Different Stages Of Cat Pregnancy Labor

As you count the last few days of your cat pregnancy, it is essential for you to be aware of the cat pregnancy labor signs. Your cat would signal the beginning of the birth process and if you can successfully identify the signs, you and your cat both would be welcoming the kittens without any problems.

Cat pregnancy labor has two stages, the first stage of nesting combined with mild contractions and the second stage of stronger contractions and the actual birth of kittens.

Cat Pregnancy Labor Stage 1

The common signs to look out for during the first stage of labor are nesting activities, trembling, and rapid rate of breathing. In some cats fluid may drip from their nipples. In the week prior to the cat pregnancy birth your cat will start her nesting activities like searching for a warm and secure place for the birth of her kittens. As the week progresses, your pregnant cat will start showing restlessness and starts growling rhythmically. She will mostly be uncomfortable during this stage since the mild uterine contractions have begun and the kittens are also changing their positions. Due to this your cat may change or shift her position a lot frequently. This first stage of cat labor can last about 12 to 24 hours. If this stage stretches beyond 24 hours, consult your vet.

Cat Pregnancy Labor Stage 2

When your cat starts vigorous straining or crying out, you can say that she has moved to the second stage of labor. In some cats fluid may appear at their genitals. By this time, the contractions get very strong and too frequent and the pregnant cat uses all her energy to push using abdominal muscles. From this moment it can take up to an hour for the first kitten to be born. During the birth process, the cat will lay down either on her side or on her chest. Generally first the nose and paws of the kitten starts appearing. Once you see these, the kitten should be born within next 10-15 minutes. If your cat is taking too long, or finding it difficult to push consult your vet. In some cases, kittens are also born with their feet first. There is no need to worry provided the birth of the kittens is smoothly. The cat may give birth to all her kittens in rapid succession or in long intervals. During this time sometimes the contractions may stop totally. The mother cat may lay still or sometimes stretch or even walk a little bit in these breaks. If you consider the typical size of a litter, that is four, the cat labor process can go up to 24 hours to deliver all the kittens.

You may lose your sleep during cat pregnancy labor stages, but it is worth the sacrifice for a lovely litter of newborn kittens.