not ! Then why would you even for a moment think this is safe for any pets ?! Please read Fleas – Bath & Comb and Flea Remedies & Prevention. This will guide you in safe flea treatments and prevention ! No need for use of any flea poisons and harming animals. Your vet will assure you it is safe because they make money to sell this and make money from selling it ! So ask your vet will he put this on his skin and lick it and see reaction on his/her face ! Exactly ! No vet in their right mind will put poison on their skin nor lick it as they know better ! So please do not take vets word for it.
You can read the truth about here… Conventional Flea, Tick & Dewormer Products Are Poison
DEWORMING
Deworm Mamma before giving birth with pumpkin seeds and parsley water.
Pumpkin seeds will rid mamma of multiple worms as well as larvae and eggs. Pumpkin seeds eliminate tape worm, round worm, hook worm, whip worm and many other worms. Parsley water will flush mamma’s kidneys from accumulated parasites waste. Please read Safe Deworming – Pupppies, Kittens & adult pets.
If you suspect that even tiny babies may have worms and this would jeopardize their health and development, then add a few drops of coconut oil to their formula and this will keep parasites in check. Coconut oil is often added in case of puppy or kitten constipation. Adding chamomile tea to their formula instead of water will start gently eliminating worms until they are 4 weeks old and start to eat wet food. At that time you can add grounded raw pumpkin seeds to their wet food.
AGAIN I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH… DO NOT USE CONVENTIONAL DEWORMERS AS THOSE ARE PESTICIDES AND POISON ! THEY KILL & BRAKE PARASITES IN PARTICLES. THOSE PARTICLES ARE LEFT LINGERING IN ANIMALS DIGESTIVE TRACT AND START TO ROT, PRODUCING AMMONIA GASES WHICH IN TURN AFFECT LIVER AND KIDNEYS ! The conventional pesticide dewormers also damage pet’s intestinal lining. As in humans 70% of the animals immune system is located in colon ! So using conventional dewormers will not only jeopardize animals immediate health but long term health as well as weaken pet’s immune system which is needed to keep diseases away!
I hope that all of you reading this will have enough common sense not to resort to use of pesticides flea meds, nor dewormers, in not only fur babies, but in any animals, as conventional dewormers truly are a very damaging element to any animal’s health !
LACTATING ISSUE
https://www.cuteness.com/blog/content/why-is-my-dog-not-lactating-after-giving-birth
IMPROVING MILK PRODUCTION
HELPING MAMA PRODUCE MILK
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/dog-milk-production
GUIDE TO LACTGACTING DOGS
Nursing, Lactation & Recovery Supplement
HOW TO HELP MOM DRY UP & STOP PRODUCING MILK
https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-to-Dry-up-a-Dogs-Milk
