Cat owners may observe strange behavior in their pregnant pets, which is typical for animals during estrus and readiness to mate. Pregnant cats begin to beg for the cat, expressing their desire by loud meowing, restless behavior, rolling on the floor, attempts to bite, a desire to run outside, and a characteristic pose.
Males, in turn, respond to the female’s calls and do not refuse mating. What is the reason for this behavior and what to do in such situations?
Possible reasons
It happens that after giving birth a cat becomes restless, meows, looks into the eyes, and fusses. Her unusual behavior is associated with:
- her or her cubs' physical condition;
- psychological reasons (depression or stress).
When the birth takes place without complications, the cat’s health is normal, then she calmly lies down with the kittens, providing the latter with access to the nipples. She may refuse food and water for some time. This is a normal condition, the cat is just afraid to leave helpless kittens.
Associated symptoms
If the pet is healthy and breathes through its mouth after play, stress or during extreme heat, no other alarming symptoms will appear. Dilated pupils, tousled fur, a pipe tail and a protruding tongue do not count. This only confirms that the cat is agitated, tired, etc. Soon she will be breathing normally again.
In cases where pathology is involved, there are usually accompanying symptoms. For example, cardiovascular diseases, as well as dysfunction of the respiratory system, usually begin :
- decreased motor activity of the cat;
- loss of appetite;
- apathy.
The owner may notice that the pet refuses its usual games and lies down more and more. The oral mucosa often takes on a bluish tint, which indicates hypoxia. You can hear wheezing in the chest. Tachycardia is observed. If at the same time the cat is breathing heavily with its mouth open, you cannot hesitate. Most likely, the pet is seriously ill and may fall into a coma, which can lead to death.
Having noticed that the animal is breathing abnormally, you need to examine its oral cavity. Perhaps this is the reason. Any ulcers, redness, rashes, swelling of the mucous membrane should not be ignored.
If the cat begins to keep its mouth open, breathes frequently, and is vomiting, it may be poisoning or other problems with the gastrointestinal tract. When an abnormality is accompanied by a cough, infectious lesions of the respiratory organs or other pathological processes in them should be suspected. A cat may breathe with its mouth open and cough if it has allergies.
Before starting treatment, you need to urgently go to the doctor. You cannot postpone the visit or completely give up on breathing problems; you should carefully analyze the situation. Could it be provoked by active games, what is the temperature in the room where the animal is, are there any accompanying symptoms and what exactly? All this plays a huge role when the animal breathes through its mouth.
Psychological problem
Childbirth causes stress in a cat, which changes its behavior. Usually this happens in inexperienced, young animals who do not know how to behave correctly. Any squeak from the cub provokes anxiety. A cat may also be restless after giving birth due to problems with lactation. She realizes that her cubs are not getting enough to eat, so she worries and calls for help. Owners must find out the cause of the alarm and then take immediate action. You should dilute the mixture for kittens and try to feed them. Well-fed cubs will not squeak or agitate the animal.
Sometimes people themselves cause the cat to become anxious. This happens when they become overly curious about her newly born cubs. This kind of human behavior worries the mother cat. She may begin to move the kittens around, hiding them from prying eyes. There is no point in causing unnecessary stress to animals in this way. Provide your cat with maximum comfort and silence.
Let's sum it up
A cat is a social animal that requires attention and will not tolerate separation from its owner or the pet to which it has become attached. To prevent fear, make your pet’s life as rich, interesting and filled with care as possible.
Signs about cats are very popular among people, because they have lived next to humans for centuries. Superstitions are often associated with the colors and behavior of animals. Some are considered lucky, bringing profit, luck or happiness. Other signs are dangerous, promising trouble and even a funeral in a cemetery. Whether or not to believe in superstitions is up to everyone to decide for themselves. We will tell you what folk rumors have told us over the centuries.
Signs about cats
Unfinished labor
If the cat is restless after giving birth and meows, then there is a possibility that the main contractions have not yet been completed. Remember that the intervals between the births of cubs can be quite long (up to several hours).
If an ultrasound was not done during pregnancy, then it will not be possible to say exactly how many kittens the animal will have. Having given birth to another, the mother will calm down and continue feeding. When the cat meows and worries again after giving birth, this may mean that the next one is ready to be born.
It also happens that the period of labor lasts up to several days. This happens with uncontrolled matings, when the covering of animals lasts up to a week, that is, the entire period of sexual hunting. In this case, with each subsequent mating, fertilization occurs, as a result of which the kittens are born with a delay. In such natural conditions, it is advisable for a pregnant animal to have an ultrasound scan to know the number of cubs.
It is necessary to monitor the number of afterbirths during the birth process (taking into account those that the cat ate). Remember that if the placenta remains in the womb, it causes visible discomfort to the animal.
A cat came into the apartment, what does this mean?
Yesterday there was a cat sitting under the door, an ordinary tabby cat. but quite well-fed. when I opened the doors, she ran in like a bullet, I didn’t even have time to understand anything. She immediately ran around the apartment, sniffed everything everywhere and climbed into my arms. I didn’t want to eat anything. all evening she followed me around, rubbed herself, purred, and climbed on top of me. I tried to push her out the door - there was a wild scream behind the door until she let me back in. In general, I left her to spend the night in the kitchen, because... I have a parrot, and she is a hunter after all. She slept in the kitchen until the morning, it seems she didn’t shit anywhere. It was really funny to me - I was washing my face - she was behind me and sitting on top of the bathtub. in general, in the morning she perked up, began to actively climb between the bars of the cage towards the parrot, he screamed, of course. So, on my way to work, I took it out into the entrance and left. It turns out that the cat just came to me and immediately behaved in its own way. I don’t know what to do - I can’t leave it, she’ll eat the parrot. It’s a pity, but I don’t know what would have happened all day if I had left her there alone. what if she comes again in the evening? what to do? what do you think?
Such a kind creature will bring you happiness and joy without any signs. Get used to the tray instantly, just plant it a couple of times. Cats are clean animals. If there is no tray yet, lay down newspaper, then put the tray in this place. I need to think about the parrot. Maybe some kind people could adopt a cat? It's difficult though.
the apartment is a small one-room Khrushchev-era apartment; it’s unlikely that you can close the room all the time, and you might even miss it; the yard cat, apparently, is used to catching birds, and she was already hunting for him; I punched her in the nose and she calmed down for an hour or two. The cat doesn’t look old, about a year or so. but this is not a kitten, she has her own habits. She behaved quietly, but somehow like a master at once. I looked everywhere, sniffed, and this evening I couldn’t get my hands on it.
Source
Postpartum hemorrhage
Why does a cat feel bad after giving birth? It is possible that some complications have arisen. Let's look at the most common problems that may appear.
Postpartum bleeding occurs against the background of difficult labor or a large number of fetuses. Main symptoms:
- the appearance of unusual-looking brown-red or pink discharge;
- rapid breathing;
- anxiety.
Remember, bleeding for more than 10 minutes is dangerous for the animal’s life!
Diagnostics
To understand why an animal opens its mouth when breathing, it is necessary to closely monitor it for several days. This will help your veterinarian determine the exact cause. In this case, you should pay attention:
- On the general condition of the cat, appetite, activity, trips to the toilet and stool consistency.
- Is this condition accompanied by vomiting or coughing?
- After which this phenomenon occurs, perhaps it is preceded by active games or other physical activity.
- How often does this happen - constantly or at regular intervals?
In any case, with this symptom, contacting a veterinary institution is mandatory. The doctor will conduct an in-person examination and collect anamnesis, and will prescribe appropriate diagnostic measures, which include:
- Blood sampling for general and biochemical analysis.
- Chest X-ray.
- Electrocardiogram of the heart.
- Ultrasonography.
- Diagnosis of infectious diseases.
- Bronchoscopy and rhinoscopy.
- Consultations for the presence of tumor formations of the respiratory system.
Uterine inflammation (postpartum metritis)
Why is a cat restless and meowing after giving birth? Such behavior may also indicate specific metritis. But there are also other signs: fever, red-green vaginal discharge, refusal to eat.
This disease occurs due to retained placenta or pregnancy pathology. In addition, the disease can be caused by a frozen fetus in the uterus. Failure to maintain cleanliness during surgery can also lead to the development of the disease.
Pregnancy in dogs
The duration of pregnancy in dogs is approximately 63-65 days from the moment of first mating. External signs of pregnancy are an increase in abdominal volume and body weight, and an increase in appetite. For diagnosis, an ultrasound is performed on the 30th day of the expected pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the bitch should receive a high-quality, balanced diet. The feeding rate must be increased by 50% in the last weeks of pregnancy and during lactation. It is better to feed the animal more often in small portions. Before giving birth, it is necessary to prepare a special place where the bitch can whelp.
Eclampsia (milk fever)
Occurs due to a sharp drop in calcium levels in the bloodstream during feeding of kittens. This usually happens when there are many babies in the litter. Symptoms of this disease:
- elevated temperature;
- rapid breathing;
- convulsions;
- increased salivation;
- uncoordinated movements.
A person who does not have special education will not be able to determine what exactly happened to the cat. Therefore, if any of the above symptoms occur, the animal should be shown to a veterinarian. After childbirth, in order to avoid additional stress, it is better to call him at home.
Other signs associated with cats
Pets are often associated with guests. It is believed that cold paws foretell the arrival of an unpleasant visitor. If the cat shits itself, it means a person will come into the house and offend the owners. The cat ran in and wrote - expect a visit from an ill-wisher. Washing too often means distant relatives from the outback will come. A cat on a window or windowsill means a close and long-awaited guest will arrive.
Many folk superstitions are associated with the road. If a cat crosses the road before a long journey, it means the path will be difficult. Hitting a cat with a car is a very bad omen. If you kill an animal, bury it and ask that no evil fate befall you. Pussy gave birth before the road - it’s better not to go anywhere. A dead kitty is found, and the traveler is in mortal danger. The missing cat returned before the trip, which means the journey will be easy, successful, and the one leaving will return home safely.
Sailors left many signs associated with their tailed friends. If your cat follows you before fishing, you can safely take him with you. The catch will be plentiful. If a dead cat gets caught in the net, you need to immediately swim to the shore, the ship will face misfortune. If a cat lifts its hind legs up and sneezes, there will be a storm at sea. To see a cat that accidentally got on a ship, unfortunately during the voyage. If she is huddled in a corner in a cabin, death awaits its resident, she ends up on her back or throws herself on her leg, the person at sea will get sick.
You can choose to trust or not in cat omens. But the tradition of guessing the future by the behavior of cats has taken root. Therefore, it seems to me that it is worth paying tribute to her and, just in case, listening to folk wisdom. After all, if a person is forewarned, he is forearmed. And picking up a stray kitten is far from a sign of superstition, but ordinary human mercy.
Condition of the kittens
Why is a cat restless and meowing after giving birth? It is possible that the reason for her behavior is kittens. After all, the cubs do not always emerge healthy. They often have problems. For various reasons, they may be undeveloped and weak. Let's look at the main ones:
- congenital anomalies.
- hypoxia;
- intrauterine infections;
- hypothermia;
- anatomical deviations;
- dehydration (due to lack of milk);
- hypoglycemia;
- cat obesity.
How to provide first aid to an animal?
In most cases, the best treatment for a cat with breathing problems is to take her to the hospital immediately. By trying to do something on their own, owners are only delaying time, which aggravates the situation. At the slightest suspicion of pathology of the heart, lungs or other organs, you need to call a veterinarian or take the cat to him. However, there are exceptions to the rules :
- For example, if a pet breathes through its mouth and a foreign body gets into the throat. In such cases, even a person without medical education is able to provide first aid. You need to open the cat's mouth wide, pull on the tongue and try to pull out the foreign body with your fingers or tweezers. If it is not stuck deeply, this will most likely be possible.
- In cases where a foreign object has entered the trachea, you can try to turn the cat upside down, lift it by the hind legs and squeeze the stomach in the diaphragm area. As a rule, a foreign body pops out as a result of such manipulations. If this does not happen, the animal must be urgently taken to the doctor.
It happens that the cause of rapid mouth breathing is poisoning. If you have reason to suspect this factor, you should call a doctor and immediately begin providing first aid.
First, give the cat plenty of water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The more liquid you can add, the better. In case of poisoning, it is important to rinse the stomach as quickly as possible before toxic substances enter the intestines and blood.
