While many authors believe that problems in parturition (birth) are rare in the cat, others feel that with the progression of selective breeding these problems are becoming more common. Im going to explain what steps to take and how to make the most of this uncomfortable situation. Enter your postcode to find the nearest Cats Protection shop to your location. Thank you for supporting International Cat Care through your shop purchases! The first signs of the onset of the condition usually include lack of coordination and tetanic muscular spasms with later collapse and coma. Postnatal Care of a Mother Cat and Her Newborn Kittens RH17 7TT, intermittent contractions, but no straining, the queen will be restless and make repeated visits to the bed, late in the first stage, the queen may scratch the bedding and pant, foetal membranes (water bag) appears briefly at the vulva and bursts. He was fined 4,000 . The kitten should be supported and the cord held at the kitten end so that the risk of pulling on the kitten is minimised. Antibiotics should ideally be chosen according to culture and sensitivity. The swing will have the effect of forcing fluids out of the air passages and a further wipe of nose and mouth will clear it away. If this is not immediately forthcoming, the particular kitten involved may die, especially if it is coming tail first. Cleaning The Kitten If the mother cat experiences a stillbirth, she will continue licking and cleaning the dead kitten even after realizing its death. [3] mcm.click, Neutering, vaccinations and microchipping, Download: Pregnant cats, birth and the care of young kittens guide, National Cat Centre, Its important to start socialising the kittens from week two and some of this will involve handling them. That means she will often leave the body alone for hours, just in case the kitten revives. Instead, she will do her best to reanimate them. All of these situations may give rise to either a temporary delay and necessitate extra efforts by the cat or, at worst, result in complete obstruction. What to Do With a Dead Kitten After Birth It is the mother's instinct to try and clean her kittens. Hi! The kitten is usually passed eventually. In this case, when one or more kittens have been born, the mother will cease straining and rest quite happily, suckling those kittens already born. It also causes what is quite obviously an acute emergency with a very ill and shocked cat. The reason that a mother cat will eat the kitten is twofold. Communal cremation chambers mean that the pet is cremated at the same time as other animals so you cant get any ashes back. Secondly, the capacity of kitten lungs compared to the human is minute. Put the first sealed bag in another sealable bag. Jamie Laing apologises after not inviting Spencer Matthews to wedding Follow this, if the mother is ill or not co-operative, by contact with a warm, well-covered hot water bottle and conserve heat with a covering blanket. While a lot of cats will have a perfectly healthy birth, there are some problems that could happen you should keep an eye out for. If it is possible to think about these things in advance, you may have more opportunity to give some thought to how you want to care for your cat after theyve died. If, however, a kitten has had to be helped out and is not breathing, or on those few occasions when the maternal instinct appears to be lacking and the kitten is ignored, reviving it becomes a matter of urgency. If the cord has not broken on delivery, tear it a good inch from the kitten and remove the membranes. Use a large enough box to comfortably hold the mother cat and her kittens. The individual crematorium should be able to tell you what happens at their site, should you wish to know. Often people plant a bush or tree over the spot or even place a pot or slab over the site to mark it and to prevent other animals from digging in that area.The benefits of burying at home include being able to visit your cat at any time and you may feel closer to your cat being at home. She will accept food and drink and is in every way completely normal except that it is obvious from her size and shape, and the presence of foetal movement, that there are still kittens waiting to be born. Or the one the mother cat has tossed aside. She will be very protective over them and might not want you touching, so its best to respect her space unless something is wrong. A rupture occurring at the time of parturition will give rise to the same signs of acute emergency as a torsion. Terms and conditions The lack of a wedge-shaped muzzle increases the risk of the head becoming deflected to one side, downwards between the forelegs, or onto the chest. Functional dystocia is usually termed inertia and can be either primary or secondary. You might notice your cat: A slight change in behaviour is normal for your cat after she has given birth, but she will settle after a few weeks. Your email address will not be published. Or found one at the side of the road? While the precise causes of the condition are not known, it involves a sudden drop in the amount of calcium circulating in the bloodstream. Accessibility As harrowing as it might seem, it is important that you leave the kitten with the mother so that she is aware of what has happened. Often costs will include purchase of the plot, an annual maintenance or rental fee and a coffin (which the cemetery may ask that you buy from them).