Expert: Ali - 3/23/2010

Question
My 5 year old cat delivered 1 kitten 2 nights ago.  This was her first pregnancy.  All she had was one.  She had it while i was asleep, so I don't really know how things went for her, but when i came in to see her, there was a little kitten with her.  She took care of it, did everything for it she needed to.  Now I find her to be always around me...she keeps leaving the kitten to follow me, she keeps meowing at me, and i don't know what she needs.  She's doedn't seem to have a very good appetite either.  Her behaviour is definately weird to me, she'll even leave the box, and doesn't really want to spend too much time in there,and try to nap between the couch and dresser.  Often I leave the room, she comes after me.  I've been checking very frequently on her and the kitten, I just want to make sure everything is alright. Typically she is a jealous cat, and she is very attached to me.  I am not sure what else to do.  I almost force her to be with her kitten in the box, but she just looks kind of sad.  I wouldn't really say she's neglecting the baby, but it doesn't seem like she's all that interested in it either.  How likely is it that she could still be pregnant?  She's not that big, I don't think there's anymore.  She keeps licking her bottom, but i think thats fairly normal after giving birth.  Are there any signs i need to look out for?  should i intervene?  How would i know if she has some kind of infection?  Any answer would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Jay,

In the past when I've seen this behavior with a kitty who has a history of giving birth to a single kitten it generally means that she's got one or more babies still inside that she's been unable to successfully deliver vaginally for one reason or another. This is a situation that requires prompt medical attention (she should see a vet within the next 12-24 hours if at all possible, if finances are in issue then the vet may take post dated cheques, but you'll have to make those arrangements on your own) because if the kittens die inside of mom and begin to decompose she'll get a nasty infection that might prove fatal. The treatment for a queen that has complications with her delivery is generally a caesarian section, since this is mom's first litter and she most likely needs a c-section it's not a bad idea to have the veterinarian spay her while they're performing the caesarian to prevent further pregnancies and reduce the risks of her developing reproductive cancers as well as other serious medical and behavioral issues commonly found in intact queens. If mom's got any foul smelling vaginal discharge she most likely has a serious infection that will require immediate emergency treatment in order to save her life. If you're interested in learning more about normal maternal behavior, normal phases of a development that you can expect to see in your new arrival(s), basic care for the kitten(s) as s/he (or they) grow up, when the babies can safely be separated from mom with little risk of traumatizing them or creating potential behavioral issues in future or how providing high quality species appropriate nutrition for your cat(s) can extend the lives of your feline companion(s) I'd be happy to provide you with information on these topics in another answer. If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again, I'm happy to help you out to the best of my ability whenever possible.