Cat Birth

Cat birth can occur at any time after 58 days gestation. Before that, kittens are unlikly to be born alive and your vet will class the birth as a miscarriage. However, cat birth is generally a straightforward and trouble-free process as long as you are aware of what is considered a normal course of events and remain alert to any problems that may arise.

Should you be anxious about any aspect of your cat’s birth, it is always advisable to consult your vet.

The first stage of any cat birth can last as long as six hours and contractions will be building up during this time. Your cat will instinctively go to her chosen place of birth, panting and purring. Her rapid breathing might give you the impression that she is stressed but after a closer look you’ll see that she’s not in any distress.

During this stage of cat birth You will also see a clear, vaginal discharge which may become bloodier as the second stage of cat birth approaches.

The second stage is much shorter than the first and a normal cat birth should not last more than 90 minutes for the emergence of each kitten. In fact, this stage of cat birth can be over in as little as 10 minutes! Your cat will be ‘bearing down’ as she strives to give birth to her kitten. She will be licking her vulva and her contractions will be coming closer together. You will see the sac surrounding the kitten emerge and grow in size and finally her kitten will be pushed out.

Following the birth of her kitten, the third stage of cat birth is the expulsion of the placenta. Your cat will bite off the umbilical cord, lick her newborn kitten to stimulate breathing and may eat the placenta. All this is quite normal and should not be cause for concern.

The birth of each kitten follows these three stages of cat birth but don’t be surprised at the length of time between the birth of each. A period of between five minutes and two hours is considered to be normal and a female cat can even suspend the delivery of some of her kittens for up to 24 hours before re-starting the stages of cat birth.

Should you suspect that this is the case, if your mother cat is alert, relaxed and nursing her new kittens without problems there should be no cause for concern. If, however, she seems disinterested and fatigued, call your vet immediately as he will need to intervene to save the remaining kittens and their mother.

Cat birth is a truly wonderful event! As long as you are fully prepared and know what to expect, there is no reason why your cat shouldn’t give birth to a beautiful litter of healthy kittens easily, swiftly and successfully.