2020. Credit: Azami Adiputera, Shutterstock. Posteriorly presented, or tail-first, kittens occur quite frequently, so much so that this could almost be considered a normal presentation, often causing no delay in birth. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'kittyinsight_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',163,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-kittyinsight_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Some situations she may find stressful include if she has chosen a loud or busy area to have her kittens in, if her kittens are being handled by others, if she feels potentially threatened by predators or other cats or if she is separated from her kittens for any period of time. Examination will show a raised temperature and palpation through the abdominal wall will disclose a thickened lumpy area of womb containing the membranes. 5. If the kittens are handled too early the mother may become stressed and react badly. The rule of thumb is generally to avoid handling kittens in the first two weeks to ensure the mother bonds, does not fear the removal of the kittens, and does not fear for the safety of the kittens. Treatment of this health condition may include calcium injections while mama cats with severe cases need to be hospitalized until their calcium levels stabilize and are within normal limits. Secondary inertia arises after prolonged second-stage labour, and may be associated with obstructive dystocia, muscle fatigue, or excessive pain. This is somewhat rare but there are instances when a mama cat will not be able to recognize her young at all. When this happens, the intestine can become folded, or plicated, which makes it not possible to pull the string out. Cats are curious by nature. The effect of this has been shown in a survey of over 700 breeding cats, which found that cats with extremes of conformation, such as Siamese and Persians, experienced much higher levels of dystocia (difficult births), 10 per cent and 7.1 per cent of births being affected respectively, compared to only 2.3 per cent of births being affected in cats with normal conformation. If your cat's not eating, you need to call your vet before you think about tricks to get it to eat! A mother cat may eat her kittens if theyre stillborn, sick, or have birth defects when theyre born. Recognizing The Signs Of Illness In Cats. But, there are instances when she eats her young. Treatment may include antibiotics, stabilization with IV fluids, and supportive care. If you see your kitten eating cat litter in large amounts or on a regular basis, take your kitten to the vet. It is important to understand the timeline of development and skills required for independence in order to ensure that kittens are able to thrive in the wild. It stimulates breathing, helps to remove any remaining placenta and helps to remove liquid from the kitten's lungs. She may be positively hysterical, and in such cases, immediate relief may be obtained by the use of tranquillisers. Learn about IBD in cats, including differences between IBD vs. IBS, symptoms & how it's related to colitis, and steps your vet might recommend to treat it. Stillborn Kittens While it can be barbaric to watch, it's almost second nature for your mother cat to eat her stillborn kittens. This might include a perceived threat from another animal, but quite often it is us as humans that inadvertently cause our new feline family stress. Primary inertia may be related to stress, old age, obesity, ill health or the administration of certain drugs. Do mother cats know when a kitten dies? The Calico Tabby Cat Caliby, Torbie Or What??? Cats that eat their kittens are not crazy kitties, devil cats, or psychopaths they are responding naturally to an issue in their environment or with their litter. Breathing into the kittens airway through a small endotracheal tube or drinking straw may help to reduce the risk of over-inflating the kittens lungs, and be more hygienic than direct mouth-to-mouth. Disappearance of fetuses previously seen in ultrasound or felt via palpation. She will also usually eat the placenta. Many of these foreign objects pass through the intestinal tract without a problem, and it is common for cat owners to report all sorts of objects found in their cat's vomit or stool. Normally, warmth would be obtained by direct body contact with the mother and conserved by the maternal choice of an enclosed kittening bed. So, how to tell if my cat has had kittens recently? 2- Look For Change In Behavior. Weaning is a big step in a kitten's young life. If you discovered that the mama cat ate one or more of her kittens do not punish her because it is a natural and instinctive behavior. If you don't want to go through the stress of getting your cat into a carrier and taking it to the vet, you may consider finding a mobile vet who can come to your home. Do Cats Eat Their Kittens If You Touch Them? An internal examination is resented by most unsedated cats and should not be undertaken by the unskilled. Obviously, dont place the litter tray too close to the cat but near enough that she doesnt have to lose sight of her kittens when using the tray. While this procedure does require anesthesia, it's brief and very safe; your cat should be ready to head home by the end of the day. To the untrained eye, this looks like a sign of distress. You should only take steps or interfere if the mama cat or the kittens require urgent medical attention. Curious cats easily swallow thread; however, once in the mouth, it can be challenging to spit it out since the spines on their tongue hold it in. What you can do is to have her checked by your vet immediately and identify the probable causes that prompted her to eat them. But the leading end is lodged, so the string can't be pulled along." Why Is My Cat Throwing Up Clear Liquid and What Can I Do About It? She might think that the kittens will be taken away or become exposed to predators and as a result, shell end up eating her young. Its disadvantages are that many cats dislike the open bed required for its use and that it may make both mother and kittens too hot and lessen the close normal nursing contact between cat and kittens. Primary inertia is by far the most common cause of dystocia in cats. Lactation tetany could, in theory, occur during, or at any time after, parturition. By When in doubt, contact your vet for advice. Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH; Ernest Ward, DVM; Updated by Amy Panning, DVM. As we touched on, handling kittens too early can be risky. Cats do not purposely try to kill their kittens, even if they are not emotionally attached to them. VCA Hospitals. The reason why this condition can cause so much damage is due to the way it can cause an intestinal obstruction says Manhattan Cat Specialists. Obstructive dystocia is caused by disproportion between the size of the kittens and the maternal birth canal. Home care can include pain medicine and antibiotics to give your cat, in addition to a food that is easily digestible such as Hill's Prescription Diet i/d. Is it a normal behavior? It is undoubtedly connected with the demands of milk production and the affected cat usually has a fairly large litter to suckle. Please consider making a contribution, big or small, to keep our content free, accurate and relevant. If nothing can be felt at the vulva and the hold-up is evidently further forward, then it is time to send for professional help. If the cord has not broken on delivery, tear it a good inch from the kitten and remove the membranes. Occasionally a cat may fail to pass the final set of foetal membranes after parturition appears to be complete. Leave handling kittens until they are two to six weeks of age to avoid creating problems with mom. Think stress reduction and a safe environment when you choose a spot and you will be on the right path. The first signs of the onset of the condition usually include lack of coordination and tetanic muscular spasms with later collapse and coma. The kitten is usually passed eventually. If the blood supply is interrupted for more than a few hours, these tissues may become necrotic (die), and irreparable damage or shock may result. Abdominal palpation may cause the queen pain and the uterus usually feels thickened. It is seen when the uterus produces none, or only weak, infrequent contractions and there is a failure of expulsion of normal kittens through a normal birth canal. She will be dull and lethargic, ignore her kittens, refuse food, become polydipsic, and may vomit. If the cat is an inexperienced first-time mum or if the kittens have been born by cesarean, she may not recognize the kittens as her own and maybe completely confused with the situation. Mama cats may feel threatened by other pets and people in the household so she will resort to eating the kittens. It generally occurs for completely natural reasons. In the wild, this instinct can protect them from predators or other cats that might be a threat. Present-day methods of anaesthesia are much less likely to depress respiration in the kitten than was once the case, and even in major crises the cats ability to survive an acute abdominal emergency is exceedingly good and surgery is always worthwhile. Severe hydrocephalus with marked skull enlargement, Anasarca or generalised oedema (waterlogging of the tissues), Spina bifida or incomplete development of the dorsal body wall, Hernia or incomplete development of the ventral body wall. Early detection might mean you and your vet can take action before the illness becomes serious. Also called the nesting stage, this is when your cat will start looking for warm places to give birth. A lowered heart rate is a sign that the cat may be getting weaker and nearing death. salesforce dynamic forms limitations While many positions that cats sleep in can indicate pain, the most serious is if they're sleeping with their hind legs and back arched, and their paws beneath their body. Pre-Labor. The Lowdown On Cat Hair! Many vets recommend wet diets high in protein and low in carbohydrates. If this fails, an emergency ovariohysterectomy (spay) may be required. While the precise causes of the condition are not known, it involves a sudden drop in the amount of calcium circulating in the bloodstream. Image Credit: Pixabay. Your veterinarian will provide detailed diagnostic and treatment plans and an accurate prognosis based on your pet's condition. How to tell if a mama cat ate her kittens? [1] Here is how to measure your cat's heart rate: Felines have the natural instinct to protect their babies from predators in the wild and even domesticated cats still have this natural urge. If treatment is delayed the cat will rapidly become dull, shocked and lethargic, in a similar manner to the animal with a uterine rupture. If, however, the first kitten comes tail-first there may well be delay owing to the absence of the wedge-shaped head pushing behind the fluid-filled membranes. Midwives should have provided, as far as possible, the ideal kittening bed which should be warm, comfortable and safe, but should also be observable, ie, a happy medium between confinement and relative freedom within the confined area. A purulent, foul-smelling vaginal discharge is present along with fever. Take care; if performed too vigorously this method can result in brain haemorrhage. The common causes of this condition include prolonged delivery, difficult birth, obstetric manipulation, natural or medical miscarriage or abortion, and retained fetuses or placentas. Becomes very lethargic . To prevent this from happening, make sure to provide a secure and quiet place for your mama cat and her young. The lack of a wedge-shaped muzzle increases the risk of the head becoming deflected to one side, downwards between the forelegs, or onto the chest. One simple way to know if your cat trusts you is if her tail stands straight up, especially when she sees you or walks toward you. The kitten should be supported and the cord held at the kitten end so that the risk of pulling on the kitten is minimised. Cats with chronic linear foreign bodies (meaning they have them frequently) may be suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, or peritonitis, as well as potentially extended surgeries that can put a cat's life at risk. Other male cats who are not the father of the kittens may be prone to dispatching the kittens as a way to bring the mother back into heat so that they can mate with the female and create their own kittens. The next move imitates the licking of the abdominal wall and stimulates respiration. It has been known for rupture to occur early in pregnancy and for the foetus(es) to continue to develop outside the uterus in the maternal abdominal cavity. Here are some easy steps you can take :if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'kittyinsight_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_5',181,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-kittyinsight_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Select a place that is warm and comfortable for your cat. Check online or call your local Information Services to locate the nearest facility. After any procedure involving anesthesia, your cat may have a slight drop in energy, decreased appetite or a scratchy-sounding meow for a day or two. Enclose the kitten in the fingers and, turning the hand palm downwards with the arm extended, give a very gentle swing; make quite sure first that you are not too near the table or other protruding edge or disaster will follow. A late manifestation of inhibitory hysterical behaviour may cause delay when the kitten is already through the maternal pelvis and protruding through the vulva. The area needs to be quiet and free from household traffic or other family pets. These environmental stressors may include loud noises, too much foot traffic in the room where she is staying, and over-manipulation or handling her kittens too soon. Cats may to eat their kittens typically if they are deformed, stillborn, or have birth defects. Similarly, if you see her taking away a sick kitten from the rest, feed and take care of the kitten separately and have it checked by the vet, too. Other common causes may include pancreatitis and may also be associated with lactation in a nursing mama cat which is also called milk fever. Unfortunately, this curiosity can lead them into trouble. The cats behaviour alters little until the final week of the pregnancy. The kitten should usually be able to find its way to the birth canal and towards the center part of the lower abdomen. This offers the best survival odds for her litter. Many owners underestimate the importance of routine veterinarycare for cats. VCA Hospitals. All of these situations may give rise to either a temporary delay and necessitate extra efforts by the cat or, at worst, result in complete obstruction. Your purchase directly supports the leading global cat welfare charity, International Cat Care. Factors resulting in an inadequate size of the maternal birth canal may include disorders of the maternal skeleton (healed pelvic fractures), the pelvic soft tissues (severe constipation), or the uterus itself (uterine torsion or rupture). You need to provide clean bedding and a sanitary area for your cat and kittens. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It is therefore very important that breeders are aware of the details of normal parturition so that they can recognise a problem when it arises. The affected gland will be tense, hot, painful and enlarged. The first point to remember if help is required is that a newborn wet kitten loses heat very rapidly, hence the brisk rub dry. Your pet cat just gave birth and youre excited to see the newborn kittens. Identification of delays later in the course of kittening will again involve observation of behaviour. Check out how rare this event is, why your cat might carry out this strange act and what you can do to ensure such a weird thing doesnt happen to your kittens. Mingus, Lauren. If a mama cat feels that her kittens become exposed to predators, especially if the place where she is in along with her young has distractions such as noises and unfamiliar people, she may end up eating her kittens to protect them from predators. A cat suffering from a linear foreign body creates a fairly difficult situation for a veterinarian due to the risk of perforations and the difficulty of removing the string says VIN. Abdominal straining. The lining of the uterus is inflamed due to a bacterial infection. In many cases, cats will leave their cats to fend for themselves if they do not form a close bond with them. There's perhaps nothing more likely to bring a smile to a cat parent's face than seeing their kitty bat around a ball of yarn. It is important to give extra loving care and attention to your mama cat during an important phase in her life and provide her with ample food, water, and an ideal place to nurse and nurture her babies. An important point of difference between the two is that secondary inertia follows previous difficulty or delay and the cat is often restless and exhausted. Dr. Bartley Harrison is a veterinarian with more than 15 years of professional veterinary experience treating dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, and small mammals, with a specific focus on Emergency Medicine. A later subcutaneous injection may be required to maintain the recovery. The defect may be such that she is convinced the kitten/litter is unviable and does not want to invest resources into the kitten or the litter. Some rather dependent cats will deliberately delay or interrupt labour if the owner has to go out. Mama cats suffer from this condition as a result of low calcium levels. Any signs of distress when feeding the kittens will need a vet check. At that point, she may either reject the kittens or carry out a mercy killing of the kittens all as a result of your handling the kittens too early! As a result, the string can tighten and further exacerbate the risk of the intestines perforating (piercing a hole in the intestines). Discomfort. If the string was swallowed more than two to three days ago, or if your cat is clearly ill from the incident, your vet will likely suggest surgery and the sooner it happens, the better. In some instances, the foreign body may be able to pass on its own. Let's say she had 3 babies and next day, you see only 1 or 2. A malnourished mama cat may instinctively eat one or more kittens to make up for the nutrients and food that she needs. Keep fresh water available at all times and plenty of clean, accessible litter boxes in your home. Often, in any real hold-up, a Caesarian operation is the preferred method and provided that the cat is neither desperately ill nor very exhausted, it is a safe and routine procedure. When this situation does arise it is usually limited to activity in feral cats. Various other methods have been used to make the new-born animal gasp. Cabbage leaves compress is also advisable and the kittens shouldnt be allowed to nurse from the mother. Cats may sometimes abandon their kittens when they notice . However, sometimes she will not eat them but will totally neglect and ignore them. Phone (405) 341-1683 | Fax (405) 359-1936. don porter sootch00 REFILLS. The human imitation can follow much the same plan with additions in a real emergency. The alternative may be removing the remaining health littermates to a separate location which carries its own risks.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'kittyinsight_com-leader-2','ezslot_8',173,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-kittyinsight_com-leader-2-0'); If the mother is malnourished and gives birth to a large litter she may reduce the size of the litter and renourish herself by eating the less viable kittens. It's almost certain that the mother ate it. Be prepared for them to ask to anesthetize your pet; this allows them to completely examine the oral cavity, including underneath the tongue. 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