Help with a pregnant cat.?

Question

Can anyone tell me signs of labour in a cat. We have a cat who is pregnant and think she is overdue. We dont know what to look out for. Shes still eating well and spends majority of the day laying down, stretching out. We are inexperienced cat owners and would appreciate any advice and tips.

Answer 1

You will notice she will start trying to find a suitable quiet spot.You need a dry towel in case of problems you may have to use the towel to rub on the nose of the kittens to break the birth sack ,then snip the umbellical cord & pass kitten and after birth to the mother cat,only do this if there is a prolonged period between her tending to each kitten of more than a few minutes but make sure first and fore most that you wipe your hands in the fluids from her water breaking or your scent will stop her tending to the kittens.Have had to do this twice if done proper you may find that instead of a few dying they live good luck.

Answer 2

If you are not sure about her health, you should take her to the vet. Otherwise, if she is relaxed, you can place you hand carefully on her belly and check for any movements.
Usually a cat that is in labour will not want you to move from her side (if she is bonded to you).
Have you prepared a nice corner for her to have her babies? An old cartboard box with towels is enough, you will have to change the towels after she has given birth to all the kittens anyway after a few hours. Place the box into a safe place where there is no draft or too much sunlight. When you put it into a safe place and she accepts the box, then she will be giving birth there.
It also might be a good idea to place the cat loo and the food not far from the babybox, as she will spend a lot of time with her kittens and later they will learn how to use the cat loo from her.
When my cat had babies, she got very attached to me and followed me around more than usually. Then I could see her having contractions and soon later she gave birth. Keep the place quiet and best stay with her, but noone else with her, because she needs all the peace she can have.
She will instinctively eat the placenta around the kitten, but sometimes the mother can be quite tired, so you might have to assist her. If your cat seems unsure about what to so, you can help her with removing the kitten out of the sac. Make sure that they can breathe properly and place them close to the mother so that they can start drinking straight away.
If it is your cat's first birth, she might be a bit confused, although her instincts should guide her well. She also might get really thirsty, so it would be good to put a little water on your hands and let her lick it off.
Sometimes mothers unintentionally lie on their kittens, so make sure that this does not happen.
All in all, if you feel movement or hear sounds of movement in the belly, it should be ok. If she gets a bit lethargic, go to the vets.
However, make a box for her that she can enter easily, she will feel safe and will give birth soon.
I hope I could help and wish you lots of fun with the kittens!

Answer 3

She will most likely hide somewhere and you will realize she is missing. They will want to be left alone most likely, and sometimes have the kittens in a place where you don't want her to.

My mom always made a box for the cat to lay in. A cardboard box lined with towels that you don't care get messy. But one cat was so restless when it came time, she got out of the box and had the kittens in the middle of my mom's bed!

Yep, if she starts licking and panting, they are a'comin!
Keep watching for other kittens to come out. They should come a few minutes apart, just like when people have twins.. just a few minutes and there's another one... If she doesn't act well after the births, then there could be a kitten stuck inside that she can't push out. She could get really sick and die unless she gets veterinary attention. Just keep an eye on her. Time the births. Watch how she acts afterwards. She should be cleaning the kittens up and acting like a good mommy. Some cats aren't good mommies and they will let the babies die. The one cat I told you about, giving birth on the bed, had one that wasn't developed right... and she ate it. So be prepared, just in case. These things are rare, but you said you were inexperience in the cat ownership, so I thought I'd share some info...

Good luck!

Answer 4

Make sure she has a warm bed in a very quiet place, and let her get on with it. She will clean the afterbirth off her babies, and eat it- this is quite normal, and makes her milk available. If she is straining for an hour and the kitten appears stuck, you need to get the vet, as internal injuries can be caused, which will kill the mother cat (my daughters cat recently died from this, and her 5 babies had to be put to sleep before they had the chance to live).Make sure she has clean water during labour, but she wont eat during this time. Dont touch her kittens for three or four days, and then just stroke them with a finger while she is with them, petting her at the same time so she understands you mean them no harm..Have her spayed three weeks after the birth (it wont affect the kittens feeding) because cats come into season straight away after giving birth. Good luck with your new family

Answer 5

Sign of labor are: There may be a drop in normal body temperature. The cat may vomit. The abdomen may "drop" a few days before labor, and the nipples may become larger and pinker.
Contractions will start and you will see the appearance of the amniotic sac. You may also see a discharge of blood or other colored fluid. Your biggest role may be to prepare the birthing area and move your queen into it.

In general, it may take up to six hours for a queen to give birth to all her kittens. The first kitten should arrive within an hour of the start of active labor, and subsequent kittens will take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. She will rest for 15 minutes or so between kittens, and during this time she should be allowed to nurse and clean the kittens that have been born.

Answer 6

first off gestation lasts for about 63 days. and you should give her a quiet place to give birth. (could use a crate cage with blankets) also make sure she cant get out of the house as she may give birth out side somewhere.

she should go off her food, become restless, may meiow and pant more, will try to find a quiet place to make a nest. you will see small contractions first.
when she starts to give birth make sure there is one after birth for every kitten as some times an after birth can be lift in and it will cause infections. also dont leave the mother any more than 1-2 hours between kittens with out spraking to a vet as one may be stuck. the mum should do all of the work her self just stay near and keep an eye on her.

you should call your vet and have them on stand by when this happens just in case there are any problems, or take her to the vets to deliver. also get her spayed as she will be able to get pregnant streaght away(if she does it could kill her, this happend to my brothers cat and she almost died)
GOOD LUCK

Answer 7

she will start trying to hide, you must get her a comfy box which is private and clean , show her this and keep putting her in it and hopefuly she will go in when the time comes, my cat had 2 litters and she woke me up both times to let me know, she will start breathing funny and a jelly substance will excrate from her, she should be ok jut keep a realy close eye on her at all times, she may not eat for a day or 2 before labour this is usualy a sign. goodluck and remember if she wants privacy then give it to her.

Answer 8

If your cat is in no evident distress then don't worry, just keep a careful eye on her. However if she is very over due then take her to a vet!!

Answer 9

Better check with a Vet for the best advice.

Answer 10

She will get very restless and she will start panting very heavily. When she starts to lift up her back leg and licking herself, that means the kittens are fixing to come out.