#catbirth

Ah cat birth.. hours of mum howling and stressing prior to the birth, but a wonderful experience.. most of the time.

Usually mum cat will do everything she needs to by herself, without our interfearance. However, sometimes the mum cat can have complications, or is still very young herself so isn't sure what to do. We can observe from a distance and offer support by our voice and a familiar face during her birth. This allows us to calm mum as much as possible and also allows us to observe the births and act if needs be. I usually put soothing cat birth music on my phone to keep her calm.

So, what happens if mum gives birth but does not remove the birthing sac? Sometimes, for many reasons the mum can fail to remove the sac. Do not just snatch the kitten away the moment it is born. Allow the mother time to lick and get the kitten breathing. If mum clearly neglects to do this, then you can take the kitten and wipe its airways (mouth and nose) in a circular motion, using a soft face cloth to safely remove the birthing sac.

If kitten is still not breathing, you can use one finger and lightly press on the kittens heart (under their armpits) please do this gently as kittens are very fragile ! They also need this to be done at a quicker pace than humans, as their heart rate and breathing is a lot faster than ours.

If the kitten is alive, but gasping for air, it is likely the kitten has fluid in its lungs. You need to cup your hands and hold the kitten so his back is in your hands and he is facing you. Hold him securly (so he doesnt fall out when you swing) and quickly drop your hands between your legs and then swing back up (as though you were doing kettle weights) swinging your arms under your legs so the kitten will go upside down and the fluid will come out of his nose or mouth. Wipe away the fluid immediately with a cloth and repeat if needed. If you are not sure how to do this, you can YouTube examples of people doing this correctly on 'how to remove fluid from kittens lungs'

As crazy as it sounds, it is a well known method and you just might save this kittens life!

Mum cat should also birth one placenta, per kitten. So keep an eye on this as if this does not happen, mum cat can experience complications.

Mum should bite through the chord, seperating the kitten and placenta and eat the placenta. Do allow the mum cat to eat the placenta, as this provides her with lots of nutrients she will need to feed her kittens !

Should the mum fail to bite through the chord, you can cut the chord by using dental floss and tying this in a knot. When you pull, this should cut through the chord. Please take caution not to cut too closely to the kitten. You should keep atleast 4 to 5 inch away from the kittens stomach.

Some bleeding is normal during birth, but if you notice excessive bleeding, or that the mother is taking more than an hour to birth between kittens and is still panting and in distress, it could be that there is a kitten stuck, or other complications. If this happens, it is highly important that you contact your emergancy vet immediately.

Keep an eye on mum cat in the next few days after birth and make sure she has a good appetite and that she is also drinking plenty of water. She needs both of these to be able to provide her kittens with enough milk!