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, 16:28, 8 December 2010
During the last week of pregnancy, the queen seeks a nesting area. This is usually a quiet, undisturbed spot but some house cats will demand more human contact.Mammary development becomes noticable in the last week of pregnancy, especially in maiden cats. Rectal temperature may fall a few days before parturition, but this is not a reliable indicator.
=== Stage 1 ===
* Restless
* Frequently visits the site for kittening
* Occasionally lies down and will strain unproductively.
=== Stage 2 ===
* Straining in lateral recumbency.
* Rapid expulsion of kittens with a short interval between each birth.
* Parturition usually complete within a few hours.
* If the queen is alarmed, this may disrupt the pattern and she may move the kittens to a new area before parturition resumes.
* Soon after birth the kittens begin to suckle.
=== Stage 3 ===
* Placentae usually expelled still attached to the foetus or shortly afterwards.
* Consumed by the queen.
* Breakdown of marginal haematoma releases biliverdin, giving the discharge a brownish colour.
[[Category:Parturition]][[Category:Reproductive Behaviour]]