Kitten Birth Process

• Feline labor takes from two to six hours.

Supplies

Your cat might want to hide to give birth. However, you can prepare a birthing area, such as a cardboard box or laundry basket lined with towels or blankets. If the cat uses this spot, it will be easier for you to observe and attend to the birth.

• Absorbent pads: Get absorbent pads to line the delivery area.
• Towels: You will need clean towels or paper towels to clean the area and stimulate the kittens, if necessary.
• Nesting box: If you have brought your pregnant cat to the vet, and you know how many kittens to expect, get a nesting box large enough for the brood. Although a cat can have from one to 12 kittens, an average litter is about four kittens. A standard, 8-pound cat should be fine with a box that is 16-inches by 24 inches. The larger the cat, the bigger the box it will need.
• Heating pad: Put a heating pad in the bottom of the box with a blanket or several towels over it to prevent the kittens from getting chilled. Never place the kittens directly on a heating pad; it can burn them. If the box does not have a lid, then drape a clean towel over the top to hold the heat in and keep out drafts.
• Dental floss and clean scissors: If the mother cat does not break away the umbilical cord, you will need to tie it off with dental floss and cut the cord.

Process

The trigger for the birth process is unknown, but factors include the size and weight of the uterus, size and weight of the fetuses, and the hormonal balances of the fetuses and the mother.

During the birth process, rhythmical uterine contractions gradually increase to push the fetus out of the uterus and into the birth canal.

The birth of one kitten can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. The kittens are born within their amniotic sacs, which the queen will remove. The mother cat will stimulate the kittens to breathe by washing them with her rough tongue. She will also sever the umbilical cord by chewing on it approximately one inch from the kitten's body. She may also eat the placenta. The kittens will immediately gravitate toward a nipple, latch on, and nurse.

If the mother cat ignores the kitten and it is still in its sac, you will need to carefully cut or tear the membrane pouch and stimulate the kitten's breathing by rubbing its nose and mouth gently with a rough, dry towel. If the mother cat has difficulty biting off the umbilical cord, tightly knot dental floss around the umbilical cord one inch from the kitten's body and cut the umbilical cord on the mother's side of the tie.

If a placenta does not come out with each of the kittens, make sure it expels within 24 hours after birth. Each kitten should have one placenta. It is a good idea to count the placentas. If the placenta remains in the cat, you will need to see a veterinarian.

About 30 to 60 minutes may pass between births, but more prolonged periods are not uncommon. If there is a delay of over 4-6 hours and you are sure there are remaining kittens, the mother needs examination by a veterinarian. Whether the birth went smoothly or not, the mother cat and kittens should be examined by your veterinarian within 24 hours of birthing.

It takes, on average, half a day for a mother cat to give birth to all her kittens. The first kitten should arrive within an hour of the start of active labor.

In between kittens, the mother cat will rest and should be allowed to nurse and clean the kittens that were born.