My cat had kittens last night. Could more still be inside her?

Cats are typically pretty predictable when it comes to delivering their babies, but when they decide to act outside the norm they become extremely unpredictable. Your average short haired house-cat will have a kitten every 10-60 minutes after the first one is delivered. However there are some cases where cats are known to intentionally stop giving birth (usually we aren't able to determine why with certainty), and will resume anywhere from a couple hours to upwards of 24-36 hours later. This tends to happens most often in animals that were interrupted physically during the birthing process. In cases where there is truly difficulty with delivery or failure to deliver all the young, veterinary intervention will be required. This is especially true if you feel Lily is not caring for the others babies, is acting unusual or sickly, or if she is actively straining but not producing any offspring. Hope this makes sense.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is no way to tell by palpating Quinn's belly if she has any remaining kittens. The only way to know 100% is to take her to your Vet for an X-ray. Cats can delay labor for up to 24 hours, especially if stressed. Limit the number of people around her, have her in a quiet private room, do not let other animals in and check on her every 2-3 hours for the next 24 hours. If she has more kittens then she will give birth to them soon. I hope this helps!

If Bella is eating and drinking ok, and doesn't have diarrhea or vomiting or seem sick in any way, then she does not likely have other kittens left. At this stage Bella would be very sick 4 days after going into labor if this was the case. As long as she is nursing her kittens, all the nipples seem to be normal and producing milk, and they kittens are growing a little every day, then things sound great!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She might. If she is laying comfortably, grooming herself and her kittens and NOT having contractions then she may have more later. Cats can delay labor for up to 24 hours. If you are still worried at the 24 hour mark make an appointment with your Vet for a belly X-ray to be sure she is finished. Good luck!

Contractions can continue during the 24 hours after birth, although much less frequently, the contractions help getting rid of any remaining placenta from the uterus. i believe this is probably what's happening to Belle although i can't completely rule out another kitten (much less likely).

Hello. It has been a few hours since you posted, so perhaps Quinn has already had the rest of her kittens. If not, & she remains comfortable, there are no obvious signs of contractions & she is happily nursing her kittens, there is not much you can or need to do. It is possible that what you felt was actually the uterus contracting down, a common mistake. If she goes 24 hours without delivering any more kittens & you still think you are feeling something, please have her examined by your veterinarian. She may require an injection to stimulate contractions, or she may need a C-section, but I think she may actually be done. See your vet if you have any concerns. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.