Pregnant Cat

by Kristen

I have a cat that had 4 babies, but she keeps moving around and looks like she is going to gag or has hicups. Also her back is moving. Is she going to have another baby?


Hi, Kristen,

I would imagine things have been resolved by the time I received your letter and am writing back.

However ...if you are talking about standing up, a cat that has kittens almost never moves around even if there are more kittens coming. New mommies remain lying down, cleaning up their kittens and allowing them to nurse. If there are additional kittens to be born, she will have some visible contractions. She will move a bit while lying down to find the most comfortable position, but she doesn't get up and walk around. The back moving and the "hiccup"-type behavior you are seeing sounds like she could indeed have another kitten to deliver.

As a general rule, if a cat is having kittens, there should not be more than 2 hours between deliveries or vet help should be sought.

Let me know if you have further questions or can let me know how it all turned out.

Thanks for writing.

Dr. Neely

Pregnant Cat

by kris ramos
(philippines)

My cat seems to be about to give birth anytime this very hour. She is very quiet, not eating, always lying on sofa the whole day. Her kittens inside her womb are moving hard and fast. I'm afraid my cat will die in giving birth and am thinking that the kittens might be overdue already. Are those symptoms normal? Please reply soon, thanks!




ANSWER

I'm sorry I didn't get your letter until just now, but I hope everything is fine. Those are normal symptoms. Cats most often become quiet and lose their appetite before giving birth. They also find one place where it is fairly quiet and comfortable to have their kittens.

If you have any further questions, please write back. Hope all is well,
Dr. Neely

Cat Pregnancy

How soon after having kittens can mama kitty get pregnant again?

VERY QUICKLY.

Don't be fooled by the myth that as long as she is nursing the kittens, she can't get pregnant again. She certainly can!

Thanks for writing,
Dr. Neely