Expert: Jessica - 2/7/2010

Question
Hi my cat is currently having kittens, I am very inexperienced as my other animals have all been neutered, so when do I know that all the kittens have been delivered.  Currently she has had 1 and and has cleaned it and fed it after I placed it on her nipple.  She is a very young cat, she is still purring, but i am unsure as to wheter she has any more of the litter to come

Answer
Hi Yvonne.  It is impossible to be 100% certain that any cat has delivered all her kittens unless an x-ray was taken to determine how many kittens were in the litter.  For the most part, first litters average about 3 kittens.  A one-kitten litter is rare, although not unheard of.  

If mom seems to be happy, is taking care of the baby well and is eating and using the litter box normally, you could just wait and see how things progress.  Most litters are born within several hours, although the occasional litter takes a day or two to fully arrive.  Cats can go in and out of hard labor between delivering kittens.

If mom doesn't have any more kittens within the next 24 hours, or if she has behavioral changes, appetite changes or has any discharge that seems abnormal (very thick, dark or foul-smelling), I would really urge a vet visit.  Most vets can tell you with a physical exam whether or not there are still any kittens to be delivered, and an x-ray can let you know how many and whether it looks like it's possible for mom to deliver them naturally.  If there are any remaining kittens, your cat may need to have a labor-inducing injection, or she may need to have the kittens delivered by cesarean.

Best wishes to you all!

Jessica