When and How to Change Bedding After Cat Gives Birth?

Seeing the birth of cute kittens or watching your cat giving birth at once is a remarkable experience, but once she is done, you may think about her cleaning process and wonder with lots of queries. Your biggest concern will be “when to change bedding after a cat gives birth.” However, you probably want to change the bedding to help make it feel clean, but it’s different from the rest of the case.

We encourage you to keep your cat with her cute kittens on the dirty bed. Yes, you heard it right. The kittens need time to get used to their mum, and by changing their bedding, you can disturb them. Moreover, a cat always gets protective when she just gives birth to her cute little kittens. That’s why you should also respect her space and avoid touching them, and that is why we recommend not changing the bedding for at least 24 hours after the cat gives birth.

Should I Change the Blanket My Cat Gave Birth On?

Of course, you should change the blanket where your cat gave birth as the cat won’t love to live in a dirty environment. But it doesn’t mean you should change the bedding instantly after he gives birth. That’s why you should accomplish this task but try to do this task until she gives birth.

However, it also needs to notice that you should change the bedding daily after she gives birth. But, the first round to change bedding after the cat gives birth might be longer. Here you might wonder how long it should be. Don’t worry. We will make it clearer to you. All you need to do is stick with us till the end.

When to Change Bedding After the Cat Gives Birth?

Well, the most straightforward answer for when to change bedding after a cat gives birth is 48 hours, especially if she has her first litter. Most of the time, a cat will get protective once she gives birth. That’s why you should respect her privacy and not try to touch them. The first 48 hours are crucial for bonding between kittens and the baby’s mother. That’s why you need to give them space so that they can create a bond with each other. It also needs to be noticed that your cat may forget about her kittens if you disturb them in the second stage or after birth, and the chances are she may find and locate them around. However, the best time to change bedding after a cat gives birth is when your cat is not around.

We recommend respecting your cat’s privacy and not disturbing her, but it doesn’t mean you would leave her during birth. You should avoid touching but keeping an eye on her is the most important thing you can do to show your protectiveness.

Tip: make sure to cut the umbilical cord to cut because the chances are if you have an inexperienced mother, she may forget to disconnect the cord, which can result in bleeding. That’s why you need to cut the cord using any disinfected scissors. However, you must leave at least an inch of cord.

How to Change Bedding After Cat Gives Birth?

Once you get the right time, you may concern about how you can change the bedding after the cat gives birth. So, if your cat’s bedding is a little bit clean, you can leave it for a little longer.

It doesn’t matter how friendly your kitten was before she gave birth to little kittens. Chances are she may get protective and would try to defend her kittens by attacking you while you were trying to change the bedding. You must ensure that the kitten box is nearby where you want to shift the cute babies. With that, you must try to keep your arm close to the cat so that she can keep the surety that you are not taking them away. Next, pick and hold each kitten to let her wash it just before you keep them in the kitten box.

Here you also need to know that dirtying the birth area is okay. When you see your cat, she may have a cute and clean kitten beside her. The only chance you may have is that she has some dried pink fluid on the bed, which needs to be cleaned. If this is your case, then you can also increase the time of changing the bed right after she gives birth. That’s why you can change bedding after the cat gives birth and, most importantly, when the mum starts coming out and taking pauses from the feed to the kittens.

Find out the best cat bed for 2023.

How to Clean Cat’s Area or Nest After Birth?

Cats often love clean environments, just like humans. So, considering cleaning the cat’s nest area right after she gives birth is always a good idea and practice. Here are some quick tips to help you clean the nest area.

1. First and foremost, dispose of all the nesting material used in the birth process, just as blankets, towels, or other cloth.  However, consider disposing of them in a sealed bag.
2. Next, before you change bedding, gently clean the cat’s birth area with the help of detergent. Remove all the stains of milk or blood by gently rubbing it. However, consider washing the cat bed if necessary.
3. Last but not least, don’t forget to disinfect all the birth areas with the help of spray or wipes. However, before you remove any extra spray, you must consider leaving the spray there for a minimum of 10 minutes.

So, once you are done cleaning the nest area; further you can change your cat bedding. Remember, the new bedding must be soft and comfortable enough to provide a healthy experience to both the kitten and the mum.

FAQ:

What should I feed my cat right after she gives birth?

Well, your cat will need a healthy diet once she gives birth because now she is supporting her kittens and will need a diet full of calories, fat, and proteins. Most importantly, the food should be easy to digest. A healthy diet would help her to have healthy development and growth of her inner system and kittens too. However, it’s always been a good idea to consult your vet before making any apparent changes to his diet.

How soon after birth can a cat go outside?

A mum will avoid going outside until her kittens are grown enough, as they always need the protection and warmth of their month at an early age. That’s why chances are she would only go outside for the first week, as she has to feed them every 2 to 3 hours. And once the kittens are a little more independent, they can and will go outside.

When should I touch a newborn cat’s kittens?

Once your cat becomes a mum, it’s pretty oblivious to get protective. Despite how attached she was to you, she may or may not get protective of her kids and wouldn’t love your interference in it.

However, we recommend you only handle that much once they get 2 weeks old. If you want to handle them, wear gloves or wash your hands. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning here that vets don’t recommend touching kittens until their eyes are closed.

Can I take over the cat’s baby?

It is possible, but if your cat is physically and mentally healthy and okay or not ill, you should take over her kittens and let her do that. If you want to do this for affection, or it seems cute, you should stroke the kittens after a couple of days, but taking care of them wholely would never be recommended. Remember, if you would try to handle the kittens, she may reject her kids. So, let her do that instead of you.

Do newborn kittens need blankets?

Yes, newborn kittens need to be kept warm. Usually, they keep themselves warm by curling up with other kittens or getting closer to their mother. However, giving them a warm little blanket and bedding makes them comfortable.

When will my cat go to the toilet after giving birth?

When your cat gives birth to a baby, her bladder is filled with milk; chances are she wouldn’t go to the toilet for a week or a few days. But it’s also possible that your cat might go to the toilet right after birth. However, it entirely depends on how your cat behaves; she would wait a few days or a week to go to the toilet or would go straight away. But one thing is for sure, if she is not going until after a few weeks, you may need to consult the vet.

Should I stay with my cat while she gives birth?

You can stay with your cat but remember; it largely depends on the cat’s behavior. Generally, cats don’t need any assistance or help during labor, so if you want to stay with your cat to help her, this might be a wrong idea that you should avoid as your cat doesn’t require it. In short, give your cat enough privacy while she is giving birth but also keep a strict eye on it to avoid any future distress.

Should you let your cat move her kittens?

Well, it’s quite normal practice for cats to move their kittens from one place to another for a few days. That’s why you may not need to worry. However, if your cat excessively changes her kitten’s position, you must consider consulting the VET.

So, When to Change Bedding After Cat Gives Birth :

It’s worth mentioning here that not every cat responds to the process of bed changing in the same way. She may be completely okay with your interference, or she may not like it at all. So, why, when, and how you should change bedding after the cat gives birth; solely depends on how she reacts to it. That’s why we always recommend watching your cat’s behavior but don’t offend them; respect her privacy and needs.  

It’s always amazing to see how incredible information your cat will have and how she will naturally do the whole birth process. After that, watching the kittens around her is always a delightful experience. Once you change bedding after the cat gives birth, you only need to keep them hydrated and warm and give care.