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Friday, January 9, 2009
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How to Select Cat Breeding Equipment

By eHow Pets Editor
 
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Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

  • Feeding and watering dishes
  • Collar with tag
  • Litter box
  • Nutritious cat food
  • Box or cage
  • Soft bedding
  • Washcloths
  • Heating pad
  • Dental floss
  • Hemostat
  • Aspirator
  • Medication
  • Extra box
  • Kitten formula or goat's milk
  • Feeding syringe
  • Notebook
  • Scale
  • Step 1:
    Select general cat care supplies as part of your breeding equipment. You will want to have feeding and watering dishes, collars for your cats with identification tags just in case they get out without you knowing, litter box and nutritious cat food. (Some breeders believe you should feed your pregnant queen a food formulated for kittens to give her the extra nutrition she needs during this time and throughout nursing.) Look for general products at the official websites of PetSmart and Petco (see Resources below).
  • Step 2:
    Choose breeding equipment necessary for your queen's comfort and safety. Primary among these articles is a cozy box or cage prepared for your queen to deliver and raise her kittens. You can use a cardboard box or plastic bin with a cutout area for this purpose. You will need to place soft bedding in the container and have more bedding on hand for after the birth. In addition, select a supply of clean soft washcloths to keep close by for cleaning the female's anus and genitals and drying off the kittens. A heating pad is also useful to have stashed under a section of the bedding to keep mom and kittens warm.
  • Step 3:
    Organize some emergency equipment prior to delivery. You should have dental floss to tie the cord and clean scissors to cut it when necessary, as well as white iodine to apply to kittens' navels to guard against infection, a small-sized hemostat in case of emergency bleeding and an aspirator to remove mucus if a kitten's breathing is impaired.
  • Step 4:
    Obtain specific drugs from your veterinarian for use if there are problems in delivery. You will want to have Dopram-V to stimulate respiration if needed and oxytocin to help move kittens into the birth canal, as well as any other medicines your vet selects as necessary for your particular queen and her kittens.
  • Step 5:
    Select breeding equipment the newborn kittens may need. Make sure you have a couple of separate small boxes with warm bedding to place newborns in while the queen is busy delivering others. In addition, buy some supplemental kitten formula or goat's milk and a feeding syringe in case a kitten is unable to nurse. Find newborn kitten supplies at Catguys.com (see Resources below).
  • Step 6:
    Add recording tools to your breeding equipment list. Have a notebook and writing utensils on hand to note the date, times of birth, birth order, colors, difficulty of delivery and other specifics for each kitten. Buy a scale to weigh the newborns at intervals and keep an account of their weight increases.

Tips & Warnings

  • Place your queening box in a small, non-drafty and dark area to encourage your female to use it.
  • If you have look-a-likes in the litter, place a small identifier on them with a permanent marker.
  • Always monitor a heating pad when it is turned on in the queening box. Keep it underneath a towel, and make sure the cord is secured.

Resources
How to Select Cat Breeding Equipment Provided by eHow.com

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