Cat just had her first kitten, should she be in nursing it or will she do that later?

Question

Our cat just had her first kitten and we don't know if she will have more or not. But she seems not really interested in it as she is now still meowing, not as much as she has been but a lot more than she normally does.

She is a new mother as she has never had kittens before. We never had a cat have kittens so we don't know what to expect. I know with dogs the puppies do start nursing almost right away, but do kittens do the same?

If there is something I left out that you need to know please ask as I will be waiting for answers and will answer any question asked if more information is needed.

Also wondering how many kittens dose a cat normally have on her first litter? I don't know if she had one before this one as my wife seen something small enough to be a runt come out but she ate it. So we don't know what that was, but how many does a cat normally have on her first litter?

Thanks for any help. Have a Blessed Day.

Answer 1

Yes it should be nursing. If she doesnt have another kitten within the next 2 hours you need to get her to a vet ASAP.  She probably ate the sac the kitten was in and thats normal for them to eat the after birth. Just make sure the kitten nurses if not go and get a milk supplement tonight. Cats can have anywhere from 4-6 kittens.  

Answer 2

She should be nursing it but wait 3 days if not find and a place that shows you how to make milk like the mothers

Answer 3

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/howto1...

That websitre is amazing and has everything you need to know about your cats labor, deliver, and kittens!  

Answer 4

She is in LABOR - she's not too interested in anything but delivering the rest of her kittens.  Think of it this way - would your wife breast feed a baby while giving birth to it's twin?  Nope.  Also, the mother did not eat the runt - it ate the placenta.  It is healthy for the mother cat to do this, and will clean and do this for all the babies.  The mother will nurse when she is done, and she is ready.  Meanwhile, don't pick up the kittens, leave them alone unless she doesn't clean the airway and the placenta off after 10 minutes.  If this happens, then gently pick up the kitten with a dry fluffy SOFT towel and gently rub the newborn dry and make sure the airway is clear.  DO NOT HANDLE THE KITTEN WITH YOUR BARE HANDS. Then return to the mother.  If the kittens are not feeding after the mother is done with labor, then get involved - using special kitten formula from the pet store - and make sure you call your vet on Monday morning (if the kittens are in distress).  Otherwise - just let momma cat do her thing - birthing is a natural instinct.  As soon as possible however, get momma cat spayed.  She will live a longer healthier life that way.  There are enough kittens and cats in shelters without adding more.

Answer 5

What you saw her eat was the placenta. It's perfectly normal for the mother cat to eat that after she cleans the kitten. It's actually very good for her even though it looks gross. It's full of vitamins she needs. A cat may have as little as 1-2 kittens on their first time. On the other hand, I've heard of a cat that had 9 on her first litter! That's pretty unusual though. She will nurse the kitten when she's done giving birth. If she's still acting like she's in labor in a few hours and nothing more has come out, I'd call your vet for advice.

Answer 6

Ok I copied and pasted this looong article . but its really helpful

Labor Stages for Cats Giving Birth to Kittens

Labor can begin as early as 61 days and as late as 70 days after your cat becomes pregnant. If you don't know the exact date of conception, it's best to be prepared a few days in advance of when you think your cat may give birth to her newborn kittens. You should stay close by.

The first sign of labor for cats giving birth to kittens is restlessness with growls or rhythmic purring. This could last as long as 24 hours.

In the next stage of labor, your pregnant cat will start to have contractions. At the start, the contractions for a cat delivering kittens may be once every 30 minutes and possibly longer. They gradually become more frequent occurring every 30 seconds until right before the birth of the first kitten. Your healthy cat may continue to growl and purr and she may repeatedly l**k her vaginal area to stimulate birth.

Helping Your Cat Deliver Her Kittens

Some cats delivering kittens prefer to be on their own at the delivery stage. She may want to be in her kittening box and in the dark while giving birth. Other queens, especially first time cat moms, may need her your presence and encouragement. Keep her calm. Encourage her with gentle words. Reassure her. You may want to just stay nearby with a good book. Keep kids and other pets away.

Timing for Kittens Being Born

When the contractions become more frequent, the birth of the first kitten will normally happen within 20 minutes. The next kittens may come out in rapid succession or in longer intervals. In some cases, the delivery of all the kittens may last as long as 24 hours, especially for large litters. The typical kitten litter size is four kittens. If it looks like labor and delivery is going to be long, your cat will need some nourishment. Offer her a small amount of her favorite food.

Normal Kitten Delivery

Each kitten is usually born head first. The kitten will be in a membrane sac. The queen will rupture the sac with her tongue. She will then clean the kitten by l*****g away the fluid from her face and stimulating the kitten to breathe. When the kitten cries and flexes its little body, then you know that all is well.

After l*****g the kitten dry, the new mother cat will then bite the umbilical cord. She usually eats the umbilical cord along with the placenta and the remains of the birth sac. Don’t freak out. This is normal cat behavior.

Instinctively, the kitten will crawl towards its mother's warm body and look for a nipple to suck.

All is well. Congratulations to you and the new mom!

Cats Giving Birth to Kittens—Complications

The kitten delivery process above is the normal process with no complications. Be sure to have your veterinarian’s number, or a 24-hour emergency pet hospital number, nearby just in case of complications.

Complications can happen, for example, if one of the legs of a kitten cannot be pushed out and it remains trapped inside of the birth canal.

contact your vet

Answer 7

aaaaawwwwww <3

congratz!!!!!!

i suggest tht u wait alittle and see what happens...

if u dont see any progress or any news then i suggest u call a vet for without the mothers nursing the kittens dont have a chance of life..which is sad...

u can always find a way to nurse it yourself till it eats regular food which takes about 1-2 months

may god bless u and ur little cat and kittens <3