Reproduction The duration of pregnancy of animals differs from the period of pregnancy of humans, and it varies from one animal to another as well, and the periods of pregnancy are usually compared between a group of mammals in particular; This is because - almost all of them - give birth to their young instead of laying eggs.
The longest known gestation period in the animal kingdom is in the elephant. Elephants carry their children for a period of up to 22 months, which is about two years, and the blue whale carries its young for a year and a few months, while the gestation period of mice does not exceed twenty-one days or three weeks, and cats are considered animals with a relatively short gestation period in the mammalian group.
Pregnancy period for cats Cats take two months and a few days, that is, between 62 to 63 days, or the equivalent of nine to ten weeks. Cats usually mate during certain periods of the year known as "lust", during which the reproductive desire increases in males and females, and they repeat several times during the year (in the first three months of the year, and July in particular), and they continue in each one of them. From three days to two weeks, and if the female does not get the opportunity to mate during that period, it is likely that the next "lust" will come within a short period.
When the pregnancy period begins, the cat searches for itself for a quiet spot, far from the noise and influences, and after the end of the pregnancy period, it gives birth to a number of births, usually ranging from three to five, and in most cases the birth proceeds normally (although it may occasionally need veterinary intervention), The kittens are looked after by their mother for about two and a half months, and then they begin to become independent.
Symptoms of pregnancy in cats The symptoms of pregnancy in cats begin in the third week, and among the symptoms that appear on them are swelling and swelling in their breasts, and their color tends to be pink, but their stomach is not yet swollen.
When the cat enters the fourth week, her appetite increases and she desires more food, and her stomach begins to swell, and her pregnancy appears more. In the fifth week, there are no distinct symptoms, but the owner of the cat must pay attention to feeding it, and in the sixth week the cat appears more pregnant, so its belly appears larger than before, and its behavior begins to change. She does not expand or wriggle like before and her movement becomes slower, and her steps are cautious, and she resorts to staying indoors - if she is a domestic cat - or in any angry place, and her appetite increases more.
In the seventh week, the cat appears anxious and confused, as she feels the movement of her fetuses, so she begins to move and expand more, and tries to find a place for birth, and here the cat owner must help her and provide her with the appropriate place (such as a cardboard box, for example) and leave her in a dark and clean place.
Later, when the cat reaches about the sixty-first day of pregnancy, the stage of labor begins, and this is for most cats, but it is possible for the cat to be late for this time, and if the cat is too late, contact the veterinarian. At the beginning of labor, the cat undergoes some changes in its behavior, including that it appears uncomfortable and restless and makes noises of discomfort, and remains in this state for twenty-four hours, and then begins contractions, which take about half an hour each of them until the first of their offspring comes out. Then the period between contractions decreases and reaches about half a minute, and the mother licks the place where the puppies exit from it so that the birth process is more easier, and the birth process can take place as a whole quickly, while it may be delayed so that it takes a whole day.
The common cat The domesticated cat (Latin: Felis silvestris catus) is a type of feline to which all domestic cats that are raised in homes and animal stores belong, or those that roam in cities, and humans began to domesticate the cat for the first time in history in ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago , As it was of great importance and appreciation in the Egyptian civilization for its ability to hunt and catch rats, which would improve agricultural production - especially grains - which rodents consume a lot.
Cats live in most parts of the world, and they are the most desirable pet in the United States and many other countries. They love to live in large groups, and communicate with each other with more than a hundred types of sounds, and cats live in families for fifteen to twenty years.
The biological characteristics of the cat Domestic cats are characterized by high physical abilities, they are fast runners and can jump great distances, and cats can see at night or weak light with much more accuracy than humans, and they are skilled at climbing trees, and they have a superior sense of balance that enables them to walk easily on the walls and walls Thin, and even if the cats fall, they know how to cushion the shock by landing on their flexible feet. The weight of an adult cat may range from two and a half to seven kilograms, and it may weigh more than that, and its height at the shoulder is about 20 cm or a little more.
Unlike most animals that belong to the group of mammals, the cat depends - in its gait style - on moving each side of its body with each other, so when the cat walks forward, it introduces its left back leg with the left front, or the right front with the right back, and this makes it look like He slips while walking.
The five toes of the cat's feet end with sharp claws, and these animals are known for their ability to fold and straighten their claws. In normal conditions, the claws are buried under the skin by a group of flexible muscles, and when the cat needs to use the claw, it pulls a tendon-like muscle and raises the claw from the skin and exits.
The relationship of the cat to humans The domestic cat is one of the most common animals in cities and pet stores
