Actions of owners upon the birth of stillborn kittens. How to help a cat give birth

The period of pregnancy and childbirth in domestic animals, in this case cats, is a process that occurs in natural conditions, without human intervention. But there are also exceptions. For example, if a cat has caught an infection, gives birth for the first time, or there are dead kittens in the litter. In such cases, the question “how to help a cat give birth” is natural.

Here, of course, you cannot do without the help of the owner and the veterinarian, but how do you understand that the animal needs help and what needs to be done in such cases? Let's figure it out together.

If a cat’s pregnancy proceeded calmly, smoothly, without complications, then she should give birth without any problems. The main thing is not to be nervous, as the animal easily picks up the mood and vibrations emanating from the owner and also begins to noticeably worry, which can lead to problems during childbirth.

The cat should give birth primarily at home. This is preceded by two reasons at once - a feeling of calm and safety in one’s native territory and a low risk of contracting a bacterial infection.

If a cat’s pregnancy is difficult and with pathological processes, this is also not a death sentence for her giving birth in a veterinary clinic. The owner just needs to take the cat to an appointment in advance so that the veterinarian carefully examines the animal and is aware of possible problems that appear during childbirth. It is worth noting that this should not be an ordinary therapist, but a veterinary obstetrician.

If the owner doubts his abilities and is afraid to help the cat get wet, then it is better to leave her at the clinic, where veterinarians will look after her around the clock. This is especially true if the animal has heart or respiratory problems. As a rule, for such diseases, doctors recommend a cesarean section, and a little later sterilization.

Stimulation of labor in cats and preparation for it

Many owners who have got a cat and are faced with its first birth are wondering: how to help a cat give birth for the first time? The question is very relevant and correct, since when giving birth for the first time, an inexperienced cat panics and fusses - after all, this process is new to her and she can only guess at a natural level what exactly she needs to do.

The cat's behavior during this period may change beyond recognition. She may begin to rush around the house, meow hysterically and rub against her owner, calling him for help.

But what can the owner do? After all, he cannot know in advance how his pet will react to the kittens and to the process of delivery itself; there is a high probability of psychological trauma and physiological disorders in the body.

How a cat behaves during childbirth, especially the first, largely depends on the individual characteristics of the psyche and the body as a whole. Some individuals literally require the owner to be constantly nearby, need stroking and affection, while others, on the contrary, hiss and scratch the person, clearly making it clear that he should not come close. In such cases, all that remains is to observe and hope that the cat will cope on its own.

Attention! If the cat behaves too aggressively, it is worth inviting a veterinarian, since in this case you will be able to fix the animal in a comfortable position, and, if necessary, inject it with a sedative to relieve tension.

It happens that all the due dates set by the veterinarian for a cat pass, but the female is not going to give birth. How then can you help a cat give birth at home, because kittens gain weight and exhaust the cat more and more, foreshadowing problems with passage through the birth canal.

In such cases, only a veterinarian, but in no case the pet owner himself, can decide whether it will be necessary to help the cat give birth and how exactly to do this! For example, folk remedies used during childbirth for a “difficult” cat can provoke an even longer process, which will cause a protracted delivery, poor pushing, and bleeding.

The introduction of hormonal drugs such as Oxytocin or any other analogues for an unprepared cat can be the beginning of the end - a rupture of the cervix will occur. That is why the cat is examined in advance by a veterinarian-obstetrician and, based on the tests and data obtained, decides which drug should be used.

Onset of labor, important symptoms and necessary support services

The most popular question on forums dedicated to cats is “People, how did you help cats give birth and how long did labor last?” The fact is that there is simply no answer to the second half of the question; each case of childbirth is purely individual. The duration of the process is very individual. Some individuals of one kitten can give birth in 24 hours, while others manage to give birth completely in an hour. The intervals between contractions also do not have strictly defined boundaries.

Attention! Contractions can begin after the birth of one kitten after a few minutes, or they can resume after a couple of hours.

There are cases when cats, after several kittens, were interrupted in labor, they licked their offspring and after some time began to give birth again. This is absolutely normal behavior of the animal - features of the physiology of the body. In general, if the cat is calm and does not show any signs of anxiety, then everything is going according to plan.

It is necessary to urgently call a veterinarian if:

• if more than an hour has passed since the start of contractions, and the kitten has not been born;
• if the fetus is stuck or moves in the wrong position;
• if the cat’s body temperature has reached above 39°C or, conversely, dropped below 37°C;
• if foul-smelling and discolored liquid flows from the vulva;
• if the cat is unable to even stand up, lies immobilized, has difficulty breathing;
• if the heartbeat is disturbed (there should be no fading of the beat or, on the contrary, strong jumps).

You can call a doctor in any case if you have any doubts, since it is better to be safe than to be late.

Before we talk about how to help a cat give birth, you need to know all the details of the process. Just before birth, a special plug comes out of the animal’s uterus, then the kittens turn their heads towards the birth canal, and even later the cervix begins to open and the babies begin to be born one after another.

When birth occurs, the animal may begin to dig its claws into the litter, and breathing will become heavier. The animal takes a position that is comfortable for itself, while constantly falling on its side, raising its tail and licking its vulva. If the cat has long, thick hair on its tail, then it is advisable to wrap it with a rag, this will prevent the kittens from getting tangled in the fur and it will be much easier for you to observe.

At this stage, the owner’s help consists of gentle stroking on the sides, from head to tail, while strangers and even family members must be asked to leave the room.

Attention! Before giving birth, liquid of any color may drip from the vulva. This is a kind of lubrication of the birth canal before the process begins.

If you move your pet's tail away, you can see how the kitten appears from the vulva and then disappears again. First-born cats constantly tilt their head towards their tail, trying to determine what is causing the pain.

As soon as the animal waits for a contraction of sufficient strength, it will tense up and squeeze out the sac with the kitten almost halfway. The baby is clearly visible in a bag of clear liquid. It is believed that the fetus can move both head first and butt forward; both presentations are acceptable and considered correct. Let's summarize how to help a cat give birth:

• if you see that the pouch in which the kitten lies is not damaged and is moving head first, there is no need to interfere, the cat will finish what it started;
• if the integrity of the pouch is violated, you need to grab the kitten with a clean cloth and, after waiting for the next contraction, easily pull it towards you;
• If the integrity of the bladder is violated while the fetus is coming out, it is necessary to pull urgently, without waiting for a contraction, since the kitten can suffocate in seconds.

How to help a cat give birth if the kitten is too big? At first glance, it seems that it is very simple to remove it, but in fact it is difficult, given that the baby constantly slips into the vulva.

If you encounter such a problem, remember what you need to do:

• we wait for the contraction (the moment when the fetus appears at the base of the vulva);
• using the index finger, we penetrate deep into the vulva a few centimeters per eye and move the skin towards the anus, lightly pressing on the skin; if the passage is dry, it can be lubricated with Vaseline oil;
• when the kitten first appears outside, we grab it and quietly move it in different directions, helping it to come out completely, each case can be individual, somewhere you need to pull harder, somewhere weaker.

How to help a cat give birth to dead kittens? Even if the kittens died in the womb for some reason, but contractions begin, the cat will still give birth, just as it would do with living offspring.

The only difference is that you can safely grab any part of the body and pull out the fetus if the pet itself cannot complete the birth. But as a rule, dead kittens inside begin to rot and spread infection, in this case the cat’s health will be terrible, it will be necessary to urgently take it to the veterinarian.

Now you are familiar with the birth process, features, signs and know how to properly help a cat give birth. The most important thing is to maintain composure and be ready to come to the aid of your pet at any time.

How to help a cat give birth? was last modified: September 16th, 2016 by Ekaterina Efimova

The duration and course of pregnancy in cats is individual and depends on a number of factors, including the health of the animal. However, even healthy cats are not always able to bear offspring. As a result, pets often experience termination of pregnancy, which may indicate the presence of a pathology, the most common of which is miscarriage - the expulsion of living but nonviable or already dead fetuses.

Symptoms and types of pathology

Among the varieties of this pathological condition are:

• Miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy, occurring with the resorption of embryos in the uterus. The main cause of the pathology is genetic predisposition and inbreeding. External symptoms do not always appear, so such a miscarriage often goes unnoticed by the owners.
• Intrauterine death of the fetus without its removal from the uterine cavity. During the development of pathology, the embryos are located in the womb, they dry out or fester, which is accompanied by an inflammatory process and bleeding.
• Intrauterine death with miscarriage. The occurrence of pathology is possible at different stages of pregnancy. The fruits die in the womb, after which they are excreted from the body along with the membranes. Such spontaneous abortion is accompanied by bleeding and mucus discharge.

Some symptoms in pets may not always be noticeable. Sometimes owners do not even suspect that the cat eats aborted fetuses and licks the discharge.

Due to the fact that it is not possible to identify the symptoms of miscarriage in all situations, difficulties arise in diagnosing the pathology. Among the main signs according to which a cat gives birth to still kittens, it is customary to note:

• lack of signs of timely labor;
• asymmetry of the abdomen or complete lack of abdominal growth;
• loose stools, periodic vomiting;
• lack of appetite;
• weakened, depressed state;
• the presence of fruits and afterbirths if the cat did not have time to eat them;
• significant weight loss;
• pain when pressing on the abdomen;
• unpleasant odor from the pet;
• elevated body temperature.

If the cat has not given birth, then sometimes the discharge may not be detected due to the fact that the animal licks the perineal area. As a result, a large percentage of spontaneous abortions occur without leaving a trace and unnoticed by the owners.

Causes of stillbirth in cats

The causes of stillbirth are infectious and non-infectious. Infectious causes are:

In case of spontaneous abortion in a pet, it is necessary to conduct a detailed study of the embryos. The animal must undergo a full course of examination, which consists of ultrasound, x-rays and blood biochemistry.

The most common reasons why a cat can give birth to a dead baby are of a non-infectious nature of the pathology:

• genetic defects leading to developmental disorders of embryos;
• inbreeding;
• mating period (up to 1 year or after 7 years);
• incorrect positioning of the fetus in the womb and its possible deformation;
• food poisoning;
• hormonal imbalances;
• inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system;
• use of medications during pregnancy;
• stressful situations, various types of injuries and bruises;
• insufficient amount of protein, vitamins and minerals, taurine in the diet.

In some situations, the cause of periodic miscarriages in cats is their age. It is advisable to sterilize animals older than seven years, because by this period the cat accumulates genetic mutations in the eggs, sex cells age, and inflammatory processes in the reproductive system develop.

Actions of the owner upon the birth of stillborn kittens

Cat owners are not always mentally prepared for the birth of a premature kitten. To begin with, it is advisable to carry out certain resuscitation measures. If appropriate manipulations do not help revive the cub within 25 minutes, then the animal can be considered dead. In this case, it is recommended to isolate the dead offspring from the cat and wrap them in cellophane.

The birth of a stillborn kitten is a situation that every pet owner can face. If a cat gives birth to a stillborn kitten, it is important to have an idea of ​​what leads to such consequences and how to prevent the death of the baby in the future.

Why do kittens die

Among the reasons and factors, the following stand out::

What to do if a kitten is born dead?

When a cat gives birth to dead kittens, it is mainly a moral blow for the owner.

The first step is postpartum resuscitation measures. In some cases, this helps to save the kitten within 15-20 minutes after birth:

• The kitten should be turned down: the bubble is eliminated, which will leak bile from the mouth and lungs. Remains can be sucked out using a syringe.
• Two exhalations are made from the kitten’s mouth and nose. The mouth should completely cover the baby's face.
• You can check your heartbeat with a stethoscope. The chest is compressed with light pressure between the index finger and thumb.

As practice shows, if a cat gives birth to dead kittens, it is not possible to carry out resuscitation operations due to the lack of skills and appropriate equipment. In addition, we must not forget that diseases of a dead fetus can be transmitted to the cat's owner.

If there is no result, the dead baby is isolated from the mother and wrapped in a bag. When there is not one dead kitten, but several, each is isolated separately.

The second step is a consultation with a veterinarian. The specialist will perform an autopsy of the dead fetus and identify the factors that influenced the death. The female and male (if possible) should be seen by a doctor after two to three days, when the cat has recovered from the birth. The veterinarian’s task is to identify or refute the presence of inflammation in the reproductive part of the body and, if necessary, prescribe treatment.

How to protect future offspring?

You can help your cat give birth to kittens alive and healthy through pregnancy prevention and preliminary preparation:

A cat needs care during pregnancy. This concerns nutrition and safety: the slightest injury can become critical for the fetus.

The birth of stillborn kittens is a common situation among domestic animals. The reasons for the birth of non-viable offspring are varied. If a cat gives birth to dead kittens, what to do in this case and how to prevent stillbirth in the future, the owners of the beautiful home should have an idea.

Read in this article

First aid for newborns

Among domestic cats, stillbirth is not uncommon. Even under satisfactory housing conditions, the percentage of stillborn kittens ranges from 4 to 15%.

Very often, the reason why a cat’s kittens die is the inexperience and illiteracy of the animal owner. Often, newly born babies may seem lifeless. Newborns may not move or make any sounds and are often mistaken for stillborn. However, competently carried out resuscitation measures can save the baby’s life:

• First of all, it is necessary to free the kitten from the shell, this will allow him to breathe on his own.

• The umbilical cord should be pinched with your fingers at a distance of 2 cm from the tummy for a few seconds (squeezing the blood vessels) and cut with sterile scissors. The wound should be treated with an antiseptic.

• Your baby's nose and mouth may become clogged with mucus. In this case, it is necessary to empty the oral cavity and nasal passage using a small syringe.

• After this manipulation, the cub is wrapped in a waffle towel and tilted head down to remove the remaining mucus.

• Mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration helps to revive weak kittens. This should be done with the help of devices: a straw, a small syringe, etc. You need to blow air into the mouth at intervals of 3 - 5 seconds in small portions, taking into account the size of his lungs.

• Carefully licking her kittens, the mother cat, at the level of instinct, carries out resuscitation of the weak cub. The owner can also imitate this behavior by using fingers wrapped in a sterile cloth for massage. Massage movements should be carried out on the head (from the forehead to the back), along the torso (from the tail to the neck) and on the tummy (in circular movements from the chest to the perineum). Manipulations should be carried out intensively.

• At home, ammonia has been successfully used to revive kittens. A cotton wool soaked in the preparation should be brought to the baby’s nose several times.

You should know that resuscitation measures can be carried out for no more than 5 - 7 minutes if there is no heartbeat, and no more than 20 minutes if there is a heart rhythm.

Causes of stillbirth in cats

There are many reasons why an animal gives birth to dead kittens. Conventionally, they can be divided into the following groups:

1. Genetic reasons. This is a large group of factors that directly affects the viability of the offspring and is the reason why a cat gives birth to dead kittens:

• Hereditary factor. If there are cases of stillbirth on the maternal and paternal lines of the mother cat, then the likelihood of stillbirth increases sharply.

• Genetic abnormalities of fetal development (mutations and deformities).

• Inbreeding (of closely related lines) is one of the common causes of stillbirth.

• Blood group incompatibility. When breeding, this factor must be taken into account, since parental incompatibility leads to hemolytic disease of the newborn and stillbirth.

To date, cats have been identified three blood groups:

2. Adverse factors during pregnancy:

3. Adverse factors during childbirth. Quite often, the cause of stillbirth is deviations in normal labor:

• Complications during childbirth (incomplete dilatation of the birth canal, prolonged labor) lead to kittens suffocating as a result of strong pushing and delay in the birth canal.

• The animal owner's inexperience in determining its viability is also often the reason why the baby is mistakenly considered stillborn. This group of reasons also includes incorrect actions (or inaction) of the owner to revive the kitten.

4. Other factors. The reasons for the birth of stillborn kittens can be not only genetic diseases, illnesses and injuries, but also other factors that must be taken into account:

• Number of previous pregnancies. Very often, non-living offspring are born to a primiparous cat, as well as to an animal with a small number of pregnancies. The more often an animal gives birth, the less likely it is to give birth to stillborn kittens.

• Mother's weight. A large cat is more likely to give birth to a stillborn litter than an animal of average weight. This is due to the fact that a thick fatty layer of internal organs, including the uterus, leads to hypoxia of the fetus in the womb.

The variety of causes and factors leading to stillbirth makes diagnosis and preventive measures difficult.

Actions of the owner upon the birth of stillborn kittens

The owner of an animal is not always mentally prepared for the fact that childbirth ends in the birth of dead offspring. And the question of what to do if a cat’s kittens die is relevant in such a situation. First of all, the owner needs to carry out a series of resuscitation measures. If the appropriate manipulations do not lead to the revival of the baby within 20 minutes, the animal can be considered dead. It must be isolated from the cat and wrapped in a plastic bag. If all kittens in a litter are stillborn, each corpse should be placed in a separate waterproof bag.

The owner's next step is to visit a veterinarian to autopsy the dead kittens and determine the cause of their death. As a rule, a pathological examination helps to identify causes of stillbirth such as: congenital anomalies in fetal development, infectious diseases, injuries during pregnancy and childbirth, etc.

After the mother cat has had a rest from giving birth, she and the father cat should also be shown to a veterinarian to determine the reasons that led to the birth of a stillborn offspring. Diagnostics will be aimed at identifying inflammatory processes in the cat’s reproductive system, incompatibility of blood groups, virus carriage or latent infection in both parents, etc.

Measures to prevent stillbirth in cats

Despite the variety of causes of stillbirth, you can significantly reduce the risk of stillbirth by following these tips:

Following these preventive measures will significantly reduce the risk of stillbirth in your cat.

The birth of dead kittens significantly overshadows a joyful event for the owner of a furry pet. An autopsy of stillborn offspring, diagnostic studies of a cat, and genetic analysis will help to understand the causes and factors of the sad event. Compliance with certain rules will help prevent and significantly reduce the risk of stillbirth in the future.

– this is a complex process, all the nuances of which only a veterinarian can understand. What to do if the kitten was born dead or very weak? Let's figure out how to save and protect the lives of babies.

If you are serious about becoming a cat breeder, accept it as a fact that some of the kittens obtained from your pet will die. Your task is to provide the pregnant cat with adequate care and reduce mortality among kittens as much as possible.

To clarify the causes and relationships of kitten mortality, studies were conducted that showed that the offspring of breeding cats have a higher mortality rate.

According to the research results:

• About 7% of purebred kittens die in utero.

• 9% of babies die within 2 months after birth. Most of these 9% did not survive the first 3 weeks.

• The next point of the study is even more frightening - only 75% of kittens that lived to 8 weeks reached one year of age.

Kittens can die in the womb due to infection, congenital abnormalities, or poor quality care for a pregnant cat. Sudden complications may occur during childbirth. In such cases, both mother and offspring are at serious risk. Childbirth is a long, labor-intensive and quite dangerous process, for which the owner must prepare with all responsibility.

Advice: Take your cat to the vet as soon as you have determined she is pregnant. After determining the gestational age, the veterinarian will give an estimated date of birth. Try to agree in advance at the veterinary clinic about the possible visit of a doctor to your home (on the day of birth) if the cat needs help.

Intrauterine death of kittens - causes and consequences

More often The reasons for the death of kittens before birth lie in intrauterine developmental disorders. Some embryos may die during multiple pregnancies. In this case, we can say that the body gets rid of excess load. In this case, the mother's body absorbs dead embryos. Congenital malformations that are incompatible with life may arise due to genetic defects or poor quality care for the mother in the early stages of pregnancy.

Quite often, intrauterine malformations associated with chronic diseases of a pregnant cat. Constant stress, cold, physical damage, trauma and other external factors can lead to intrauterine death of kittens. It has been established that a deficiency of taurine in a cat's diet leads to a slowdown in the development of muscles and bones in fetuses. During cat pregnancy, it is not advisable to use any medications (especially toxic ones) without the prescription and supervision of a veterinarian.

Read also: Caring for a domestic cat after birth

If a pregnant cat is infected with the distemper virus (panleukopenia), stillborn offspring are considered a consequence of the disease. When an infection rages in the body, the development of the embryo stops, which leads to improper formation of the brain and deformation of the skull.

Chronic and is another dangerous pathology, which results in the death of the entire litter. Most often, kittens are born alive, but die within the first day after birth. In veterinary medicine, this phenomenon is called fading kitten syndrome.

Death of kittens during childbirth - reasons

Complications that may occur during childbirth cannot be predicted. The death of kittens during childbirth, in most cases, is due to the fact that the baby gets stuck in the birth canal.

Note! Each kitten develops in an individual amniotic sac, which is filled with fluid. The baby's body is supplied with nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord (with blood).

The second most common reason is umbilical cord entanglement. Umbilical cord entanglement in kittens is fraught with several serious complications at once and here’s why:

• The kitten is connected by the umbilical cord to the placenta, the length of the umbilical cord is 5–6 cm.

• The placenta remains attached to the uterus when the kitten is born, and the kitten remains connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord.

• If entanglement occurs, the umbilical cord becomes shorter and becomes very tight during the pushing process, which can lead to injury in the kitten and rupture of the uterine wall in the cat.

The birth is considered complete immediately after the expulsion of the last kitten. Unfortunately, in a relatively short period of time, part of the litter may die. Statistically, most newborn kittens die in the first 7 days after birth.

Again, based on statistics, the causes are rarely associated with infections. The situation is complicated by the fact that newborn kittens almost always die suddenly, and owners rarely notice specific symptoms and have time to provide help. Even experienced veterinarians note that the symptoms of fading in newborn kittens are very vague.

Note! If the kitten does not crawl to the mother’s nipples, cannot take the nipple, does not suck milk well and does not reach out to the other kittens (towards warmth), it must be taken from the nest and carefully observed. A decrease in natural activity and weak unconditioned reflexes are the first symptoms of extinction.

Newborn kittens can die within hours due to hypothermia. Just after being born, babies cannot control their own body temperature. The mother of the kittens usually takes care of maintaining normal temperature in the nest. Hypothermia is especially dangerous because it can cause a decrease in heart rate and respiratory activity.

Read also: Preparing for birth in a domestic cat

Small kittens need to breathe frequently and deeply., otherwise there is a high risk of cardiovascular failure. Even with mild hypothermia, kittens experience a loss of strength, due to which they cannot actively suckle milk. The normal body temperature of newborn kittens ranges between 36 and 38 degrees. The temperature in the nest must be maintained between 38 and 39 degrees.

Newborn kittens have serious nutritional and caloric needs. Normally, the kitten receives enough nutrients, antibodies and friendly bacteria from the mother's colostrum. If a kitten is sick or weakened, it cannot actively suckle milk, which quickly leads to exhaustion. The most dangerous aspect of exhaustion is a sudden drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia). The clinical picture in newborn kittens develops very quickly, the baby squeaks loudly, breathes heavily and trembles.

Dehydration is especially dangerous for newborn kittens, especially if the baby cannot suck milk normally. In a kitten’s body, the mechanisms for retaining water work very weakly, and dehydration leads to a decrease in the elasticity of the tissues of the kidneys, lungs and other organs. may be a consequence of a difficult or prolonged labor, injury, or blood loss in the cat.

Particular attention should be paid to cats that naturally have flat or depressed noses. The problem is that a cat with a natural deformation of the respiratory tract suffers from oxygen starvation during childbirth. The mother's body acts in the interests of preserving its own life, so kittens are often exposed to hypoxia (suffocation).

Important! A kitten that died in childbirth from hypoxia needs resuscitation!

Reanimation of a kitten or declaration of death

When a cat has a dead kitten, she may ignore the baby and start licking her own fur. Your task is to react quickly and provide the newborn with all possible assistance. To resuscitate babies, you should have the following kit on hand:

• Sharp, sterile scissors.
• Syringes without needles or a baby syringe.
• Paper and cloth towels.
• Warmer.
• Dental or cotton floss.
• Cat milk replacer.

Act carefully but confidently! Open the amniotic sac in the muzzle area. First, try to break the bubble with your fingers; if all else fails, cut it with scissors. Remove the bubble from the kitten and place the baby on paper towels. Open the kitten's mouth and try to remove as much amniotic fluid as possible.