How Long Does it Take for the First Litter of Kittens to be Born?

A female cat reaches sexual maturity at the young age of about 7 months, meaning she could become a mother when she is less than a year old. Older cats usually make better, more caring mothers: So if you are breeding, you may want to allow the cat to age, before allowing her to attempt to mate. The first litter of kittens is no different than the subsequent ones.

  1. Symptoms of Pregnancy

    • A pregnant cat will show pink, slightly enlarged nipples at three weeks gestation. Her nipples will get further enlarged later in the pregnancy. Her behaviour and personality will become more friendly and affectionate. Increased appetite and weight gain are also prevalent during a feline pregnancy.

    Gestational Period

    • The gestational period for a cat is approximately 65 days. With normal variations of as little as 61 days, or as high as 69 days.

    Signs of Labour

    • The caregiver of a cat may notice that when labour is near, the cat may become agitated and not be able to sit still, or become increasingly affectionate. Or the opposite may happen -- a normally friendly cat may become antisocial and seek hiding places to get the privacy she might want while giving birth. She may also begin to lick her genitals often.

    Labour

    • A cat's labour proceeds much like a human's does. The uterus begins to contract and the cervix dilates during the first stage of labor. The second stage begins when the cervix is dilated completely and the kitten moves into the birth canal. The mother cat pushes the baby out, and then cleans up the membranes that are still clinging to the kitten, to encourage breathing.

      Most often, the first kitten appears no more than one hour after the first stage of labour, and there can be anywhere from ten minutes to an hour in between births of multiple kittens. The delivery of a full litter can take up to six hours.