My cat is in labor and it's taking too long. What can I do to help?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Birdie!! Cats can get very easily stressed when in labor and can delay the birth of subsequent kittens up to 24 hours. If she is actively contracting for greater than 2 hours without the birth of a kitten she needs to go to an emergency hospital. I would confine her to a quiet place with the kitten. Only one person should check on her every 1-2 hours. Keep the room dim and do not allow a lot of stress. I hope this helps and I wish Birdie the best!

There are no over the counter medications to help with labour and delivery and it is possible that the most appropriate option is a caesarean section to ensure complete and speedy delivery of any remaining kittens

Most cats are close enough in size that it shouldn't be an issue and you should not have to do anything to assist in a normal pregnancy. I would NOT recommend trying to cut open your cat as you will likely injure her and endanger both her and the kittens and this is considered animal cruelty. If she is showing signs of dystocia (difficult birth) and goes into labor for several hours without producing a kitten, seeking emergency care from your vet is needed.

The only way to know if she has any other kittens inside her is to take her to a vet and have an x-ray done. I strongly suggest you do this. If there is a dead kitten (or more than one) still inside her she will get extremely sick and die. Please get her to a vet as soon as possible.

While cats can have interrupted labor, it is concerning that Snickers has already had two dead kittens and it's been 12 hours since she had the last one. She may be having trouble giving birth, and may need veterinary help to give birth to the third. I would take her into a vet immediately for care. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

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.

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.