If there is still a kitten inside, you can usually gently pat his stomach and feel the lump. Also, it should be moving slightly inwards as opposed to being in the position of an organ.
In most cases, mother cats give birth to all their kittens on the first try. But sometimes they are seen behaving a little abnormally after giving birth to a kitten and that’s because there is another baby in her womb that has not been born yet. Although it is extremely rare and less likely to occur.
But if the mother cat has already delivered one or more kittens and then turns back and starts licking, it means she is having birth difficulties. The birth difficulties is a stage that is very dangerous for the mother cat and her kitten. If you are faced with such a situation, you should immediately approach a vet. Although some steps can be taken for its initial treatment at home, which will be able to save your queen feline from major damage.
What are Birth Difficulties in Cats?
Healthy cats are less likely to suffer from birthing difficulties, but some cats experience mechanical obstruction and uterine inertia.
If a mother cat is properly healthy, it is very unlikely that she will suffer from birth difficulties. However, birth defects include mechanical obstruction and uterine inertia in some cats. Sometimes mechanical obstruction occurs when the diameter of kittens is too wide for the diameter of the birth canal of the mother cat. Uterine inertia can occur only when the uterus is too weak to contract.
Birth Difficulties Symptoms in Cat
Mechanical obstruction and uterine inertia are most likely to happen with older cats, with extremely fat mother cats giving birth to small litter kittens that are relatively larger than other felines. These conditions can occur in cats with large heads and flat faces like Persians. This often involves the birth of the first kitten or the last kitten.
Call a veterinarian immediately if any of the following symptoms occur. It can help save the life of the kitten as well as the mother.
- If the kitten is not born even after 1 hour of deep pressure
- After 10 minutes of intense labor, the kitten became visible in the birth canal.
- A continuous flow of fresh blood occurs during or 10 minutes after kitten delivery
- If suddenly the cat feels apathy and tired
- If the rectal temperature is above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) or below 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) it means the mother cat has been infected.
- If labor stops and the mother cat becomes distressed, anxious, or weak.
Kittens can take 15 minutes to two hours to descend into the birth canal. A kitten should be born within 30 minutes when the amniotic sac surrounding the kitten ruptures. If the kittens take more than three hours to be born, there is enough reason to worry. However, if the mother cat feels comfortable and cares for her kittens without showing any difficulty, she and her kittens will be able to stay as fit as a fiddle.`
What Causes Birth Difficulties in Cats
There are usually two reasons behind birth defects. One is the mechanical barrier and the other is the uterine inertia.
For your convenience, we will now discuss these two issues in more detail.
Mechanical barriers: The “diving position” – first coming out of the birth canal with the nose and legs and next to the crown of the vagina is usually the way kittens are born. Mechanical barriers usually come with two kinds. If the kitten is relatively large in size and if it is stuck in the wrong birth canal.
Moreover, mother cats also face Mechanical barriers due to the following reasons
- The kitten first shows its hind legs or tail and hips exit backward from the birth canal.
- The position behind the tail or ramp presentation is called the breech position and if it occurs during the first kitten delivery, it can really become a problem.
- Diverged head, where the kitten’s head is bent forward or sideways.
Uterine Inertia : When the uterine muscles become very weak, labor becomes useless. If the uterus is strong and effective then it cannot cause contractions. Causes of uterine inertia include:
- Contains an extremely large litter
- An oversized kitten in a small uterus
- If the uterus is deformed
- Amniotic fluid surplus as a result of a condition called hydrophobic ammonia
Remedies of Birth Difficulties
If your cat is experiencing a birth difficulty, you can use a variety of methods to treat the mother cat. Here are some of the notable ones that are actually very effective.
- Medication: Some forms of uterine inertia are caused by a deficiency of oxytocin or calcium or both. To stimulate strong contractions, the veterinarian may inject oxytocin, which is made by the pituitary gland, and calcium gluconate. There is a danger associated with this type of injection, which can rupture the uterus.
- Cesarean Section : If birching problems cannot be resolved with medication or prosthetic treatment, the veterinarian will determine if a cesarean section is necessary. Veterinarians will decide that this common method, when used, resolves all sorts of birth problems, making it the best choice for mother cats. The veterinarian will consider the following approaches:
- Length of labor
- Condition of the mother cat
- X-ray and testing results
- The size of kittens with the uterus of the mother cat
- A dry vaginal canal
- Inactivity of oxytocin
In most cases, a cesarean section presents no problems, especially if the mother cat is young and healthy. The veterinarian performs the operation according to general anesthesia. Excessive labor and toxicity can lead to major problems, meaning that kittens are stillborn and begin to erode or rupture the uterus.
How To Recover from Birth Difficulties of Cat
The veterinarian will consider conducting treatment when the obstruction of the birth canal and fetus is intact, the presence and location of the fetal position are correct, and if there is no obstruction in the birth canal. To encourage uterine contractions, the veterinarian may prescribe oxytocin. If the mother cat does not respond to oxytocin, a cesarean section may be performed.
Surgery may be necessary for problems or general poor health, increased active labor, early uterine inertia, and if health management is exemplary, obstructive dystocia and congenital malformations.
Within three hours of the surgery, the queen is expected to be stable, alert, and able to nurse her kittens. The reasons for having a cesarean section may vary depending on the situation and just because a mother cat has a litter does not mean that she has to have another cesarean section when she is giving birth to another litter.
What is Malposition?
Malposition usually occurs when a kitten dies in the womb before rotation. It is uncommon for the presence of a dead fetus in the pelvic canal to cause spontaneous functional or obstructive dystocia, except for illness, infection, or prolonged delay in the late-coming fetus.
To Sum Up
In most cases, the mother cat gave birth to the kitten on its own without any problems. You even went to bed at night and woke up in the morning to find your feline friend relaxing after giving birth. However, it is better for us to be aware of birth difficulties because the lives of a mother and her child are involved here.
Thank you for reading our article. Have you ever seen a cat still having a kitten inside? Let us know by commenting as this is a very rare case scenario.