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My cat had kittens, but only one placenta passed. When should I worry?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 2 years old | 6.6 lbs

My cat has just had 2 kittens about 4 hours ago and only passed one placenta and i had to cut the other umbilical cord as kitten was left attached she still hasnt passed the other placenta and theres at least one kitten left inside and still moving shes now sleeping how long before i should worry about retained placenta and it possibly interupting the labour her labour started about 7-8 hours ago

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Susan England-Foster

Veterinarian

Published on July 4th, 2017

Cats can deliver kittens with longer breaks between than dogs. I recommend keeping her separated in a quiet area and letting nature take its course. It is very unusual for cats to have trouble with labor. If she has not passed another kitten in 4-5 hours I would call your local vet for direction. At anytime if she is not eating.,drinking, or acting properly I would take her to the vet

4Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Laura Johnson VMD
Veterinarian
Published on June 28th, 2018
Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Cats can delay labor for a maximum of 24 hours. If it has been longer than 24 hours then that constitutes an emergency. If you are concerned about a retained kitten that hasn't been born great than 24 hours after the birth of the last kitten I highly recommend a Vet appointment. They can take an X-ray to confirm she is finished.

I wish Chloe the best!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on August 16th, 2018
While cats can take a break between kittens, 20 hours is long time between kittens and I would take Kitty into the vet now to be safe. Be sure to bring all her kittens with her as well. Best of luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sarah Derksen, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 10th, 2017
Hi there. No, it's normal for labor or birthing breaks to last that long. I wish there was something at home you could do, but the best thing would be to get her in right away. I hope she feels better soon
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My cat had kittens, but I think a placenta is missing. Is she okay?

She may have eaten the placenta when you were not looking. If she is not feeling well, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If she is absolutely fine, I would just keep an eye on her for now. She may have passed the placenta when you were sleeping and ate it then. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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My cat had a stillborn kitten, but no placenta. What should I do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The placenta can be passed before, after or with the kitten. Sometimes animals eat the placenta before we notice. I would assume it passed. If she isn't eating, lethargic or has a fever she should be seen by a Vet. I highly recommend doing so regardless to see how many more kittens are left and discuss spaying her in the next 4-6 weeks before she comes in to heat again. I wish you the best!

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My cat gave birth to one kitten, then stopped pushing. Is this normal?

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.

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My cat just had kittens, but her placenta is stuck. What should I do?

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My cat's labor is prolonged. When to worry about remaining kittens?

Hello. This is always a bit of a mystery as to why this happens, but I personally have seen a queen have one kitten & deliver 4 more a full week later. Most often, a single birth is a premature kitten, but 2 kittens really confounds even this issue. If you can afford to have Lily seen by your veterinarian, an x-ray can show how many kittens are still present & an ultrasound can evaluate heartbeats. If the fetal heartbeats are around 180 - 200 beats per minute, then all is well. If the heartbeats are 170 or less, these kittens are stressed & need to come out. As long as Lily continues to act completely normal & there are no obvious vaginal discharges, then you can probably wait another day or so, but after that, I begin to get nervous. At this point, I would consider a C-section. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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My cat is in labor for hours with only one kitten. What should I do?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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