What to do when a kitten gives birth to a baby

When most female cats give birth, they will give birth to kittens safely and smoothly, and they will clean the kittens themselves so that the kittens can receive colostrum. But if it is a female cat that gives birth for the first time, the delivery time will be longer than that of a female cat that gives birth frequently. Generally, the birth of a female cat is divided into three stages. The entire production process takes about 4 to 42 hours, but I have also encountered female cats that took more than 2 to 3 days to give birth to kittens. In addition, the birth interval between kittens is about 10 minutes to 1 hour. If the delivery time is too long, pay attention to whether there are signs of dystocia.

Production signs

Not very comfortable, looking at the abdomen occasionally, restless behavior becoming more obvious, and looking for a quiet, comfortable place to prepare for birth. They may also stop eating, pant, meow, lick the vulva, or keep circling around, making nesting movements.
This stage usually lasts 6 to 12 hours, and can even last up to 36 hours if it is a female cat giving birth for the first time. The body temperature of the female cat will be slightly lower than the normal body temperature, and may drop by about 1.5°C. At this time, the female cat’s uterus will contract, the cervix will relax, and vesicles will be seen in the vagina.

Give birth to a kitten

The duration is usually 3 to 12 hours, sometimes up to 24 hours. Rectal temperature may also rise to normal or slightly above normal body temperature. The following three signs indicate that the second phase has entered:
● The female cat will lick the amniotic membrane, allowing the amniotic fluid to flow out, and the fetus’ body can be seen exposed.
● Abdominal strain will become more pronounced.
● Rectal temperature drops to normal range.
During a normal delivery, a female cat’s abdomen will frequently exert force for 2 to 4 hours before giving birth to her first child, so she may become weak. If the mother cat exerts herself very hard but no kittens are born, she may have dystocia and should be taken to the hospital for examination by a doctor.

The kitten, placenta and fetal membranes are expelled together

At this stage, the placenta is expelled along with the fetus. After the fetus is delivered, the mother cat will bite the fetal membranes on the kitten, bite off the umbilical cord connected to the placenta, and then lick the kitten’s mouth, nose and body clean. 30 to 40 minutes after the kitten is born, its fur will dry and it will start sucking colostrum. After each kitten is born, the mother cat’s belly will gradually become smaller.
Within 2 to 3 weeks after giving birth, reddish-brown lochia will continue to be discharged from the vagina. However, female cats usually clean their vaginas very frequently, so many cat parents will not notice that their cats have lochia. The female cat’s uterus will return to normal 28 days after giving birth. Once the mother cat has given birth, the mother cat will lie down next to the kitten and curl up around the kitten to protect and warm the kitten. A normal kitten should have a strong sucking reflex at this time. Step your front feet back and forth on the female cat’s breasts to stimulate the discharge of milk.

Whether there is dystocia and whether to send to the hospital

The birth of a female cat can be controlled by consciousness, so when a female cat is in a strange environment or in a stressful state, her delivery may be delayed. The position and size of the fetus, or the condition of the mother’s body can also affect delivery. Therefore, when encountering the following situations, it is best to take it to the hospital quickly to confirm whether an emergency caesarean section is needed. Cesarean section can save the lives of the female cat and the fetus in real time.
● Abnormal secretions from the vulva (such as red-green secretions with a foul odor).
● The female cat is weak and exerts irregular abdominal force for more than 2 to 4 hours.
● Kittens or vesicles can be seen in the vulva, and the kitten has not been born after more than 15 minutes.
● The amniotic membrane ruptured and amniotic fluid came out, but the kittens were not born.
● The female cat will cry and lick and bite her vagina all the time.
● The baby has not given birth more than one week after the expected date of delivery.
● After 3 to 4 hours of the second stage, no kittens have been born yet.
● It is not possible to give birth to all the kittens within 36 hours.

How to deal with kittens that are ignored after giving birth

● After the fetus is born, immediately remove the amniotic membrane from the kitten’s face, and wipe the kitten’s body clean with a clean, soft towel. While wiping the body, stimulate the kitten to breathe and cry, so that the kitten can start There are struggling movements.
● Wipe the kitten’s belly button and umbilical cord with iodine, then use iodine-sterilized cotton thread to tie two knots at the umbilical cord 2 cm away from the kitten’s belly. Cut the two knots in the middle to separate the placenta from the kitten. . The umbilical cord connected to the kitten’s belly button will dry out and fall off automatically after a few days. Be careful not to tie the knot too close to the kitten’s belly button to avoid the formation of umbilical hernia (hernia).
● After cleaning the amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid from the kitten’s face, if some liquid still exists in the kitten’s nasal cavity and airway, wrap the kitten with a towel, hold and support its head, and tilt its neck downwards to gently shake it. , let the water in the airway drain out, and then dry your mouth and nose. Do not tilt for too long, and the head and neck should be protected to avoid injury to the kitten.
● The kitten must be kept warm and dried or blown dry during handling. All actions should be continued until the kitten’s vitality, cry and breathing are good, and the body is completely dry.
● A normal kitten’s mouth, nose and tongue should be red in color. If it appears dark red and the kitten’s mobility is poor, it should be taken to the hospital immediately for examination.
● Finally, place the kitten next to the mother cat, and the mother cat will lick the kitten to stimulate the kitten to drink milk. Kittens must eat colostrum within 24 hours after birth in order to develop good immunity.
If you are a cat parent and your cat is pregnant or intends to give birth, be sure to remember the above points!