Premature labour

Hi there!

How are you getting on? Any updates?

I hope everything is going well and that you’re not feeling so anxious about your cat giving birth anymore!

Have a good day

Hello! 

So, for an update: on 25th May '24, Taïga gave birth to 5 kittens who are all doing great now!

It was a real emotional rollercoaster too! Here’s the story of what happened:

She’d been nesting for four days in one of the boxes I’d set up (with towels and newspapers). She rarely went out for more than 10 minutes, which I found quite worrying. 

That Saturday morning (25th May), my partner and I had to go out. I left around 10 am and we got back around 2 pm to find Taïga.

She wasn’t in the nesting box she’d been using for four days, but in another one she usually plays in, with two little fur-balls. 

She was very alert, but no crying or panting. The little ones were nursing, and Taïga was still looking quite round. I stayed with her, and after an hour, I brought her some food and water. She polished off a mini chicken fillet and had some water.

Within two minutes, she had a third kitten, a ginger one, while purring away. (3:11 pm)

After that, she settled back down with her babies and nursed them. She seemed very weak and her temperature wasn’t going back up (it stayed around 36°C).

I started to panic because she seemed really exhausted and her breathing was laboured. I called a breeder friend who advised me:

•to pick up my cat and feel her tummy. If there are still (fairly large) lumps inside, there are still kittens. Be careful, though, as small lumps might just be the uterus shrinking back.

•If there are still lumps, wait and keep an eye on her temperature. (I can feel a little sausage shape across her tummy... from left to right across her flanks, not lengthways).

•head to the vet the next day if nothing happens in the meantime.

Mind you, my cat is quite happy to be touched; I know that’s not the case for all animals.

I kept bringing her water, and around 7 pm I decided to give her another mini chicken fillet.

Here we go again—Taïga devours the lot, stands up despite the babies’ protests, and gave birth to another one, this time after several minutes of heavy contractions (7:16 pm). She looked absolutely spent and gave it a quick lick before lying back down. I immediately gave her more water and another mini fillet, which she ate.

I thought it was all over, but I stayed close to her (watching shows on my phone while keeping an ear out) because her breathing was still quite ragged.  

And surprise! At 9:40 pm, Taïga gave birth to one last kitten, quite a big one. Even while it was still attached to her, it started nursing 😮.

I gave my girl more food and water, but she didn’t touch much of it.

I went to bed because she was purring and looking after all the kittens (an intensive grooming session, and her breathing was finally back to normal). The next day, I found Taïga and her little ones in top shape. 

•She stayed with them non-stop for two days (she didn’t go to the toilet during those two days. If it lasts any longer, it’s vital to take the cat to the vet).

•Then she started leaving the box to sleep near us for an hour or so.

•And since Wednesday, she’s been going outside again. Never for long (an hour and a half max). 

One slightly mean little experiment:

•The babies had been crying for 20 minutes and Taïga wasn’t coming back in, despite me calling her (in my best desperate cat-lady voice). So I picked up the loudest baby and went to the window with it; she was back within 10 seconds. She was outraged, but she nursed her babies. (Don't do this if it's cold, as the little ones need constant heat and can't regulate their own temperature yet).

  So there we go, I wouldn't worry. I’m sad I didn’t see the first two being born, but Taïga is doing a brilliant job with her litter despite the first kitten we lost. And the birth was actually very quiet in terms of meowing (I’ve been told some cats scream the whole way through, so don't panic if your cat is vocal). :)

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience here because I couldn't find anything online and it’s relevant to the current situation.

I have a young cat, nearly a year old, who I reckoned was about a week or two away from giving birth.

Except this morning (around 9 am), Taïga started crying and came to find me.

At 9:20 am she gave birth to a kitten... I watched what happened; she cleaned it, ate the placenta and then the cord, but after a few minutes I realised the kitten was pink (just a bit of fuzz at most) and almost completely limp. It wasn't trying to nurse, and she lost interest very quickly.

She even left the nest (a box with blankets and towels) and left the little one inside. She went to eat and then lay down further away.

I picked up the kitten, brought it over to her, and tried to get it near a teat. It didn't latch on, but it did let out a little squeak.

She stayed near it and licked it, but that was it. She didn't have any more contractions and wasn't restless anymore. She stopped crying.

The thing is, my girl was still as round as a football.

So, I headed to the emergency vet with the kitten at around 10:30 am.

And here is what I learned:

- A cat can give birth to a premature/non-viable kitten and continue with her pregnancy.

Based on the kitten's appearance, the vet was able to estimate how far along Taïga was and told me to wait at least four days to a week before her contractions start up again. After an X-ray, they saw there were still at least four kittens in her tummy.

The fact that Taïga’s waters broke isn't a problem because:

- Each kitten is in its own separate amniotic sac.

They can therefore survive until the end of the pregnancy.

I was able to go home with my cat (sadly without the premature kitten) and I’ve been told to monitor her for 24 hours before letting her go back to her normal life (going outside, etc.).

The vet said I might notice she's very tired. She might lose her appetite for 24 hours (any longer than that and I have to go back to the vet).

So, the main things to check are:

- My cat’s temperature (no higher than 39°C).

- Any coloured vaginal discharge (green, yellow, or smelly).

- Loss of appetite for MORE than 24 hours.

- Contractions starting again.

So, if you ever find yourself in this situation:

1) Go to the vet.

2) Your cat isn’t necessarily in danger! :D

3) The rest of the pregnancy can continue, and the kittens can be born healthy.

4) A premature kitten can survive (it all depends on how far along the pregnancy was).

Just for an update, since I got back (at 12:30 pm), Taïga has been sleeping peacefully next to me. I’m checking on her regularly.

Oh dear @CalineB, of course wildlife and nature have their place here; but you have to realise that sometimes we’re dealing with ‘backyard breeders’ who just do whatever they want, without any regard for the consequences. Look at it from that side of things.