Cat Pregnancy & Labor

Knowing what to expect during your cat's pregnancy and delivery can change a potentially scary time into a positive one. Learn about the symptoms your cat may experience during her 64-day pregnancy as well as the stages of a normal delivery. Being able to recognize what's normal and what isn't will help you take care of your cat.

  1. Symptoms

    • In week three of her pregnancy, your cat's nipples will become enlarged and pinkish. In week four, her belly will start to swell and her appetite will increase. Those symptoms will continue until week six, when her behavior will change. She will move more slowly and avoid twisting. In week seven, she will begin preparing for delivery by rolling and stretching. This is called the "quickening stage." She'll also start looking for a place to have her kittens.

    Labor Supplies

    • According to TheCatSite.com, some items that will help with your cat's delivery are clean towels, blunt scissors to cut umbilical cords and dental floss to tie off the kitten's umbilical cord. You also may want to use a heating pad with a thick cover over it to help keep the kittens warm. Bestfriends.org recommends keeping the heating pad on its lowest setting. A small cardboard box lined with towels also is suggested.

    Stage 1 Labor

    • Twelve to 48 hours before delivery, your cat will be restless and will lick her stomach and vagina repeatedly. Her breathing could become more rapid, or she could sit with her mouth open or meow loudly. Contractions will begin, and she will lie on her side or squat and attempt to push the kittens out.

    Stage 2 Labor

    • Your cat's first kitten should be born about an hour after signs of contractions begin. Other kittens could arrive immediately, and all of them will probably be born within two hours. Rarely, contractions stop and a day or two later begin again, and more kittens arrive.

    Warning Signs

    • Call your veterinarian if your cat is giving birth and a kitten is stuck and not being pushed out, or if a kitten is born inside its fluid-filled amniotic membrane and your cat doesn't bite through it. Your vet also should be consulted if your cat has been having contractions for more than an hour without a kitten appearing.