Cat gave birth to only one kitten: possible reasons


Why does the cat give birth to only one puppy? The explanation and problems of feline childbirth. The answers about the doubts of the birth of the cat.

How much anxiety and how much waiting for the arrival of the cat’s puppies, we prepare for their birth to welcome them at best. Ready to receive them in our lives with all the affection and all the comforts. The arrival of a puppy is always exciting and exciting, let alone the arrival of so many puppies. Many because cats have always accustomed us to quite numerous pregnancies.

Who among us when we think of the pregnancy of a cat, does not have the image of a crowded litter around mother cat? Unfortunately, even if not everyone knows it, there are chances, even not low, that the cat can give birth to a single puppy. In the next paragraphs we are going to find out, why the cat gives birth to only one puppy, all the probable causes and explanations of pregnancy.


Why does the cat give birth to only one puppy? The causes

Although on average a cat can give birth to six or seven puppies, having up to ten nipples (4 or 5 on each side) in exceptional cases she can also give birth to up to ten kittens, but there are also cases when she gives birth to only one.

Such histories occur in all mammals and to determine this condition can be a number of factors, such as: age, physical health, sperm, diet and mating times. In any case, even if the cat has given birth to only one puppy, there is no need to worry.

First of all, it is not part of a health emergency, it is not about any pathology but simply a coincidence probably due to the factors previously listed. With the help of the veterinarian we could understand how to behave regarding the pregnancy of the cat, what are the ideal conditions to be able to carry out a healthy and quiet gestation. Let’s examine the factors individually, with expert advice:

  • age: a cat can get pregnant already at the first estrus (heat) which can occur even at 4-6 months. For this reason it becomes especially important, early sterilization. Each cat, like each person is an individual in itself and can have heat even at a year, much also depends on the breed. What is certain is that a cat can reproduce even up to 12 years, but this is precisely the case in which the number of kittens goes down;
  • Physical salute: logically, in order to carry out a pregnancy, the cat must be healthy. The latter greatly affects the number and birth of kittens. Very often in addition to having a poor diet that could be one of the causes for which the cat gave birth to only one puppy, there are also health problems at the gynecological and cardiac level;
  • Diet: For a pregnant cat one of the most important things is healthy eating. In this period the cat needs a high-fat diet, to support gestation and, later, milk production to feed kittens.

During gestation, the cat’s energy needs increase by about 10% per week. That is why if all this is missing, health difficulties are created that the animal cannot face and we can also consider this a factor for which the cat gives birth to only one puppy.


The cat’s pregnancy

The cat’s pregnancy lasts from 63 to 65 days, but the gestation period is from 58 to 70 days. In our eyes, however, it becomes evident only in the last stages of gestation and the only sign is weight gain. But the cat can also go through behavioral changes during pregnancy, for example she eats more than usual, rests a lot and seeks tranquility and pampering.

While in the last stage of pregnancy, the cat may begin to be more detached and wary, especially with other animals. During the last days of gestation, the cat begins to look for the most suitable place for childbirth, that is, a quiet and secluded place where she can feel protected and safe.

Start the pains, the birth does not last long and does not require a huge abdominal effort and even if every kitten that is born emits a sharp fort does not perceive a huge pain. After that, the puppies came into the world, licks them to clean them, detaches the cord by herself, eats the placenta and all this not in the delivery room but simply alone.


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