Here is a bit more about early kitten development including to 10 weeks of age. Alley Cat Allies start their discussion by saying that you should never separate kitten from mother. If you don’t see her monitor the kitten and … continue reading…
Fever coat can affect cats, rabbits and dogs as I understand it. It is also called “stress coat”. It should not be confused with “powder coat” (possibly due to the caramel gene). It is an abnormality in the coat of … continue reading…
In this article on kitten development, I refer to the development of the domestic cat after birth. About 70% of kittens are born nose and feet first (the so called “diving position”). They are covered in a transparent membrane (foetal … continue reading…
How long are cats pregnant? The answer depends on the type of cat. Here is a graph showing the domestic cat and some wild cats, medium and large and the differences in length of pregnancy: And here is the same … continue reading…
There is an official world record for the largest number of kittens in a single litter. The source of the information is, of course, the Guinness World Records website. They state very succinctly that the world’s largest litter of domestic … continue reading…
Dr. John Bradshaw in his book Cat Sense writes that if a mother is highly stressed during her pregnancy her stress hormones may cross the placenta and impair the development of her kittens’ brains and endocrine systems. The endocrine system … continue reading…
This is a chart showing the key stages in development of a kitten before they are born and up to around 10 weeks of age. I think it’s quite interesting and I hope you agree. This is a good opportunity … continue reading…
There are two hormonal issues which help to ensure that the bond between mother cat and her kittens is strong and that the kittens are trusting during their first few weeks after birth. Mother Firstly, the nursing mother receives a … continue reading…
This is a cool photograph because when you first see it you are unsure if you are looking at an adult domestic cat killing or eating a newborn kitten (!) or a mother cat grabbing her newborn by the scruff … continue reading…
Mother cats might eat their kittens’ poop for the first three weeks of their kittens’ lives during anogenital stimulation which is a form of tactile stimulation by the mother to encourage her kittens to urinate and defecate. When she does … continue reading…
This is a really nice picture of a calico foster kitten at Central Florida Fosters, Central Park, Florida. It was taken by Danielle with her right hand while she held the kitten with her left. She no doubt used a … continue reading…
I have to research this as I don’t have first hand experience and my research indicates that it is normal, although rare, for a cat to have one kitten. Cats can have between one and nineteen (!) kittens in a … continue reading…
The language I’ve used in the title comes from that wonderful writer, Desmond Morris. He is also a great animal behaviourist. I would say that he is still the best. He explains why kittens don’t squabble when feeding at their … continue reading…
Let’s call the kitten Mia. Her mother was a stray cat. She was often hungry. She suffered from parasites, poor diet and an inadequate supply of food and nutrients. Mia was born underweight. Fortunately, her mother was not infected with … continue reading…
I can’t really add much more than what I say in the title so this is going to be a short post. But despite that I think the title is a very interesting one. It never occurred to me that … continue reading…
