My cat is in labor, water broke. How long until the first kitten?

The sac was likely a water bag, there should be a kitten along shortly. Your cat should be able to get on with the labour herself with minimal input. Keep an eye on her but try not to interfere overly. If she is pressing for more than 30mins or there is a long time between kittens call your local vet.

It's the amnionic sac, inside of it there is most likely a kitten, this is the very last stage of labor and the kittens should come out within a couple hours tops, if it takes longer you need to take her to the vet urgently.

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!

Keep watching her, but do not disturb her. If she does not produce another kitten in about an hour and the red bubble is still there and looks thick, like fleshy tissue, you need to take her and her babies to the vet as she may have a uterine prolapse, which can cause her to die, if it is not reduced.

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!

Labor and delivery can take many hours depending on the mother and size of the litter. Contactions longer than 1hour without delivery of a kitten, restlessness and discomfort longer than 2hours or breaks between kittens of more than 4hours are all indications of the need for furhter action. Often getting them out of bed for gentle exercise/toileting/drink can help to kickstart labor again

Stage 1 of labor can last up to 24 hours, but I would keep a close eye on her. Once she starts pushing she should not labor more than 4 hours without a kitten. I would contact your veterinarian as a precaution and simply let them know what is happening.