Cat just had kittens- now has rapid breathing

Question

My cat delivered kittens through the night- 6 and all gorgeous and healthy doing well. Mumcat looks good and is feeding/washing/resting etc, however I am concerned at her 'rapid' breathing which comes and goes. I would almost call it panting- but her mouth stays shut rather than when she actually panted during the labour. First litter- mum cat is 1 year old today and a small to medium build cross breed.

I watched her give birth and i am certain she had all the placenta's although she had almost given up by the end and i didnt see the placenta as a whole as she ate it as it came out. So i dont know for sure it came out completely whole. I have no way of knowing if there are any more kittys inside. I doubt it after 6!

She went almost 5 hours between kitty 2 and 3 in the night panting and i was worried but no3 eventually came out.

I'd rather not see a vet due to extortionate costs ive already paid over £300/$600 in the last month for the cats (and i want to pay to have her spayed when she has weaned)and to be honest was only ever told things i already knew or could have read on the internet so am reluctant to see her, to be told that its probably okay, keep and eye on them for the next few hours....so i would like to know if others have experienced this or know it to be a danger sign or if it is possibly just shock or exhaustion?

with thanks

Answer 1

I would take her to a Vet as soon as you can.  No harm in getting her checked out.  Put her and the kitties in a box and take them together.  Good luck.

Answer 2

shes probably tired

go to your chemist they might help for cheaper

or check yellow pages

Answer 3

the cat sounds just absolutely exhausted,don't forget she has just taken so long in between kittens and has taken all her energy,now she is having to feed them for them to survive,in fact like all new mothers after they given birth they want to rest..also the fact that the cat is keeping the kittens warm and on doing this has raised her temperature and making her very hot..make sure she is getting plenty of fluids her self,and if you feel she still doesn't;t look ok by morning then contact the vets,advice is free.

Answer 4

Your cat need to take a DEEP breathe after it born kitties

Answer 5

Cat's will pant to release heat, their pads will feel damp as well. Check her pads and if they  feel damp, move mom and kits to a cooler place. It seems to soon after giving birth to have to worry about infection(you can't rule it out), She is a young cat and that was quite a work out. I'd monitor her pretty carefully. Check to see if she is still having contractions,gently put you hands on her tum for a couple of minutes. Hopefully she is just warm, but if you do feel contractions and/or she spikes a fever (cat's naturally run around 102 degrees(f), you'll need to take her in. Believe me, it'll be a lot easier to pay the bill then take care of all those newbeis! Say a little something to St. Francis, patron saint of animals, It's what I do, can't hurt. Oh! P.s. make she she has water!!!! Even if you have to give it to her with an eye dropper. Dehydration would cause her to pant as well. Good luck! Moth

Answer 6

Please crate her and the kittens and take her to the vet...you're not being fair to your pet because your worried over the cost...she should be checked out just because she had kittens....and is only a year old herself...please do what you said and have her spayed asap.....and if you're keeping any of those kittens, have them spayed or neutered as well There are too many unwanted cats and dogs in this world already, many of those discarded animals suffer a great deal....do the responsible thing please....

Answer 7

Hon, don't let the others scare you. I know not as many people have seen as many kitten births as I have but it actually sounds like mom cat and kittens are fine. You mention it took 5 hrs between kitty 2 and 3. This had to have taken a lot out of mom cat. That isn't the most normal. During those 5 hours she was probably in pain and doing her best to push that 3rd kitten out, in return she exerted most of her energy. How long has it been since the 6th kitten's been born? It sounds like she is done with delivery cuz 6 is a pretty large litter. You can try to give your cat fluids, however mom cats main concern right now is the baby's and so her focus is them. She will eat less and drink less for a few days while staying focused on the little ones.

Her heavy breathing could also be mom cat trying to delivery yet another kitten. Please email me and tell me how long since last delivered kitten. Mom cat will be so tired that she will only leave kittens to use the potty for a few days. Once she is secure, you will see her spirits pick up and her be more active but with 6 kittens it will still take a lot out of her. Spoil momma cat for several weeks, not the baby's. Also, try not to hold the baby's a whole lot, as momma may get uncomfortable and move them. It's just their instinct. It sounds like your doing fine, momma is just tired, and kittens are fine. To be honest I'm suprised the 3rd kitten made it cause sometimes when a kitten takes that long to b born then it's because it gets caught in the birth canal. We lost one that way. So please email me with anytime. My sources are below.

One more thing, please watch momma for excessive bleeding. This could show a sign of a problem. There will be some minimal bleeding though until she is all cleaned up. Make sure you put momma and baby's in large box, etc with clean towels also after momma has them all cleaned up.