Scottish Fold Cat

    Prepare the following items for delivery: scissors (to cut the umbilical cord), warm towels (to immediately wipe the kitten's mouth and nose when it is born and when tearing the afterbirth), silk thread or cotton thread (to tie the kitten's umbilical cord), alcohol (to disinfect the scissors).

　　Wash your hands thoroughly before assisting the birth.

　　Before the kitten is delivered, the mother cat will strongly kick her hind legs straight. What is born first is a gray bubble, which is the afterbirth. If the mother cat neglects it, you must immediately tear open the afterbirth by hand, then quickly wipe the kitten’s mouth and nose with a warm towel to prevent choking on amniotic fluid (this is fatal!). When you hear the kitten's “chirping” sound, it means the kitten is alive! The placenta will usually be delivered after about five minutes. After the placenta is out, tie a tight knot on the umbilical cord about two centimeters from the kitten’s belly, then cut off the part connected to the placenta behind the knot. Place the kitten near the mother cat’s mouth and let her lick the kitten clean.

　　If the mother cat completes the entire birthing process herself, the owner needs to check whether the umbilical cords of each kitten are properly bitten off. If there are many kittens, the last born kittens’ umbilical cords may not be perfectly bitten because the mother cat may be exhausted. Before handling the kittens, first stroke the mother cat to carry her scent on your hands.

　　Normally, a kitten is born every twenty minutes. After all kittens are delivered, the mother cat will begin nursing. This is the correct nursing posture: the mother cat lies on her side. The kittens’ bellies should become rounder and rounder. After nursing, the mother cat will lick the kittens’ bottoms to stimulate defecation.

　　Many mother cats are very capable and will instinctively handle everything themselves: tearing open the afterbirth, biting off the umbilical cord, eating the placenta, and licking away blood stains. However, some cats (especially some long-haired purebreds) require human care to successfully complete the birth process.

　　Giving birth is a very physically demanding process for the mother cat, so she should be appropriately given water and food. Food and water should be fed directly to her mouth.