Keep reading these lines if you ask yourself “how to know if my cat is going to give birth?”, since in this OneHOWTO article we give you tips to recognize the moment and so that your feline’s delivery is as comfortable and appropriate as possible.
Contents
How long does a cat’s pregnancy last?
Female cats are induced ovulatory through intercourse (that’s why cats have spines on the glans), that is, they do not have complete cycles. Female cats are seasonal and heats are mainly in the spring and fall. The first heat of the cats occurs between 6 and 12 months. This will take place earlier in cats born in autumn, since when they are 6 months old it will be spring, which is when they are the strongest in jealousy, however, those born in late spring will not have it until the following spring, when they are about one year old.
From the moment in which copulation has occurred, the gestation time of a cat will be between 57 and 63 days. At 24 days the embryos can be visualized by ultrasound. Radiography is not capable of detecting pregnancy until 6 weeks, when the bones of the fetuses begin to form.
Here we talk more about how long a cat’s pregnancy lasts.

How to know if my cat is going to give birth – Symptoms
After the gestation period, it is necessary to be attentive and observe your cat to more or less predict when the delivery will take place. If you ask yourself “how to know if my cat is going to give birth?”, you should know that the changes you can observe are the following.
- The first instinct that cats have a few days before giving birth is prepare your ”nest”. She will look for a quiet place to give birth and may bring objects to this place. You can make this task easier for him by offering him a box with a soft and comfortable bottom. You can also place underpads so that it is easy for you to clean it later. It is possible that when the time comes, the cat will give birth in another place than the one you have prepared, but do not worry.
- Eat less and sleep more.
- she is restless.
- The temperature decreases from 38 ºC to 36.5 ºC.
- A bloody or brown discharge is seen coming from the vulva.
- The vulva is frequently licked.
- If you look closely at the big belly of your feline, you may be able to see the contractions indicating the time of giving birth.
- If the breathing is accelerated and even the cat opens her mouth to breathe, it could be a sign that the contractions are beginning.

How long does a cat give birth?
Each cat takes time to give birth, since depending on her body and the pups she carries inside, it will take one time or another, It is variable. There are some steps that can help you know if a cat is in labor and even more so if you wonder what the birth of a cat is like. doHow the labor of a cat begins and what the process is like?
- At the end of gestation, parturition occurs and this is stimulated by the production of cortisol by the offspring, which is ready to leave.
- In the first moments of childbirth, the female becomes restless and begins to settle into the nest.
- In turn, their body temperature drops to approximately 36 ºC, a fact that can indicate the start of labor.
- Uterine contractions are very weak and the cervix begins to dilate. This phase can last up to 24 hours.
- Then the birth of the puppies begins, caused by strong uterine contractions.
- The female will clean the pups with her tongue and cut the umbilical cord with her teeth.
- Later it will place them near their breasts so that they can feed.
- Between the birth of one puppy and the next, about half an hour passes.
- Finally, the final phase of childbirth occurs, which is the expulsion of the placentas, which will normally be ingested by the mother.
- It is important that the puppies drink the colostrum or first milk, since with it they ingest the antibodies that will protect them from infections until approximately 6 weeks of life, as well as a great source of necessary nutrients.
If the female does not have milk or there are many puppies, they should be offered infant formula for their proper development. At 4 weeks of age they should begin to be offered feed or cans for puppies, so that between 6 and 8 weeks they are completely weaned and can be adopted.
How to help a cat give birth?
Cats usually give birth at nightfall, so you may wake up one day and see the new kittens with their mother. However, if you have been lucky enough to be present at the birth, it would be best if you stay out unless you have to intervene urgentlyand.
The cat will start giving birth, some get more nervous than others or meow and scream a lot, don’t worry too much but make sure everything is going well, in case something gets complicated. The puppies come out wrapped in a bag and the mother is the one who breaks it right away and cleans the little one. If this does not happen, you will have to be in charge of break the bag protectively with a towel and gauze clean the kitten, especially its snout, you may even have to use a syringe without a needle to absorb the amniotic fluid that may have accumulated in the nose and mouth and that is making it difficult for it to breathe. You may have to do stimulation maneuvers so that it begins to breathe on its own, to do this, take the little one and rub it with a cloth, always being very careful with its neck and back. You must also act if the mother does not cut the umbilical cord of newborns, but make sure to cut it about 7 cm from the cat.
If you see that he is having trouble expelling a kitten You can help her by inserting the tip of a finger, always wearing latex gloves, between the vulvar wall and the little one to reposition it a little, do it very gently so as not to cause damage. Never pull a kitten to help her out, as you can do a lot of damage to her and the cat, even cause the death of the kitten.
Make sure that the cat expels all placentas of their offspring. Otherwise or if you have doubts, go to the vet, since they should not stay inside or they will cause an infection. Also, go to the vet in any of these situations.
- If the cat is lying down after several hours.
- If you have a fever or are listless before or after delivery.
- If you have a bloody or green discharge and a puppy is not coming out.
- if he shows a lot of nervousness and a very heavy breathing.
- If too much time passes between the output of one pup and another.
- If labor lasts more than 5 or 6 hours.
- If in general you see that she has difficulties giving birth.
Here we tell you more about How to help my cat to give birth.

How do I know if my cat has finished giving birth?
From the moment your cat’s water breaks and the first kitten comes out, it can take half an hour or an hour until the next one comes out. When a cat has finished giving birth It can be seen in his attitude, which is to dedicate himself to the puppies, he licks them and makes sure they are fed and well.
If, on the other hand, your feline friend is still a little restless or weird, it is possible that she still has a young inside. if you wonder How many pups can a cat give birth to? you should know that they usually give birth between 3 and 5 puppiesalthough some litters can reach more or less, so they can give birth from a single pup to more than five.
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