Cat Labor Signs
Posted by JaneAs you approach the end of your cat’s pregnancy, you need to be fully aware of the cat labor signs to watch out for. These will signal the beginning of the birth of your new kittens and will enable you to swing into action with your prepared cat birth plan!
You will have seen your lovely cat getting rounder and rounder over the last three or four weeks of her pregnancy and the excitement of the approaching birth of her kittens will be mounting.
Fortunately, there are a number of cat labor signs that will alert you to the fact that the big day has arrived.
The earliest indication that you will see is in the week immediately prior to the birth. Your cat will begin searching for a warm and secure place in which to deliver her kittens. Now, if you have taken the opportunity to learn all about what to expect during your cat’s pregnancy beforehand, you will already have prepared a suitable nesting box for her to use. This also enables you to steer her away from an inappropriate choice - inappropriate for you, that is - such as in the middle of your bed!
In the 24 hours immediately before going into labor, your cat may go off her food completely and become very clingy - following you around and calling to you repeatedly. These classic cat labor signs will probably be accompanied by her going in and out of her nesting box again and again and treading on the bedding, seemingly trying to arrange it to her liking.
The final cat labor sign to watch for is often that of your cat appearing to be uneasy whilst purring loudly at the same time. These are not conflicting signs, as many owners think, but just part of the overall preparations for labor that any female cat will normally go through.
When the first stage of cat labor is about to begin, your cat will have settled in her chosen birthing place and will be experiencing her first contractions. Her apparant unease will give way to rapid breathing or panting and you will know by these cat labor signs that the delivery will have begun.
Now will be the time that you have to be at your most vigilant. Cats giving birth in the wild generally do so during the hours of darkness and your domestic cat will probably do the same. You may lose some sleep but the end result of having a healthy litter of newborn kittens will be well worth the sacrifice!
thank you so much for your information it is really going to help me when my little Percey is in labor!
Hope all goes well with Percey’s labor Kendra!
Grab a copy of ‘Hey Mom! Fat Fred’s Having Kittens!’ from http://www.HowToDeliverKkittens.com - it’ll walk you through each step of Percey’s pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond - right up to weaning.
You’ll have all the info you need to make sure you can keep Percey and your new kittens safe during birth, what you need to do to help and when you should call in your vet if there are problems.
Be sure to make a post and let us know how things are going.
Jane
Aww thanks for such great information !
Thank you for this information but I’m still interested… My cat conveniently named Mama has had two litters before the one she is carrying now. The two previous litters were born and raised outside because originally that’s where I found Mama. She wasn’t completely wild, but still kind of nervous around people. Gradually, she has become a lot more friendly. I have two of my own cats that are fixed and live inside. I was concerned about Mama because the last litter she had I could only find one kitten and after a month the kitten started having seizures and within a day and a half I had the kitten put down. They did a couple tests on Una, the kitten, and I know the one I believe it was for Feline Leukemia was negative, but every seizure she just got worse and she just wasn’t normal any longer so I made the difficult decision to have her put down. I thought maybe, there was some kind of trauma or maybe Una got into to something bad for her because she was becoming curious and roaming around, I just don’t know. The first litter seemed normal. I believe she had five but I only see two now. Strays usually come and go around here so I’m assuming the others just wondered off. The two that are still around are very friendly and don’t usually stray very far. I planned on getting all three, Mama, Socks (female) and Toby (male) spayed and neutered. But a couple weeks later I noticed Mama pregnant again so I brought her inside so I could observe her pregnancy and birth. She seems normal according to all the research I’ve been doing. I thought for sure she’d have the kittens last week but she didn’t and this week she has gotten increasingly bigger and now I can feel them moving in her tummy. I have an area ready for her and she’s been laying in it a little but she is persistent on going back outside. In fact, one day she did escape when my family left the door open. It took 2 to 3 days I believe searching for her and finally she showed up where I put food out for the them. So I brought her back in but like I said, she’ll comfortably hang out and sleep in my bedroom and go into the area I set up for her but after a bit she’ll go to the window and scratch at it and meow but I’m scared to let her out because I don’t know where she goes. I’m asking for an opinion from someone more experienced I guess, should I let her out and basically fend for herself or should I keep her inside where I know she’s safe and has food and water and an area to have the kittens? She seems mostly content except for when she appears to have the urge to go back outside. I’m extremely excited about the kittens and I plan on getting Mama spayed after she has safely raised the babies. Sorry for my long story, but I just wanted to let you in a bit on Mama’s life so I could ask for your opinion. Thank you so much for the info on cats. I have always been a cat person since I was a little girl, I know a lot of kitty facts and behavior but when it comes to birth I’m a little wobbly. Thanks once again.
Lisa
Hi Lisa
Wow, you are have a time of it, aren’t you? It’s really stressful when feel that you are responsible for Mama’s safety and welfare and aren’t sure what to do for the best. But that’s the thing - the ‘best’ thing you can do is to remain in control of the situation so that you can give help (your’s of your vet’s) should the birth get into trouble and intervention is necessary. If Mama goes out and you can’t find her, you simply can’t give her that security if you don’t know where she is. Cats are well-known for hiding themselves away from possible danger whlist giving birth and that’s just what she’s trying to do.
Stay strong and keep her indoors. Make sure she has free access to a litter box and that the day-to-day traffic in you home doesn’t upset her too much. You obviously care greatly for her and that’s worth the whole world. Don’t doubt youself or your motives - you’re doing great. Keep her indoors after the birth too, until she and her kittens are all strong, healthy and ready to venture out as a family. If in doubt, err on the side of caution and wait a little longer.
And when she scratches at the window and meows, just remember that cats are persistent little devils (my two start hassling me for their evening meal around 2.30pm each afternoon……) and know that they have a good chance of making us humans bend to their will by using pester-power. You are in charge, so just keep reminding yourself that you need to be ‘cruel to be kind’.
Good luck Lisa and let us know how you get on!
Jane
Thank you so much! I will definitely let you know when she has them. I really appreciate your time. I’m getting so anxious.
Thank you again,
Lisa
We are waiting for our litter of kittens as we speak and had no idea really what to expect. Reading this helped in some form but timing the due date is what we are looking for. Will let anyone know when the kittens have arrived.
Hi Chris & Angela
Great news that your cat is expecting kittens! You don’t say how far along you think her pregnancy is so I assume that she is close to giving birth. There are quite a few signs that will give you a good clue as to the timing of the birth (all clearly detailed in ‘Hey Mom! Fat Fred’s Having Kittens!’ - see link in Blogroll…..) but briefly, when you see her displaying nesting behaviour and looking around for a quiet, secure place to give birth, you’ll know the time is very near. And when your lovely cat starts ‘treading’ repeatedly on her bedding, get ready to be on hand as it is likely to be a matter of hours before the Grand Event. Of course, you have prepared a birthing box, haven’t you? Otherwise you may find that your mother cat has disappeared outside to give birth or has chosen your bed as her preferred spot. Also, please, please make sure that you know what to expect during the actual birth so that you will be able to identify the signs that something is wrong and give the help that may make the defference between a successful birht and a tragic one - something that I’ve experienced and which was a major factor in prompting me to write ‘Hey Mom!…..’ as I was absolutely devastated when I watched helplessly as two tiny kittens died in my hands.
Good luck and please let us all know how things go!
Jane
Wow, just what i was looking for, our cat went on a wander before we were able to get her “done” and came back nine weeks later, we took her to the vets who confirmed she was pregnant but we don’t know how far along she is now. Her nipples are pink and she is starting to nest, we have left several boxes around the house for her. But she is a very determined cat so we reckon she’ll go her own way as she normally does. Like mama she wants to be out but the vet advised we keep her in until the kittens are born. Very unexpected, but we are both looking forward to the kittens arrival. My other cat isn’t very happy with the attention Tia is getting though!!
hi thnx alot for the info. my cat is mazive its her 2 litter so im really hoping she will get more .in her last litter she had a boy and a girl she give birth to the girl sunday afternoon at 4:30 and the next an hour later in the middle of augst i gave away the kittens to one of my frends from school and just 2 months ago the boy died.thay are hopping to have an other out of this litter now so fingers crossed she will get more than 2!she has been looking for a nesting place seeking a lot of atention …. . were going away on the week end so im really nerous that she will have the kitens while were away .we have another cat and she is very jelous of all the attension the others having!!she wants to go out side but we just wont let her incase she has the kittens out side !
thnx 4 all the info tho
x
so my cat, boo is her name. and we found her as a stray and took her into our home. shes awesome cat!! and she is normally a little bigger, so it was hard for us to tell if she was pergnant or not. but in the past few weeks she has gotten HUGE!! i think she wil have alot of kittens.. but it seems like shes has been pregnant FOREVER!! it says so listen for loud purring and such, but she always purrrs so loud its nuts!! and she is always a loving cat and likes to follow us around. so im not really sure what to do, were always running errands but i want to be here for her when she has her babys.. how do i know how far along she is or when she is going to have them..
I just wanted to update everyone. I’ve been busy so it took me a while. FINALLY, Mama gave birth to five itty bitty kitties. February 27th she went into to labor. She had them in the spot I chose for her like I was hoping. The entire birth lasted a couple hours. She just kept popping them out. She took care of everything mostly by herself. The only thing I did was just keeping an eye on them and making sure she wasn’t laying on anyone. She is a good mama and when she had them she wasn’t interested in going out at all anymore. The only thing that drives me insane is how super protective she is. My two other cats won’t even come near the stairs or my bedroom because she runs them off and attacks. Even now that the kittens are over two months old she is still protective. I understand that she is watching over them but sometimes it gets out of hand. About a month after having them she got into a fight with my other cat and she was injured at the base of her tail back area. I had the take her to my vet. It was an abscess. They lanced it and gave her some antibiotics. Nothing as bad since. I try to keep them separated. Any who, we have three boys and two girls. One of the female kittens were born with a little bob tail. So cute. They are super great kittens. They stayed in my closet for about a month and then started straying out. Now, they run around like crazy cats. Thank you Jane and everyone else for all the info. Now I just have to get everyone their check ups and shots. So far, everyone seems healthy. I hope it stays that way. Thank you again.
Thanks so much for the info! We’ve been waiting for weeks for her cat to give birth! She came over to my house at the begining and said “OMG!!! My cat’s pregnent!!!!!” So we did a lot of research and no her cat’s in labor! We’re SO excited! We don’t care how much sleep we loose! It’ll all be worth it!!!!!
Thanks again!
Thanks for all the info it was very helpful..
Hi all, I just have a few questions and concerns about my cat Chloe. She is pregnant with her 2nd litter right now, I dont know the exact time of conception but she has to be right around the time to give birth. For the past three days she has been licking her behind and when I checked it was fluid with a bloody tint to it. She has also been in and out of her nesting area I prepared and following me around and crying, this has been for the past 3 days. She will only rest soundly if I sit near her nesting area and place my hand on her stomach. My concern is, this has been going on for 3 days and still no labor or kittens. Is something wrong? Her first litter, I unfortunatly wasnt here at the beginning of it and she had 2 kittens already when I got home so I’m not sure what to look for or expect. Any help will be great, thank you.
Hi Bridgette
I think that you need to contact yor vet about Chloe as she is obviously ready to give birth. However, the fact that she has had a discharge for three days now is probably a little too long and she may need help with the birth. The good thing is that, from what you describe, she seems alert and well but if she was my cat, I’d just put in a call to the professionals and ask theyr opinion. Better safe than sorry!
Let us know how Chloe gets on.
hi. my cat, sheba, is pregnant but i dont know how far along she is i asked my mom to take her to the vet but she told me shell have them when she has them.. i am going to die of anxiousness! i would have tried to determine the date by her last heat but we took her in from being a stray. her nipples are pink and large and her tummy is BIG. i see the babies move a little some times but she still eats pretty normally. i know my information is pretty vague but is there any way you could roughly estimate when my kitty kitty will give birth? thank you sooo much. ((P.S. any information would be helpful if you cant hypothesize a due date))
-Christian :- )
Hi, im a little unsure as to when my cat will give birth, i know she was in heat in may but dont remember the exact dates, (with trying to keep her inside so she doesent mate with one of the towns stray cats) well basically she got out.(my partner wasent very observent whilst i was at work) any way i noticed that on june 15th her nipples were slightly larger and her tummy felt more rounded. Im expecting her to give birth any day now but shes not really showing any signs. All shes done is gone in a nesting box that i made up for her re-arranged it with her mouth and started cleaning herself, theres nothing else at all to suggest shes going to give birth. Her milk sacks have really filled up and the kittens are still kicking, shes still eating and drinking. Will i be able to feel the kittens inbetween her back legs if they move towards the birth canal? I dont want to prod at her too much but shes enjoying the attention. Can anyone offer a little advice? Shes not restless or tetchy, she just seems fed up
Hi Christian & Paigen
It’s difficult to give an accurate estimate of when your kittens will be delivered! I think that both of you are due to have a family of kittens very soon. Nipples generally show signs of pinking up at around 3 weeks, with full term being 9 weeks and Paigen, your cat is probably due to deliver within days if she is licking herself. Please don’t feel for the kittens moving towards the birth canal - you might cause problems and wouldn’t be able to feel anything significant anyway. The best course of action is just to keep a very close eye on things and prepare yourself by getting a copy of “Hey Mom! FatFred’s Having Kittens!”, (see Cat Owners Confidential Products Category). You’ll find clear instructions of what to expect before, during and after the birth and guidence on what you can do in an emergency.
Hope all goes well and let us know how you got on.
My cat is just laying there in one position and she is prego what does this mean?
Hi Sloane
You don’t say how far along your cat’s pregnancy is - if she is about to give birth or labor has already started and she appears disinterested and listless, you need to see professional help straight away. Don’t delay as she may be in trouble. However, if she appears alert and the pregnancy has a few weeks to run, she may just be tired!
Keep an eye on her and use your common sense. You will know your cat, her personality and what is normal for her behaviour. If you have any niggling concerns about her pregnancy, call your vet.
Hi jane its christian again i just wanted to tell you my cat gave birth today july 17 and she has 4 so far i dont know if theres more but well see is their anything i should do there all in a box with towels and the mother is completely content and is nursing them : D.
-Christian
Congratulations Christian! Four healthy kittens is a great result! You seem to be doing absolutely the right thing in keeping a watchful eye to make sure your mother cat doesn’t get distressed. Just keep her warm and quiet and she’ll just get on with things. Thanks for letting us know your good news.
Hi Im at my sisters house, not sure if she is pregnant but her nipples are pink. is this a sure sign that she is pregnant?. this site was a lot of help but… I’ve been looking for answer and haven’t seen it.. her cat is giving me suspicions that she is in labor… how can I tell shes in labor?… we took her out from under the tree.. held her let her go and she ran back under the tree and rolled around like a growl not a mean growl meow.. we did this a couples time same thing happened… she lays there and does nothing… you can do anything to her and she wont move her eye get glossy off and on… a few times a couchy walk and licking constantly then laying in a sleepy-listless state then back to licking havent heard the growling in a couple of hours.
Hi Sunny
It sounds nlike your sister’s cat may, indeed, be pregnant but it’s difficult to tell how close she might be to labor. The best thing to do is get a copy of “Hey Mom, Fat Fred’s Having Kittens” as it gives you all the detail, advice and knowledge you’ll need to determine just waht stage your cat’s pregnancy is at. The basics are can be found on this site but the book goes into much more detail.
Let us know how you get on!
hey everyone, our baby’s name is Alice and she strayed into our yard one day just an itty bitty hairball. since we’ve been trying to start a fam with no luck i fell in love w/ her cus i was a dog person. so she got pregnant in her first heat cycle at around 6-7 months. i don’t know a thing about cats and she doesn’t seem to like me anymore but she loves my husband and i haven’t been able to sleep much cus every noise she makes i jump to make sure shes ok. yesterday the babies seemed to be very active in her belly and at around 4am she was walking all over me purring and so i went to the couch and just held her and scratched her head and she kept purring then she got mad and went away. i dont know if shes being anxiouse. she keeps licking herself but can’t really reach anymore and she still eats fine but drinks a lot of water. i know she has to be just about due because she was pregnant when we moved and wnd we’ve been at our new place bout 2 months now. is she ok??? iss he being normal? i’m more nervouse than she is! what should i do? please help! very frustrated…
oh and she keeps going in the cabinets and under the bed but we have twonesting places for her with food and water near both. i was wondering… will she like me again after she has her babies. i really miss holding her and playing with her. i really love my Alice i’m sorry i write so much i just really don’t want to lose her cus i read she can die giving birth because shes so young. she lived in the house and she made a hole in the screen from the window to get out. i didn’t know bout the whole heat cycle thing. i don’t want to lose her shes my baby!
I rescued a heavily pregnant cat on Thursday. Kittens are very very active. I have had cats have kittens before but could always roughly pinpoint when they were due as we see them doing the business. However with hope we have no idea. She is very very fat. About an hour ago she dug up her bed so i take it thats a sign. Roughly how long after should we expect the kitties xx
we know our cat is pregnant but we dnt know how far along as she is fat and u can feel the babys movin about and she is pacing the floor and has been all nite but nothin she is just sleeping all day so do u have any ideas im just worried she is ready and we dont know it
hi,
we believe our cat magic is around 6 to 6 weeks pregnant, but are not too sure of this. she is constantly miaowing pacing and sticking her bum in the air, hse hasnt gone off her food at all but we are a bit worried she is our first cat and have never had to deal with feline pregnancy any info will be a great help, as im a bit worried about her, thank you x
hello my cat alley may is pg and for 3 days she has’nt eatten and drinks water .she waddles but lately she don’t do anything except sleep .is this her getting ready for her to have her babies ?this has been going on for 4 days
This information is quite helpful. However I belive my cat Chloe is in labor. She is 1 1/2 years old and got pregnant the 1st week of February so I believe she is right on time. However I have been reading that before a cat goes into labor they start nesting. She hasnt. They usually go off food but she hasnt. But today when I went home for lunch at 12 her entire hind was covered in a water mucusy liquid and she was constantly cleaning that area. I called the vet and they said she may be going into labor but wont know for sure unless they see her and they closed at 12 today. I dont know what to expect its my first litter and I am a nervous mama. Please help me know what I can do or expect from this.
As long as Chloe is not unwell and not in any obvious distress, the best thing is to make sure she has a well-lined box in a quiet place where she can get on with the business in hand. Cats are amazingly good at doing things themselves but you do need to keep a close eye on her as things can and do go wrong. Trust your instinct, read as much about the process as you can (Get a copy of ‘HeyMom! Fat Fred’s Having Kittens’
- it’ll tell you all you need to know and watch out for during labor and afterwards). Good luck!
my cat is heavily pregnant. 3 days ago she had a small amount of bleeding and straining in the litter tray, she was licking her privates constantly aswell. 3 days later and she is still straining a little but nothings happening. shes restless but is still eating. shes very loving aswell, which she never does. any ideas?
Hi Lisa - Bleeding is never a good sign and may signal a miscarriage or premature birth. A change in her affection isn’t necessarily a bad sign as pregnancy often does that to a cat temporarily but if there are no signs of the kittens coming or of the mother ‘treading’ in her nesting box, please do consult your vet as soon as you can. Hope all goes well.
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