How does cats have babies

The cat pushes to help the kitten through the pelvis. This is usually the point at which the owner can see that the cat is actually straining. Normally, delivery of a kitten from the beginning of the second stage may take from five to 30 minutes.

Once the head is out, one or two more strains should complete the passage of the kitten. Normally, each set of membranes is passed immediately after each kitten. However, sometimes a second kitten will follow so quickly from the opposite uterine horn that the membranes from the first will be trapped temporarily and the two sets will be passed together.

As each kitten is born the cat will tear open the membranes and clear the mouth and nose area of the kitten, biting off the umbilical cord and subsequently eating the after-birth.

Second and third stages of labour are repeated as each kitten is born. Intervals between kittens are variable, from as little as 10 minutes to up to an hour in the average case.

While cats usually have an average of four kittens in each litter, this can range from one to 12 kittens. Larger litters are seen more frequently in pedigree breeds such as Oriental, Siamese and Burmese.

Sometimes, when one or more kittens have been born, the mother will cease straining and rest quite happily, suckling those kittens already born. She will accept food and drink and is in every way completely normal except that it is obvious from her size and shape, and the presence of movement, that there are still kittens waiting to be born.

This resting stage may last up to 24 or even 36 hours, after which straining recommences and the remainder of the litter is born quite normally and easily. The mother cat pants as the kittens are born. Keeping a watchful eye as her second kitten is born. The cat will look for a quiet, safe and often dark place to have her kittens.

The bed should be suitable for snuggling into but should not be able to wrap the kittens within pockets or folds. Just before the birth, the female cat may become restless or meow or purr or pant or all or none of these things! She will clean around the birth passage and the teats. She will go through several different stages of labour see our information on normal cat birth. Each kitten is born in a sac of amniotic fluid that the mother licks and nibbles to free the kitten.

Most cats especially non-pedigree ones , will give birth without a problem and will need no human intervention. The female encourages the kittens to suck and keeps them warm by lying on her side and encircling them. The kittens are guided by scent and warmth to her nipples where they find colostrum, the first type of milk to be produced which is rich in antibodies to help protect the kittens from disease in their early weeks of life.

The mother cat purrs while the kittens are sucking — the kittens are not able to hear when they are first born, but they can follow vibrations to move towards her. They have a built-in rooting or nuzzling behaviour which helps them to find the nipple, latch on and stimulate the milk to flow. The sucking reflex then takes over and they feed. Kittens tend to return to the same nipple to feed, perhaps to stop them squabbling and to ensure that milk continues to be produced there because there is a demand.

At birth, kittens weigh about g but this doubles in a week and triples in three weeks. Cat milk is high in protein and fat — necessary nutrition for this rapid growth. The kittens remain highly dependent on their mother for two to three weeks for feeding, cleaning, defecation and keeping warm.

By four weeks the mother starts to wean them off her milk and onto solid food and in the wild she would be teaching them about prey and hunting so they can be self-sufficient as soon as possible. As soon as you are aware of the pregnancy it would benefit the kittens and their mother to feed a growth type diet.

Check your pet's symptoms. Print this page. If your cat is having trouble giving birth, call your vet immediately. PDSA vets recommend neutering your cat at 4 months old before their first season to reduce the chance of an unwanted pregnancy. Preparing for kittening Preparing for your cat's labour will make problems much less likely. You will need to consider the following: Due date Make a note of your cat's due date days after mating.

Kittening box Prepare a box for your cat to give birth in well in advance of her due date. Feeding, worming and general care Make sure your cat is fed and dewormed correctly during her pregnancy.

Prepare a basket or box for your cat to have her kittens in. Normal kittening Preparation for birth As your cat prepares to give birth her birth canal will relax and widen, while her kittens turn around into the correct position for birth. The first kitten is normally born within 30 minutes of straining starting, and following kittens should come every minutes.

Kittens are normally born inside a thin sac , which your cat should tear off, enabling them to breath. For each kitten born, your cat will also pass an afterbirth placenta.

If possible, count the placentas as they are passed so you can inform your vet if one has been left behind an infection risk. Both head first and tail first kittening is normal tail first may take a little longer. Between each kitten, your cat should seem comfortable, lick and feed her newborn. It usually takes hours for all kittens to be born, but it can take longer. WARNING: contact your vet if your cat has been straining for minutes without producing a kitten, is crying out in pain, or you are concerned at any point.

After giving birth After giving birth, your cat is likely to be very hungry, tired and need to rest. Bleeding It's perfectly normal to see some blood during your cat's kittening, but anything more than a few drips is abnormal and should be checked immediately by your vet.

Straining but no kittens Contact your vet urgently if your cat has been straining for minutes without producing a kitten, there may be a blockage. First stage of kittening The first stage of kittening lasts up to 36 hours and is usually shorter for queens that have had kittens before. What to expect: intermittent contractions, but no straining the queen will be restless and make repeated visits to the bed late in the first stage, the queen may scratch the bedding and pant vaginal discharge is rare.

Second stage of kittening The second stage of kittening lasts five to thirty minutes for each kitten. What to expect: stronger contractions foetal membranes water bag appears briefly at the vulva and bursts. Liquid is usually cleared up by the cat active straining starts and the kitten usually comes out head first once the head is out, one or two strains from the cat should push out the kitten the mother breaks the bag and chews through the cord and licks the kitten. This cleans the kitten and encourages it to breathe.

Third stage of kittening The third stage of kittening involves the passage of the membranes and the dark flesh mass of the placenta or afterbirth. What to expect: this usually follows immediately, although occasionally two kittens are born followed by two sets of membranes try to count the number of placentae to ensure one is passed for each kitten. If they are not all passed within four to six hours, call your vet for advice.

Bear in mind that the queen will usually eat the placenta to hide evidence of the birth and protect her kittens. It is abnormal if it is green or foul-smelling, although there may normally be a small amount of greenish discharge after the kitten or placenta.