Your Pregnant Cat - Building A Nesting Box

One very important behavior you'll see in the last week of pregnancy is nesting behavior. In spite of being the most pampered cat ever, your pet still firmly believes that she is living in the wild and will be looking for a safe, secure and suitable place in which to give birth.

In the middle of your bed is often her first choice!

Giving birth to kittens is a messy business and you may also be called on to give help if needed. Because of this, it is a good idea to prepare a nesting box so that you can have easy access to your new mother cat and her kittens. This way, your cat thinks that she has made her choice of birthing place but you also can remain in control.

To build a suitable nesting box, locate a cardboard box that is spacious enough for your cat to move around in comfortably and to have her newborn kittens close by whilst she finishes delivering their siblings.

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

Choose a box that has sides high enough to let your cat feel secure and private and find an old towel that will be able to partially cover the top of the box. You will need to cut away one side of the box so that your cat can have easy access in and out to feed and to use her litter box. Make sure that you leave a lip at the bottom around 3 inches high though, as this will ensure that your small kittens cannot accidentally fall or clamber out of their box before they are fully 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.

It is likely that she will not approve of your chosen position for her nest so look out for signs that she is constructing her own nest somewhere else. If she does this, just move the box to that place.

It is vitally important not to let your cat out of the house for two, or even three, weeks before her expected delivery date. If she takes the opportunity to build her nest outdoors and then disappears into it when she feels that she is nearing the birth, you will have little chance of locating it and the consequences could be dire.

Once you have provided your much loved cat with a nesting box, you are ready for the big event!