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If you are currently caring for a pregnant cat,
or think you may do in the future,
you should watch our caring for a pregnant cat video first
as this will give you some tips on how you can support
your cat through her pregnancy.
This video will explain about the three stages
cats go through when they give birth
so you can be prepared for when this happens.
Nearer the time of the birth you may notice signs
of your cat nesting, where she will choose
a quiet place to sit and start to paw at
and arrange blankets for a birthing area.
If you start to witness this it is best
to watch the cat quietly from a distance,
taking care not to disturb her or make her anxious.
Cats are generally very good at just getting on
with giving birth so you should not intervene
unless absolutely necessary, and under guidance
from a veterinary professional.
The birthing process can also be referred to
as parturition or kittening,
and occurs in three stages.
The first stage of kittening sees the queen become restless
and perhaps repeatedly visiting her bed or nesting area.
There are intermittent contractions but no straining.
This can last up to 36 hours but is usually shorter
for queens who have given birth before.
Stage two is when the kittens start to appear,
the queen will visibly start to strain
and the kittens' heads will be seen first.
Once each kitten has been born the queen will chew
through the umbilical cord and start to lick the kitten.
This cleans and encourages the newborn to start breathing.
Stage two can last five to 30 minutes
for each kitten.
Stage three, is the passing of the placentae
or after birth.
You should try and ensure that placenta is passed
for each kitten, however it's important to know
that the queen's natural instinct will be
to eat the placenta in order to hide evidence of the birth
and protect her offspring.
You should therefore be as attentive as possible
from a safe distance, and importantly,
do not try to intervene unless absolutely necessary.
If you believe all placentae have not been passed
within four to six hours after the last kitten is born
you should seek advice from your vet.
The time between the delivery of each kitten
is usually 10 to 60 minutes,
and stage two and three will be repeated each time.
The whole litter will usually be born within six hours
of the first kitten being born, but can last up to 12 hours.
Between one and nine kittens will be born in a litter,
but most commonly four to six.
When the birth is finished the mother will settle
and allow the kittens to feed.
After the birth you should ensure that the queen
has food, water and a litter tray nearby for easy access.
However, you must be careful that there is no risk
of the kittens becoming trapped or drowning in a water bowl.
It is therefore a good idea to elevate food
and water bowls for the queen,
and to prevent the kittens from climbing into them.
Cats are generally very good at managing births
without any intervention.
However, occasionally things can go wrong.
Cats Protection advises that as soon as your cat
goes into labour you call your vet to make them aware
you may be in contact if any issues arise.
You should call the vet for advice during the birth if:
during stage one the queen is panting,
and returning to the bedded area frequently,
and this is lasting longer than 24 hours
without any sign of straining.
If the cat has been straining for more than 30 minutes
without producing anything, as this could indicate
an obstruction.
If there is excessive, bloody discharge.
If a kitten is stuck halfway out and cannot be delivered,
or if the queen does not bite through the umbilical cord
as you may need to cut this manually.
If possible try not to approach the queen
or newborns after the birth as there is a risk
you will disturb the natural bonding
that needs to occur between mum and kittens.
If this happens there is a chance the queen
will reject the kittens, or even worse, may kill them.
Newborn kittens can lose warmth very quickly,
particularly if the mother is avoiding them.
You can provide them with warmth yourself
with a well covered, warm hot water bottle or heat pad.
No hotter than body temperature.
The kittens should also be covered
with a lightweight towel or blanket.
Keep the room temperature warm, and the bedding
clean and dry.
Newborn kittens should start to suckle from their mother
almost immediately after being born.
It is essential they receive this colostrum
which is the first secretion from mum's teats,
as it contains antibodies to boost their immune system.
For this reason newborn kittens must be fed
within two hours of being born,
and cannot go more than a couple of hours
without milk.
If they haven't started to suckle after half an hour
gently guide them towards the teats.
If any of the kittens don't start feeding
consult your vet as soon as possible.
You may need to start giving a substitute milk replacement
to the kitten by hand.
For more information on hand rearing kittens
please visit our website.
The queen should also be carefully monitored after the birth.
If there are any problems,
such as discharge from the genital area,
prolapsed womb, or any kind of erratic
or disturbed behaviour you should seek
veterinary advice as soon as possible.
For more information please visit our website.