Maternal Behavior
Behavior Before and After Delivery
Pregnancy in the bitch (female dog) and queen (female cat) lasts
about 60 days, give or take a couple of days. Make a note of when
the female was bred or when the estrual period ended, so you can
more easily predict the litter's arrival. In most cases, the queen
prefers to choose her own nesting site and will ignore one prepared
by her owners. Most often, this is a quiet, dark corner of a closet,
or under a bed. During labor, the queen is often restless and
may ignore any newborn kittens, other than licking at the placenta
and breaking the umbilical cord of each kitten. She may appear
preoccupied, presumably with the physical discomfort of labor,
even stepping on the kittens. The interval between birth of each
kitten may be as long as 1 hour but is frequently shorter. Consult
your veterinarian immediately if you fear that things are not
proceeding normally. After delivery of the last kitten, most queens
settle back to nurse the kittens. Kittens locate a teat to nurse
by pulling with their front legs, paddling with their rear legs
and turning their head from side to side. Milk production is stimulated
by the rhythmic kneading of a kitten's front paws. This kneading
behavior continues in adult cats and is associated with contentment.
Like the queen, the bitch gives little attention to her litter
until the last pup is delivered. Puppies emerge at intervals of
about 30 minutes, but this may take as long as 2-3 hours. Unnecessary
intrusions can interrupt labor and should be avoided. Puppies
stimulate milk flow by pushing their muzzle into the area surrounding
the teat. For the first several weeks, the bitch and queen lick
the anogenital region of each pup or kitten to simulate urination
and defecation. In orphaned puppies and kittens, this must be
stimulated by human caretakers. Ask your veterinarian about the
special needs of orphaned newborn pets. The mother normally ingests
her newborns' waste to keep the den clean. Young pups and juvenile
dogs may begin to eat their feces if fecal matter is not removed
from the area by the owner.
Maternal Neglect
Not all females are instinctively good mothers. You may be required
to aid in the delivery and rearing of her litter. First-time mothers
may be overwhelmed with the experience. A female that seems indifferent,
agitated or confused should be examined by a veterinarian to eliminate
the possibility of infections or other complications of pregnancy
and birth. Neglectful mothers should be separated from the litter
to prevent malnutrition or injury of the young. The mother may
refuse food initially, but keep fresh water available nearby.
Do not crowd a pet during labor, and discourage frequent disturbances
by visitors. The calm, reassuring presence of a familiar caretaker
may be helpful, but this is not vital for most pets. Both the
bitch and queen may need more time to bond to their young if the
litter was delivered by cesarean section. After this surgery,
the mother is separated from her litter until she has recovered
fully from anesthesia. If her milk is plentiful, the first quantities
(colostrum) are collected and administered to the offspring by
dropper to provide them with antibodies for protection against
disease. Occasionally, a mother may purposely neglect her offspring.
Such neglect most often involves a newborn that is sickly. A neglected
newborn merits veterinary attention so that it can be treated
or humanely destroyed. Runts (undersized young) may be prone to
more medical or behavioral problems in their adult lives.
Defense of the Young
Female dogs and cats can become aggressive toward other animals
and people that are perceived as threats to their offspring. Defensive
maternal aggression may be most intense when the litter is newborn
and most helpless, and declines as weaning approaches. Some of
this aggressiveness may be associated with fatigue, irritability
and anxiety resulting from the physical discomfort of labor and
lactation. Hormonal fluctuations also may contribute to temperament
changes. The bitch may be very docile with familiar people but
may not tolerate those she does not recognize. Maternal aggression
is a warning that should not be ignored or taken lightly. If unleashed,
the attack will be swift and intense. Pups that have wandered
away from the den are not carried back. Rather, the bitch licks
at the pup's head to encourage it to follow her back. The queen
retrieves her kittens to the den area by carrying them by the
scruff of the neck, or by gently holding the kitten's head in
her mouth.
Aggression Directed Toward Offspring
Aggressiveness by a bitch or queen toward her own litter may be
intentional or unintentional. In the process of severing the umbilical
cord and licking each newborn dry, some females unintentionally
injure the abdominal wall. Grooming can become so excessive by
an overly anxious mother that the newborn cannot nurse and may
die from lack of nourishment and loss of body heat. Some kittens
or puppies may be accidentally smothered by their mother. Cannibalism
occurs in both dogs and cats but is infrequent. A mother that
has cannibalized her offspring should probably not be bred again.
Male dogs and cats should be supervised near young offspring.
They do not recognize their own offspring and do not participate
in their care. Males are threats to the young and many females
protect their litter against any perceived threat. Intact male
cats, in particular, may pose real threats. Male cats commonly
kill young kittens.
False Pregnancy (Pseudopregnancy, Pseudocyesis)
Nonpregnant female dogs commonly display physical and behavioral
signs consistent with pregnancy. This is infrequent in female
cats. The abdomen may appear somewhat swollen and milk may be
produced in the mammary glands. This is associated with hormonal
imbalances and ovarian abnormalities, but it can also occur in
spayed females. Signs of false pregnancy may be subtle and unnoticed.
The bitch may redirect maternal urges by carrying toys or other
objects, presumably surrogate offspring, to a nest she has prepared.
She may be restless and irritable. Aggressiveness may be more
easily provoked during this period, perhaps because of hormonal
imbalances, though other factors are certainly involved. False
pregnancy may resolve without treatment, but recurrence is common
in subsequent "heat" cycles and complications are common.
Medication may or may not temporarily resolve false pregnancy.
Unless the pet is of particular breeding value, pronounced false
pregnancy justifies spaying.