Cat Giving Birth: Signs of Labor, How to Help and When to Call the Vet

For a pregnancy to end in a safe and healthy birth, you need to be prepared for every situation. At some point, you’ll be your cat’s comforter, midwife, nutritionist and even carpenter! In this article, you’ll learn how cats give birth, what’s normal, how you can help and when to call the vet.

Before the due date: talk to your vet about the birth, and save the number of your vet and of the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic in your phone. Most cats give birth without any help, but if something goes wrong, every minute counts.

Preparing a Place for Your Cat to Give Birth

Plan ahead. Before your cat starts looking for a hidden spot to give birth, offer her the ideal option, unless you want her to “nest” on a shelf in your closet or in a hard-to-reach corner under the sofa.

What you can use as a nest (queening box) for your cat:

• A show cage or crate. Some breeders let cats give birth in the cage used for shows or vet trips. It’s not the best option: a cage doesn’t keep in warmth, offers no privacy and makes it awkward to help if needed.
• A whelping or queening box. These boxes have a lid that opens (a plus) and an entrance for the cat (another plus). You can buy one or make your own from an old cabinet or a sturdy plastic storage box.
• A pop-up pet tent. One of the best options: it’s easy to create a cozy, private atmosphere inside, and it closes up and is roomy.
• A large cardboard box. The simplest and, honestly, one of the best options. Just make sure it’s big enough for your cat to lie stretched out, with room for the kittens, and has enough ventilation.

Whichever nest you choose, it should meet a few basic requirements:

• The top should open, so you can keep an eye on the birth and help if needed.
• There should be a separate entrance for the cat, sized so the mother can get in and out easily.
• The entrance should have a raised edge, so the kittens can’t crawl out on their own as they grow.

Line the bottom of the nest with several layers of newspaper or puppy pads, and put a clean towel or sheet on top. Then look around your home and ask yourself which place is:

1. the quietest;
2. free of drafts and warm, ideally around 72–75°F (22–24°C);
3. the least visited by the family and other pets.

Put the box in that quiet corner about two weeks before the due date, and encourage your pregnant cat to rest in her new home from time to time. Do this too if you notice her building a nest somewhere you didn’t plan. Keep her litter box, food and water nearby, but not inside the nest.

Signs That Labor Is Approaching

You can often see and feel the kittens moving in your cat’s belly during the last two to three weeks of pregnancy, when she’s lying still.

In the day or so before giving birth, your cat’s behavior usually changes. She may become restless, pace, look for a hidden spot, pant, meow, groom her belly and genitals more and eat less. These are signs that labor is near. There are also some physical signs:

• Body temperature drops. About 12 to 24 hours before labor, a cat’s rectal temperature often drops below about 99°F (37.2°C). (A normal temperature for a cat is about 100.5–102.5°F, or 38–39°C.) If you’re not used to taking your cat’s temperature, ask your vet to show you how, or skip it: it’s not essential.
• The genitals become swollen and pinker a day or two before birth.
• The mammary glands fill with milk, sometimes several days earlier.
• Her appetite drops, often in the last 24 hours.

If you’re seeing most of these signs, kittens are on the way. Let’s check that you have everything ready.

What to prepare for the birth:

• several absorbent puppy pads or old towels;
• clean, soft cloths or small towels, about 12 x 12 inches (30 x 30 cm), for drying kittens;
• a clean towel or soft blanket to cover the newborns;
• hand sanitizer and disposable gloves;
• a small bulb syringe (nasal aspirator) for clearing fluid from a kitten’s nose and mouth;
• clean, blunt-tipped scissors and unwaxed dental floss or thread, in case you need to tie off an umbilical cord;
• a heating pad set to low, or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, to keep kittens warm if needed (always leave space for them to move away from the heat);
• a kitchen scale to weigh the kittens;
• a notepad to record the time each kitten and placenta arrives;
• a cat carrier, in case you need to go to the vet;
• your vet’s and the emergency clinic’s phone numbers.

Never give your cat medication to start or speed up labor, such as oxytocin or calcium, yourself. These drugs can be very dangerous if given at the wrong time or dose, for example if a kitten is stuck, and must only be used by a vet.

How Cats Give Birth

How long does labor last?

It’s impossible to predict exactly how long a cat’s labor will take. Even cats that have had several litters take a different amount of time each time.

Some cats can have a pause in labor between kittens (sometimes called “interrupted labor”), resting comfortably and nursing the first kittens for up to 24 to 36 hours before delivering the rest. If your cat seems relaxed and isn’t straining, this can be normal, but always check with your vet if you’re unsure.

Labor happens in three stages:

Stage 1
The uterus begins to contract, and the cervix opens. This stage can last from a few hours up to about a day. Your cat may be restless, pant, purr, meow or pace, and she may lick her genitals. You may see a small amount of clear or slightly blood-tinged discharge. Some cats vomit, which is normal.

Stage 2
Contractions get stronger and more frequent, and the first kitten moves into the birth canal. You’ll see your cat straining to push. The first kitten is usually born within about an hour of strong straining. Kittens can be born head first or tail first: both are normal. The interval between kittens can range from a few minutes to an hour or so. The mother tears open the amniotic sac, licks the kitten to clean it and stimulate breathing, and chews through the umbilical cord.

Stage 3
The placenta (afterbirth) follows each kitten, usually within a few minutes to 15 minutes. The mother often eats the placentas, which is natural, though eating many may give her an upset stomach. Your job is to count the placentas and check that there’s one for each kitten. A retained placenta can cause serious infection.

How to Help Your Cat During Birth

During labor, your cat may pant, moan and meow. In most cases, all she needs from you is to stay calm, quiet and nearby, offering comfort without interfering. But sometimes, your help can save the lives of the newborns and the mother. Here’s what to do in an emergency.

If a kitten is born but the mother doesn’t open the sac within a minute or so:

• with clean hands, tear the sac open near the kitten’s face and peel it away;
• wipe the fluid from the kitten’s nose and mouth with a clean cloth, and gently clear the airway with the bulb syringe;
• hold the kitten in a towel with its head slightly lower than its body and rub it firmly but gently along the back and chest to stimulate breathing;
• once it’s breathing and crying, offer it back to the mother to lick.

Don’t swing or shake a kitten to clear its airways: this outdated practice can cause brain injury. If the kitten isn’t breathing after a few minutes of rubbing, call your vet right away and keep rubbing it while you get advice. Kittens that needed help should be put to the mother to nurse as soon as possible and kept warm.

If the mother doesn’t cut the umbilical cord, tie a piece of dental floss tightly around the cord about 1 inch (2–3 cm) from the kitten’s belly, tie a second one a little farther away, and cut between them with clean scissors. Don’t pull on the cord.

If a kitten is partly out and stuck for more than a minute or two while your cat is straining:

• with clean gloved hands, gently hold the visible part of the kitten with a clean, dry cloth;
• as your cat pushes, pull very gently downward and out, in an arc toward her hind legs, easing it slightly from side to side;
• never pull on the kitten’s legs, head or tail alone;
• if the kitten doesn’t come out easily within a few minutes, stop and call your vet immediately.

If the mother has no milk or rejects her kittens, read about caring for newborn kittens and ask your vet about kitten milk replacer.

What Not to Do During the Birth

• don’t give your cat any medication, including oxytocin or calcium, unless your vet tells you to;
• don’t use human antiseptics such as iodine or alcohol on the kittens or the mother;
• don’t pull kittens by their legs, head or tail;
• don’t handle the newborn kittens more than necessary in the first hours;
• don’t let other pets or excited children near the nest;
• don’t panic: if you’ve prepared well, everything will most likely go according to plan!

When to Call the Vet

All the placentas should come out within a few hours of the birth. If there are fewer placentas than kittens, contact your vet. Call your vet or an emergency clinic right away if:

• your cat goes into labor before about day 58 of pregnancy, or goes past day 67 or so without signs of labor;
• she strains hard for 20 to 30 minutes without producing a kitten;
• more than 1 to 2 hours pass between kittens while she’s still straining or distressed, or you know there are more kittens to come;
• you see a green, black or foul-smelling discharge before the first kitten is born;
• there’s heavy, bright red bleeding;
• a kitten is stuck in the birth canal;
• your cat seems very weak, collapses, has a fever or seems in severe pain;
• after the birth, she has a foul-smelling discharge, a fever, or hot, hard, red mammary glands;
• she becomes restless, trembles, walks stiffly, pants or has seizures in the days or weeks after giving birth: this can be eclampsia (milk fever), a life-threatening drop in blood calcium that needs emergency treatment;
• any kittens are cold, weak or not nursing.

Caring for Your Cat After the Birth

For the first few days after a normal birth, don’t disturb the mother and kittens in the nest more than necessary. A loving owner’s job is to watch and to feed.

What to watch for

Discharge. For a few days to a few weeks after the birth, a small amount of reddish-brown discharge (lochia) from the vagina is normal as the uterus shrinks. To keep an eye on it, put a light-colored sheet in the nest and change it regularly. A heavy, foul-smelling or pus-like discharge isn’t normal: see your vet.

Cleanliness. Keeping the nest clean, dry and warm is your job too. The best time to change the bedding is when the mother leaves the nest to use her litter box or eat. Quickly move the kittens to a warm box lined with a towel (not the floor!), change the bedding and put them back. If the mother rushes back in a panic, calm her down and show her the kittens are fine.

Bowel movements. A new mother may not poop for a day or two after the birth, and eating the placentas can cause loose stools at first. If she hasn’t passed a stool after three or four days, or has diarrhea for more than a day or two, talk to your vet. Don’t give her laxatives without your vet’s advice.

Don’t bathe your cat after the birth. Even if she’s a bit messy, she’ll clean herself within a few hours.

The kittens. Check that every kitten is nursing, warm and gaining weight. Healthy kittens are quiet and sleepy most of the time. Weigh them daily for the first two weeks: they should gain weight every day. Read more: how to tell a kitten’s sex.

What to Feed Your Cat After the Birth

Don’t worry if your cat isn’t interested in food for the first day after giving birth. Make sure fresh water is always within easy reach of the nest, and offer her favorite food. Her appetite usually returns within a day.

A nursing cat needs a lot of energy and nutrients, often two to three times her usual amount of food by the peak of milk production, three to four weeks after the birth. Keep feeding her a high-quality, complete kitten food, and let her eat as much as she wants, with food available at all times or in several meals a day.

A complete kitten food gives a nursing cat all the calcium, vitamins and minerals she needs. Don’t add calcium supplements, dairy products or bone meal unless your vet recommends them: extra calcium can actually upset the balance her body needs to produce milk. Milk and dairy can also give cats diarrhea.

Spaying Your Cat After She Has Kittens

In the US and UK, spaying is a routine part of responsible cat ownership for cats that aren’t part of a breeding program.

How soon after giving birth can a cat be spayed? Many vets prefer to spay a mother cat once her kittens are weaned, at around 6 to 8 weeks after the birth, when her uterus and mammary glands have returned closer to normal. Some vets and shelters spay nursing cats earlier, which is usually safe and helps prevent another pregnancy. Ask your vet what they recommend. Spaying straight after the birth is usually done only for medical reasons, such as a uterine infection or rupture. Read more: spaying cats.

How soon can a cat get pregnant again? Very quickly. A cat can come back into heat just a few weeks after giving birth, sometimes while she’s still nursing, and become pregnant again. Until she’s spayed, keep her strictly indoors and away from unneutered males.

How often can a cat have kittens? Having litter after litter is exhausting for a cat’s body. If you’re not a breeder, the best choice for your cat’s health is to have her spayed. Responsible breeders limit the number of litters each queen has, allow her plenty of time to recover between pregnancies and retire her from breeding at a reasonable age. If a birth was difficult, the recovery long or the kittens weak, talk to your vet about spaying her.