7 Reasons Cats Won't Eat After Giving Birth
Cats have a gestation period of about 2 months. At this time we as owners will begin to take care of cats more carefully than before so that later there will be no problems in the process of giving birth to cats.
When it's time to give birth and everything is according to our expectations. The baby cat was born safely and the mother cat is also in good health. But maybe when we give food to the mother cat we see a problem.
Namely the mother cat does not want to eat at all when we provide food for her. Whether it's dry food, wet food or homemade cat food, cats will reject it outright. When this happens, maybe some of us will panic because we are afraid that the mother cat will get sick so that she cannot breastfeed her kittens.
Don't panic, find out first what exactly is the reason why the cat doesn't want to eat after giving birth. So that you can find out what causes a cat to refuse to eat after giving birth, you can read Angora's article below to find out the answer. Read to the end, Good Reader !
7 Reasons Cats Won't Eat After Giving Birth
Every living thing certainly really needs food as a source of energy to carry out various activities. This is no exception for cats. When he is hungry, of course he will try to find or get food. Then why does the mother cat not want to eat after she is born ?
There must be some reason why the mother cat behaves this way. Some of the reasons why cats do not want to eat after giving birth are as follows.
1. It's Possible That The Cat Is Still Full
Cats don't want to eat after giving birth, perhaps because they've just eaten the placenta or the placenta that envelops their kittens. After eating the placenta or placenta, he may feel full. So, whatever food we serve him will not make him want to eat.
Do not be afraid, because cats eat placenta is normal and will not cause disease in cats. Usually after half or a day has passed, then the cat will come back to eat. But if after 24 hours the cat still doesn't want to eat then you have to be careful.
Because it could be a cat is sick. Take your cat to the vet immediately if you think your cat is sick.
2. Inflammation In The Cat's Womb
There may be inflammation in the mother cat's uterus that makes the cat feel pain and discomfort after giving birth. This feeling of pain and discomfort makes the mother cat have no appetite to eat anything.
When a cat has uterine inflammation, the cat will feel more comfortable lying down while taking care of her newborn child. Inflammation of the uterus in cats usually occurs due to the release of chemical compounds in the blood when the cat gives birth.
3. Cats Eat Their Kittens
The next reason is that the mother cat has just eaten her kitten. That's why he didn't feel hungry at all and didn't want to eat. Cats eating their own kittens may sound cruel but mother cats have their reasons for doing this.
The reason was because the mother felt that the newly born child was deformed and too weak, so her animal instincts judged that this child would not survive in the wild. That's why he ate his own son.
4. Big Bleeding
The risk of major bleeding during childbirth for cats is quite normal. When a cat is bleeding, the feces that come out of his body will have a reddish-brown color. This bleeding will also make the mother cat weak and have no appetite for several hours after she gives birth.
But if you feel that the bleeding in your cat is abnormal and too excessive. Immediately take the cat to the nearest vet for examination and treatment.
5. Baby's Placenta Is Left Behind
When a cat gives birth, usually the cat's placenta or placenta will come out along with the release of the baby cat. But sometimes the placenta does not come out with the baby and instead stays in the mother cat's womb.
When this happens the cat will be lazy to eat because it feels uncomfortable with the condition of its stomach. Not only that this condition is also dangerous if left alone. Because the placenta that is left behind can be a nest for bacteria to grow and cause inflammation of the uterus.
6. Hypocalcemia
Hypocalcemia is a condition in which the amount of calcium in the blood decreases shortly after the cat gives birth. Hypocalcemia can trigger a cat's rapid breathing, body stiffness and tremors in the cat's body. Hypoclasemia is one of the reasons why shortly after giving birth the cat does not want to eat.
7. Cats Are Stressed
Cats can experience stress too. When a cat feels stressed he will be overprotective in taking care of his new born kitten. Cats will not want to go far from their children because they are afraid that their children will be preyed on by other animals.
To overcome this, you have to place food for him nearby so he will eat.
Then How To Get The Cat To Want To Eat Again ?
Then how do you get a cat that doesn't want to eat because it just gave birth to want to eat again? Just do a few things below so that your cat who doesn't want to eat can be eager to eat again.
1. Feed After Half Day Or Day
As Anggora explained above, a mother cat that has just given birth will usually eat the placenta or placenta of a baby cat. Even the mother will often eat her own child if she feels her child is too weak. This makes the mother cat will be full in a few moments.
Usually the mother cat will feel full for 12 hours or even all day. Feed the mother cat after this time has passed. If the mother cat has no problems with her body then usually she will want to eat the cat food that we give her.
2. Move The Cat And Kitten To A Quiet And Safe Room
Cats that have just given birth tend to be overprotective. She will not want to leave her child if she feels that the conditions in which she and her child are are not safe and there are many animals roaming around her.
This will make the cat become timid, stressed and easily worried for the safety of their children. To restore his appetite, place him with his child in a room that you feel is safe, quiet and there are no other animals in the room.
3. Place The Food Bowl Close To The Mother Cat
After placing the cat in a safe and quiet room. Next is to place the food bowl close to where she is breastfeeding and caring for her children. When the mother feels hungry, she will automatically approach the bowl.
And started eating as voraciously as usual. Oh yes, when you place the food, don't forget to also provide a drink near the food bowl. We do this so that the mother cat doesn't have to go far for a drink.
4. Give Honey As Appetite Stimulant
Give honey to the mother cat as an energy booster and stimulate the cat's appetite. Besides being healthy, honey is very good to give to cats who are sick or don't want to eat as an additional energy source, supplement and appetite enhancer.
5. Give Egg Yolk Mixed Fish
If honey is not effective enough to increase the cat's appetite, then you can use a mixture of egg yolks with fish as cat food. Give this food after 12 hours from the time the cat gave birth. Usually after smelling this food, the mother cat that had not wanted to eat will start to want to eat again.
After the cat wants to eat again, you can replace the food with dry food so it doesn't feel like a hassle.
6. Give Vitamins Or Supplements
To speed up the cat's recovery after giving birth, also give vitamins and supplements. You can buy it at the nearest pet shop or online store sites such as Bukalapak, Tokopedia and similar online shop sites.
Or if you are hesitant to buy it yourself then you can consult with a veterinarian about what vitamins and supplements are good for our cats who have just given birth.
Although honey can be used as an energy booster as well as a supplement for cats, giving cats vitamins or supplements is necessary to speed up the cat's recovery after giving birth.
7. Force The Cat To Eat
Childbirth is an activity that drains a lot of energy and is very tiring. Not to mention that cats have to breastfeed their children. Therefore cats need to eat to restore lost energy and meet the nutrients needed by the body.
When a cat still doesn't want to eat even though 12 to 24 hours have passed, then we inevitably have to force cat food into the cat's mouth. When giving cat food forcibly, use foods that are soft and easy to digest, such as wet food.
Open the cat's mouth forcibly using the thumb of the left hand and use the right hand to put the cat food into the cat's mouth. Use a syringe to make it easier to put food into the cat's mouth.
After the food enters the cat's mouth, close the cat's mouth for a while so that the food does not vomit and the food can be swallowed completely by the mother cat.
8. Take The Cat To The Vet
The last way when the seven methods above don't work is to take the cat for treatment to the nearest vet in your city. Because the cat could have a disease that is classified as severe that makes it not want to eat or can not eat.
You can also do this last method when you feel the seven methods above are too troublesome to apply one by one. Also suitable for those of you who are busy at work and don't have much free time for your pet cat. You can skip some of the ways above and just take your cat to the vet.
These are some of the reasons why cats won't eat after giving birth and how to deal with them. With this article, I hope that it can help you to act appropriately when your cat who has just given birth does not want to eat.
And add your insight and can be useful for you. Don't forget to share this article with relatives, friends, other cat lovers and also share it on your social media accounts.
