Let her do her thing. Cats are wonderful mothers and will usually do what they need to do. Your job is to make sure everything goes according to plan and to recognize if there's a problem. Watching live birth videos on cats and dogs may help you understand what to expect and what's normal.

I recommend one exam to confirm pregnancy and get an estimate on the number of kittens to expect. It's also helpful to discuss what to expect during the birthing process as it can be messy. If your cat has been pushing for over an hour and nothing is happening, it's necessary to get her to a veterinarian, regardless of the time.

One or two weeks before your cat is due to give birth, start transitioning them over to kitten food to provide higher calorie and calcium content to help them produce milk. This will help them keep up with their calorie needs when those kittens are nursing. Otherwise, you can use a cardboard box with an opening on one side, a couple of clean old towels, a food bowl, and a water bowl. Cats are often excellent mothers and don't require much.

The first thing you should do is to determine how far along the pregnancy is. If the birth is imminent, within a couple of days, start preparing. Ensure the cat has a dark, covered, comfortable place to give birth that's quiet, with access to water and food nearby so she doesn't have to move far. Cats prefer dark, quiet places to give birth, so try to control where she has her babies by gating off your bedrooms or closets.

Let's consider a scenario where a significant portion of my time is spent indoors. While I do appreciate the outdoors, it often feels like I practically reside within the clinic, resulting in an indoor-centric lifestyle. Of course, not everyone finds themselves indoors as frequently. Yet, an intriguing aspect emerges—I still find myself susceptible to mosquito bites even within the confines of indoor spaces. This phenomenon is particularly notable during the spring season, a period well-recognized by Houston residents for its mosquito activity. These relentless insects tend to congregate around front doors, poised for an opportunistic incursion. Once inside, they encounter limited options for their dietary needs—humans, dogs and cats. These three entities present themselves as prospective sources for a blood meal. Naturally, mosquitoes exhibit a pragmatic approach, selecting their host based on availability, driven by the primal instinct for survival. Consequently, it's prudent to acknowledge that the risk of mosquito bites persists even in households with predominantly indoor-dwelling pets.

The life cycle of a heartworm is complex with many larval stages. However, the most important part to note is that out of all these stages, we can only kill two of them. Therefore, it's crucial to give your cat heartworm prevention every month on the same day because we only get two chances to ensure that your cat doesn't get heartworms.

The prevalence of heartworms in cats is not clearly known because they are not tested as often as they should be. However, they are probably less common than in dogs but more common than we think, especially in high endemic heartworm areas like Houston and Louisiana.