How long between having kittens?

[Karon]

Update on the cat - she has apparently passed both dead kittens and is doing well.  I have to admit to being pretty surprised but as long as her and her only kitten are OK that's the main thing I guess.

No further comments from the owner about getting the cat spayed though

[Desley (booktigger)]

Fingers crossed for this mum cat, I do hope that eveyrthing is fine, as if she is at risk with anaesthetic, a c-section wont be good. Might be worth pm'ing Sharon, as they recently had a unspayed female with heart and blood pressure issues and they found a way to spay her.

X-rays aren't always accurate either, I have known people been told x no of kittens from an x-ray and there be more.

[Karon]

I've had a vet tell me a farm cat wasn't going to give birth for a few days and as soon as he drove off the yard, she had her first kitten - so I'm not entirely sure vets always know what they're doing (meant in the nicest possible way - vet had to come back an hour later anyway and had a good laugh over his diagnosis).

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

just wondering if the vet isn't actually feeling kittens if she hasn't had a scan! 

Quite possible! Most vets are absolutely useless at telling if a cat is pregnant by palpating them let alone telling how many there are. Never take a yes/no answer without an ultrasound scan or an xray. A vet palpated one of my queens 2 weeks ago and said that she was as sure as she could be without an ultrasound scan that Minxy was not pregnant as she could feel nothing at all, an ultrasound a few days later showed that she definately was pregnant and 2 days ago she had 7 kittens!

[Karon]

It does sound like it was a genuine accident - I've never had an unspayed female pet cat so don't know just how badly they will try to get out when in heat.  The owner has said if she gets through this she will be spayed so that's a result, at least.  And the one kitten so far seems fine.

I asked if her vet has an ultrasound and she's not sure - I'm just wondering if the vet isn't actually feeling kittens if she hasn't had a scan! 

[Millys Mum]

Why on earth do people let cats with health problems get pregnant, i hope the vet is right and the mummy cat stays ok or they will have an orphan in their hands 

Thats sad about boopys sister lottie  it can all go so wrong so quick

[Karon]

The only further update is that she's booked to see the vet tomorrow now, but no further progress. 

It sounds as if the owner is aware of the potential problems but has got a second opinion and that vet says to leave another 24 hours too - now that makes 3 days to my calculations which seems a very long time?  OK I've read they can stop and start labour but 3 days?   

The cat can't be spayed as she had a bad reaction to a GA when she was younger, apparently she's at high risk of another one killing her so she has hormone injections instead.  Not sure of the details of that as I've never had a female cat that can't have a GA (I've got a male cat with a heart murmur who is supposed to avoid GAs).   So a caesarean puts the cat at risk but also leaving it does - I suppose the poor owner can't win. 

I'll ask whether her vet has ultrasound, I assumed they did as there are 2 kittens left in.  But if they haven't, maybe there are no more kittens anyway and the vet's wrong! 

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

If the kittens are dead inside of the mummy cat that can cause problems and can also put the mothers life in danger!

One of mine (well she was a pregnant rescue) had still borns and after going to the vets TWICE she went into labour again the following weekend resulting in her having 2 very disformed kittens. Saffron's life was at risk and she was very lucky to have survived, she nearly died due to blood loss and infection.

Whoever this person is that owns the cat, tell them its not ok to wait, she may end up with a dead cat on her hands and a vets bill thats double the price it is now.

In this situation how could you be ok with the "wait and see" approach 

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

Personally, I'd be hammering on the vet's door to do something before Monday

As would I! If they are stillborn she needs to take the girl along to the vets afterwards anyway as she'll need an antibiotic jab as you have no way of knowing how long they have been dead for and the last thing the cat needs is an infection due to a kitten starting to decompose as at 'best' it will make her very ill and at worst it could kill her. Boopy's sister had a perfectly normal pregnancy last year, when she gave birth it became apparent that one kitten had already died causing a nasty infection in her uterus and despite an emergency csection and spaying to try to save her sadly she died that same night   

Does her vet have ultrasound facilities? Personally if I was her I'd be demanding an ultrasound on the cat to check if there are in fact any more kittens in there (it is perfectly possible just to have 1 kitten) and if her vets don't I'd be finding the nearest one that does!

[Karon]

Latest is the cat has gone back to the vet to have an injection to restart labour, and has been told to go back Monday if there are no more kittens.  Personally, I'd be hammering on the vet's door to do something before Monday, even if it just meant the vet moving in with me for the weekend to keep an eye on the cat!!

I've just got a feeling the last 2 - if they haven't been eaten, thanks for that   - are going to end up being stillborn but I just hope they're not and that mummy cat will be OK.  

One farm cat I adopted had 2 gorgeous kittens, one b&w and the other ginger.  Mum was going to have them both and was all excited about a ginger kitten - until mummy cat sat on the ginger one and smothered it.  Then ate its head..... She was just too attentive a mother - she refused to let her kittens out from under her for the first couple of days.

I'll update as I hear any more, at least the cat's owner has taken her back to the vet anyway.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Any news?

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

They can take a while between kittens as Minxy had her first litter over a 4.5 hour period yesterday. Boopy's first litter were born on a Saturday night and the last two kittens were born (stillborn  ) on the early hours of the Monday morning due to the emergency vet refusing to see her after she had the first 4 despite me thinking there were more in there.

Since then I always take cats to the vets a few hours after I think they have completed delivery no matter what time of day or night to get the vet to check Mum over to make sure their are no retained kittens and if the vet is in any doubt I have an ultrasound done to check. You can never ever take too much care when a cat is giving birth

[Teresa Pawcats]

Believe it or not kittens can be born on different days, had one queen who had 2 on Sat, 1 on Sunday and another on Monday. I will add it is also necessary to check with vet,it could be cat needs injection to restart labour.
Another possibility has mum had 2 stillborn and eaten them,that is nature

[Karon]

I'm not sure on age of mummy cat, I think she's a youngish adult (older than a year, if I remember right).  The only kitten is doing very well by the sound of it.

I wonder if the vet's got it wrong and there's only one kitten anyway?

[Karon]

Thanks, I'll suggest that.  Bit worrying if the vet is right and there are 2 more there.  

Just had a reply and vet is booked for tomorrow and was seen at lunchtime by the vet - I have less faith in vets and pregnant cats, myself, since one vet told me a arm cat had days to go before she had her kittens and as soon as he left the farm she had the first one....

I'll keep you updated.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Too long between kittens, they usually come out within hours of each other. With it being the cats first litter something could be going wrong, a kitten could be stuck which could endanger the mother and kittens  

How old is mummy cat and how is the other kitten doing?

[JackSpratt]

Emergency vet visit by the sounds of it....

[blackcat]

That is way too long between kittens and yes, she should be at the vets right now.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I am sure that I have read that sometimes it can be quick but sometimes an hour or more between but I dont know cos never been involved in something like that.

She really needs to ring the vet if she is worrieed , or ar laest have the number to hand.

How long are we taliking about?

[Karon]

Sorry, that was a bit vague wasn't it!  Several hours - getting on for 18 - 20 now if I'm reading the post about her correctly.

[blackcat]

Define 'a while' ...

[Karon]

Someone on another forum I go on has a cat who is having her first litter, so far only one kitten has appeared and apparently there are two more waiting to pop out.  It's been a while since the first one, and I said I'd ask how long is normal between kittens for a first litter?  I'd be getting worried by now and would have carted them off to the vet but then I'm neurotic - so perhaps it's just as well I don't breed cats!  It's been so long since I had feral farm cats who had kittens (before I got round to getting them all spayed) that I can't remember how long it used to take them to have their kittens.