Expert: Jessica - 7/13/2009

Question
Our cat is only about a year old and a very petite Siamese. She is expecting her first litter, and has a very large belly. We are concerned that she is over-due and the kitten's will be too large for her to deliver. Is there any way to induce the labor, or a way to tell that she is not over-due?

Answer
Hi McKenna.  Was the kitty intentionally bred?  If you have her breeding date, then you can know if she is overdue or not.  The average pregnancy lasts 63 days, although Siamese often carry longer, around 68 days.  If you don’t know the date she was bred, it will be extremely difficult to say whether or not she’s overdue.  

An x-ray can let your vet know if the kittens’ skeletons appear too large for your cat to deliver naturally.  The vet may advise an immediate delivery by cesarean if this seems to be the case.  If the kittens still seem of a healthy size, most vets will be happy to allow you to continue to see how things unfold.  You will now have the benefit of knowing how many kittens to expect once delivery begins (there’s one less complication to worry about!), and sometimes vets can give you as estimated delivery date from the x-ray.

Exercise can encourage labor, so you may want to engage her in fun play, but remember that stress and exhaustion can also put off labor, so you don’t want to wear her out or cause a state in the home where she is going to feel constantly confused.  So preferably, playtimes should be scheduled for 3-4 times a day and kept to about half hour intervals.  Allow her to quit playing any time she loses interest, and don’t push her if she seems pooped.

The only other way to induce labor is with the injection of Pitocin from a veterinarian.  This is a hormone that will begin uterine contractions.  It’s best used only if you know the conception date and that she’s past due for sure, or if she’s been struggling with some weak contractions.  To administer Pitocin to a cat whose litter is not yet due will probably result in a loss of the premature litter.

Good luck, and enjoy your babies!