Normal childbirth in cats lasts from 2 to 6 hours, and usually the animal copes with this natural procedure on its own, without human assistance. But in some cases, there may be weakness of labor or difficult patency of the birth canal, so the participation of the owner or even the help of a specialist may be required.
Difficult patency of the birth canal
If the head or legs of the kitten in the fetal bladder or without it appeared from the vagina, no more than 15 minutes should pass before the moment of birth, otherwise it may simply suffocate. With each push, he must move further, but when he just gets stuck or even starts to pull back, the cat needs help. Wash your hands and lubricate your index finger with baby cream or petroleum jelly, gently insert it into the animal's vagina, try to grab the kitten under the front paws and help him move with each push. If the membranes have not yet ruptured, try not to damage it. When the kitten's head is clamped by the tight ring of the vulva, the muscle located around the exit from the vagina, use the cream to expand that muscle by moving your finger in a circle.
Usually the afterbirth appears immediately after the appearance of the kitten, it is attached to it with an umbilical cord, which the cat gnaws itself after the kitten is born. In the event that the afterbirth did not come out, it must be removed in order to free the birth canal for the next baby and so that the afterbirth does not remain in the birth canal and does not cause infection. Wrap the index and middle fingers with sterile gauze, insert them into the vagina and remove the afterbirth. You shouldn't let your cat eat all of the traces - this is too much stress on its stomach, so just throw out the one you got.
Weakness of labor
In some cases, this pathology is explained by the too nervous state of the animal. Therefore, it is very important to provide the cat with such an environment during childbirth so that she feels calm. To do this, you need to give her a quiet, secluded place in advance, where there would be no strangers. In other cases, too weak contractions of the uterus can be explained by great fatigue after the birth of the first kittens or by the fact that the cat is already quite old or is overweight. You should just sit next to it, stroking the animal on the stomach, massaging it in sync with the contractions and talking to it affectionately.
Help kittens
If the born kitten remains in the fetal bladder, and the cat for some reason does not release it, you will help the kitten. Break the fetal bladder with your hands and clean the body with a napkin. In the event that the baby has swallowed amniotic fluid, he may not start breathing on his own. Take the little body in your hand, bend it in half so that the kitten's head is at the bottom, supporting it. Bend and unbend the kitten's body several times so that the water that gets into its nose drains out and clears the airways. You can suck the water from the kitten's nose using a medical syringe without a needle or a baby enema with a soft tip.
