Think raising a litter from your pet is easy? New series Fur Babies reveals the reality

However, animal pregnancies can be an anxious time, and not every story gets a happy ending.

There are also ethical considerations around breeding animals which responsible owners will want to keep in mind.

Now, the new series Fur Babies, follows vets Dr James Greenwood and Dr Bolu Eso as they support owners and the mums-to-be. It explores some of the pitfalls and the importance of finding suitable homes for the new arrivals, and generally celebrates the bond between pets and the people who love them.

James says: “Pet pregnancy is not always an easy road. We want to highlight the ups and downs of pet pregnancies and show how important it is for families that are thinking of breeding their pets to do so under the guidance and support of their vets, as we’ve seen first-hand the upsetting consequences of unscrupulous pet breeding over the past few years.”

Bolu adds: “It’s exciting to be part of a programme that’s focusing on the nuances of pet ownership and here we are first hand, able to showcase the marvel of pet pregnancies but also demonstrate all the factors that contribute to breeding our pets responsibly.

“Being able to help families navigate the intricacies of their pet’s pregnancy will hopefully serve as a great teachable moment.”

In the first episode, we meet Holly, who took in chocolate Labrador Bella as her eldest son was preparing to leave for university.

Bella is now a fully established member of the family and is expecting her first litter. Dr James’ scan confirms there will potentially be five pups, which leaves Holly concerned that this relatively small (by Labrador standards) litter won’t include the female pup that she was planning to keep as a companion for Bella.

Then the dog goes into labour, and the birth delivers much more than anyone was expecting, plunging Holly and her family into nine chaotic weeks.

In Essex, Kelly took in British shorthair cat Leyla two years ago, and the results have already been life changing – the feline has become a best friend to Kelly’s 11-year-old son, Ronnie.

Now, Leyla is expecting kittens, and the experience is proving to be emotional for Kelly, as it stirs up memories of Ronnie’s traumatic birth.

Bolu suggests that the family create a birthing area, but sadly Leyla doesn’t seem to have got the memo and follows her own instincts during what proves to a dramatic night.

Meanwhile, Kaylee is experiencing a classic pet owners’ scenario (one that was even recently a storyline on The Archers). She believed she’d bought three male guinea pigs for her young family, so would never have to worry about the collection suddenly expanding. But now it turns out that one of the trio, Splodge, is pregnant…