Why Some Kittens are Born Dead

For cat lovers, few things are sadder than stillborn kittens, and it's natural to wonder why some kittens are born dead. Live kitten birth depends on several conditions which must all be near optimal. The kittens must be genetically healthy, the mother cat must be disease-free and well-nourished, and birth must progress smoothly. Kitten death occurs when one or more of these conditions fails.

  1. Considerations

    • As occurs in all species, some kitten embryos will have chromosomal defects incompatible with life. We don't notice many of these though, because the embryo dies early in gestation and is reabsorbed by the mother's body. However, partially formed kittens are occasionally born dead along with live kittens. Some kittens with severe genetic defects do survive until later in pregnancy, but are ultimately stillborn or die shortly after birth.

    Effects

    • Illness in the mother cat is associated with fetal death in kittens, particularly in cases of feline leukemia or certain intestinal viruses, if the mother is infected in the first stages of pregnancy. The kittens may be affected directly, or placental development and function might be impaired. In either case, the kittens may be reabsorbed or aborted. Kittens that survive maternal infection may have physical or neurological defects.

    Warning

    • Otherwise healthy kittens sometimes die during birth. Before birth, kittens are connected to their mother by the placenta which delivers nutrients and oxygen to the kitten. If the placenta becomes dislodged from the uterine wall before the kitten is delivered, or if the umbilical cord is compressed, the kitten may die from lack of oxygen. Even if the kitten's head has emerged and is free of the amniotic sac, if its ribcage is compressed in the mother's pelvis for a prolonged period, it will not be able to breath and it will die.

    Theories/Speculation

    • The hormone cycles of female cats are still not fully understood. Inadequate progesterone levels have been blamed for the routine spontaneous abortion of entire kitten litters. Thus far, studies fail to prove this conclusively, but the theory is still considered viable. Progesterone therapy is sometimes recommended in cases of habitual abortion. Clinical evidence suggests that for progesterone therapy to be effective, it must be administered evenly and continuously.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Veterinary care at the first sign of birthing difficulties is the best preventer of unnecessary kitten death. When birthing time is near, watch the mother carefully for unexpected behaviors, vaginal discharge or undue discomfort. Most kittens arrive without incident, but a mother cat who labors strenuously longer than 45 minutes is having trouble. Seek emergency veterinary care.