My cat had one kitten. Why no more after 18 hours? Is she in trouble?

Since she has been having contractions for a few hours now and has not produced a kitten, it is now time for an intervention by a veterinarian. Please take her to a vet or petER now. The vet will be able to determine whether there is another kitten or more than one, and whether there is a kitten blocking the birth canal. Your cat may need a cesarian section in case the kitten (if there is one) is too big to be born naturally. Please take her to a vet now.

Hi and thank you for using petcoach. I would recommend a vet visit for Josephine to assess for other kittens. A cat should have all kittens within 6-8 hours, and while possible, it is rare for there to only be one kitten in a litter. The veterinarian may recommend ultrasound or radiographs (x-rays) to assess for other kittens. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1738 Best of luck to Josephine and her kitten(s).

If she is not straining to push at this time, then yes give her more time to birth the rest of the kittens at her own pace. This process, known as[ queening](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats/), can take up to 48 hrs to complete. Please try not to worry or [stress](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-surprising-ways-stress-can-impact-your-pet) her during her labor process as this can stall and prolong her labor. If no kitten is delivered after 30 minutes of active straining/pushing, then you should have her examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and this is concerning. Yes, I recommend to get Cali to the veterinarian ASAP. Cats can stop birthing and then finish up to 24 hours later if they are disrupted by something. But it's rare and that doesn't seem to be the case in Cali's situation. So I think it's best to err on the side of caution and get Cali into the veterinarian's office right away. She may need help having the kittens or she may need a C-section. Here' is a link about normal birthing (called queening) in cats: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-and-queening-cats I hope everything turns out well for Cali! Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

A vet visit is always recommended in these cases so that is my suggestion - get her to a vet for an exam. If you don't want to take her to the vet just yet then monitor her closely for any signs of illness (not eating/drinking, lethargy, vomiting, hiding, etc). If you notice anything abnormal, then get her to the vet ASAP. She may have only had one kitten - there may not be any others. Please consider having her spayed as soon as you can. If they have stillborns they will usually continue to do so.

Blood is not normally seen in the birthing process and usually indicates that there is a complication. While it's possible that she only has one kitten, it's also possible that she has more inside. I recommend taking her to the vet for an evaluation as soon as possible. They can keep things from getting worse and check for any other kittens. I hope that helps and all is well with Baby.

Miscarriage and dystocia are possible in this case and an immediate veterinary check up would be needed to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. C section may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!