Hi, I have a pregnant cat and she seems to ready for birth. What are the signs of labour?
Hi there, It sounds as though your cat is in first stage labour. This can go on for quite a long time – sometimes a couple of days. Once you see contractions (and they are pretty clear once they start) then your cat should have her kittens sometime in the next few hours. If you are concerned about the other cats, then really you should try to give your pregnant mum a quiet, safe place to have her babies. A large box is fine. Once she starts contracting, it can still be an hour or two before the first kitten appears. If you see part of a kitten or the sac it comes in, but she doesn’t actually give birth within an hour or so, you need to get advice from your vet. Otherwise, most cats get on with labour without problems. I always stay with my girls when they are kittening (I’m a breeder) specially if they haven’t had kittens before, because some cats don’t know what to do once they are born and don’t remove the sac or umbilical cord. If she doesn’t you will need to do this. Try to give mu
