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by: JaneTompsett
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Word Count: 495

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.

Under - or on - your bed is often top of her list of preferred places!

As you may be called upon to lend a helping hand during the birth, it is wise to exercise some influence over your cat's choice of nesting area. As long as your pet feels that she is in control of her surroundings and you have good access to keep the nest clean or offer help, she will be happy.

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.

When your cat has finished giving birth, there will need to be enough room for all her kittens to suckle comfortably and for their mother to take care of them.

The sides of the box should be high enough to give privacy and security and the top should be partially covered for the same reason. One side should be cut away to allow access to feeding and toileting facilities and for you to be able to monitor what is going on. However, leave a lip of around 3 inches at the bottom to prevent a kitten or two from rolling out accidentally or venturing forth before they are quite ready.

The best bedding material to use is old newspaper. Line the box with a generous amount and top this with some shredded paper. Finish off with a number of individual sheets that you can then remove easily as the need arises following the delivery of each kitten. You can then dispose of the soiled bedding appropriately.

The nesting box should be made ready at least two weeks before your cat's expected delivery date. Give her free access to it so that she becomes familiar and comfortable with it. Find a quite, warm and draught-free position where your cat can feel secure and unthreatened so that she is able to get on with the business of giving birth without stress or anxiety.

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.

What ever you do, don't let your cat out of the house for two, or even three weeks before her due date. If she decides to build her nest outside and disappears into it to give birth, you will have no chance of finding her and the consequences don't bear thinking about.

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

About the Author

Are you fully prepared for the start of your pregnant cat 's labor? Learn what you need to know about building a nesting box and subscribe to Jane Tompsett's free Cat Owners Confidential newsletter by following these links. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

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