Cat giving birth: kitten stuck, not breathing, mom exhausted. Help!

Some kittens get weak and cold which can become life threatening. You can carry the kitten in your pocket to keep it warm and hold it onto the mother to nurse if possible. In addition the kitten may have been born with a medical problem and is not going to survive. Make sure the others are warm and nursing. Some new mothers are not as good at taking care of kittens as others, especially that many. That is a big litter so you may need to supplement the kittens with kitten milk replacer if the mother doesn’t have enough milk for all of them. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your kitten.

She may be taking a break due to strain. By now she should have resumed contractions and have delivered her kitten. If she stopped altogether having contractions, you can very GENTLY try to pull the kitten on both feet. If it does not move, or seem stuck, you will need to take your cat and the kittens to a vet for him to develop that stuck kitten.

You can use a lot of water-based lubricant (like KY Jelly) to try to grease it up and pull very gently but firmly. But you do risk causing damage to the reproductive tract or breaking the mother's hips, as well as killing the kitten if it is still alive.

Wash your hands well, lubricate your finger with vaseline and very gently put it into her vagina and check where the kitten's head and other leg is. You may have to GENTLY find the leg put your finger underneath it and pull it straight forward towards you. Check where the head is. If it is facing sideways or backwards you need to , again very gently, put it into the right position with the snout facing you. Once the leg and head are facing you, you can gently start pulling the kitten. If you feel the tail, it is coming backwards, so you can just gently pull the leg. Do not try to rectify the position of the kitten for more than 10 minutes. (You may also have to push it in a little if you cannot get at the leg.) This will be difficult. If the birth does not happen, you will need to take her to a vet for a cesarian section.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Molly. It sounds like there may be a kitten stuck in the birth canal, and I would consider this a medical emergency. She needs to see a vet now to get this kitten removed and to have help giving birth to her other kittens. Leaving her like this will cause the death of this kitten and any other kittens left to be born. Please take Molly and her first kitten into a vet immediately. You can take her to an ER vet or find a vet on call in your area to see her if your regular vet is closed. The information to find a vet on call is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Hello. If the placenta is still attached, the birth process can normally take 10-15 minutes per kitten. If there is enough of the kitten sticking on, you can take a cloth or paper towel & assist the birth by using a firm but gentle pull. Hopefully, her deliveries will continue well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is more rare for a cat to have a difficult time delivering kittens, however there is a possibility a kitten can become stuck. The whole litter is usually born within 6 hours with kittens every 30 to 60 minutes. If the cat is stressed or distracted she is able to stop her labor and restart the next day. However, if the female has been having strong contractions for greater than 60 minutes, she needs assistance in passing the kitten. Bring her and any kittens delivered to the vet’s office right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!