Expert: Jessica - 2/1/2010

Question
my cat delivered the first kitten in Saturday at 1.30pm , and by Sunday Morning She has delivered 3 kittens. i thought there's still 1-2 kittens in her stomach that she hasnt delivered yet. and by Sunday at 8pm, still 3 kittens. and i decided to take her to the vet. and the vet gave her an injection that will stimulate her labour. she said my cat will be delivering no longer than 12am. so i waited her all night long.. and no sign of laboring the kittens. and i fell asleep. by Monday at 7am i noticed that her anus is bleeding, i thought she'll delivering soon... but untill now.. She has not. i am afraid that the kitten is already dead inside of her.. i'm so sacared. please help me.. i dont have any money for the surgery.. thats making me confused. thanks..

Answer
Hi Dasha.  Did the vet say they felt more kittens inside?  If so, and the injection did not work within a few hours, then it's unlikely your cat will be able to deliver the kittens on her own.  It's a good possibility that any remaining kittens could be dead, and this makes them even more difficult to deliver.  It's also worrisome that your cat is bleeding from the anal area.  I wish there was some way to solve this problem other than surgery, but there really isn't.  I don't know if the vet will allow you to make payment arrangements, but without surgery to deliver the remaining (live or dead) kittens, your cat's life may be in danger.  If there is no way to have the surgery provided, try to keep her calm and comfortable, and see if she is able to expel the kittens on her own.  However, if she stops eating or begins vomiting or has a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, she should go back to the vet.  She may need antibiotics, or in the worst case, it might be kindest to put her to sleep if only a surgery would save her.

Best of luck with your cat and kittens!

Jessica