# Please help - one kitten, possible interrupted labour?



## SerendipityBengals (Apr 22, 2016)

Hi, I sent my Bengal girl off to stud in June, she was there from 16-23rd and the lady didn't witness any matings (she just left them in together the entire week, didn't do supervised matings... :/ ) but three weeks later my girl pinked up and it became apparent she was indeed pregnant.

Anyway. As we had an entire week when she could be due, we've been on watch since Friday. Last night at around 10pm she went under our bed and starting making a weird yowling sound I hadn't heard before. She kept on whimpering and looking restless, breathing quickly for the next few hours and eventually I fell asleep - waking up every half an hour to check on her. She didn't seem to be having contractions, not strong ones at least...then at about 4.10am she started again. She never looked as though she was bearing down, just crying and looking like she was having contractions.
Eventually, at 4.40am, a kitten was born - I had to help a bit as its tail and one leg were hanging out of her for a good few minutes and when she pushed, the kitten didn't seem to be coming out very quickly or very much.

The kitten seems fine, it's been nursing, etc., but my girl's stomach is still like a football on both sides (one more so than the other) and when she was laid down earlier, I swear I felt light kicking when I put my hand on her tummy.

When do I start panicking and phoning vets? I don't want to stress her out unnecessarily...there have been no contractions, discharge, anything like that, since the kitten was born.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Is she still contracting but no sign of kittens, or have her contractions stopped?


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## SerendipityBengals (Apr 22, 2016)

Rufus15 said:


> Is she still contracting but no sign of kittens, or have her contractions stopped?


They seem to have stopped. Nothing that I've noticed or heard since this kitten was born.

There is some bright red blood around her bottom area but she hasn't really cleaned herself that much and won't let me do it just yet. Nothings leaking from her or anything like that.

She is however, currently under my duvet with the kitten and meowing and yowling. She gave birth in a fabric playpen in my bedroom but she won't stay in there now.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

She might have another one, but if the kitten is suckling that can stimulate after-pains as her uterus contracts down. If she's letting the kitten feed and is not having contractions (which can be quite subtle) I'd not worry for now.

Is this her first litter?


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## SerendipityBengals (Apr 22, 2016)

OrientalSlave said:


> She might have another one, but if the kitten is suckling that can stimulate after-pains as her uterus contracts down. If she's letting the kitten feed and is not having contractions (which can be quite subtle) I'd not worry for now.
> 
> Is this her first litter?


Yes it's her first litter.

I can definitely feel kicks from inside her stomach, I keep googling interrupted labour and read that it does happen but in most of the stories I read, the remaining kittens ended up dying. I wouldn't want that to happen to these ones


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

I have had kittens born later that were dead but I have also had live kittens, the longest was 16 hours after the rest of the litter. If she is not distressed, leave her for a while. Some girls unpack one horn then have a rest before the other one. You have to bear in mind that your girl was with the boy for a long time, not something I used to favour.


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## SerendipityBengals (Apr 22, 2016)

No, I expected supervised matings but didn't think to ask (my fault, I know for next time)...

My girl is sleeping and I've just given the kitten a ml of goats milk (bought whilst waiting for a delivery of formula), to make sure he's had something to eat. The baby seems fine but I just weighed it and it's only 66.8 grams. Is there a chance it could be a couple of days premature? He's now suckling on mum and I think he's swallowing something but I'm not 100 percent sure.

My girl had a bit of a pant earlier and a few spots of bright red blood have ended up on my sheets (she's still in my bed with baby), she's now falling asleep but making a noise, kind of a cross between sniffing and purring, it's quite fast, don't know if that counts as panting or not?

I've had Bengal litters before but nothing like this, my previous girls had easy births.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

I don't know if there are significant differences between breeds when it comes to labour/birthing - I suspect not enough to warrant treating them too differently - but what you have described would be perfectly within the norm for my BSH. I know others will disagree, but I don't believe being with the stud for a week makes any significant difference.

If she is not distressed, as settled as a still mid labour girl can be, not actively/strongly pushing to expel a kitten then try your hardest to stop Googling, try to stop worrying, and try to take a back seat. All very much easier said than done, I know.


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## SerendipityBengals (Apr 22, 2016)

She's not distressed, seems really chilled out but refuses to move from under my duvet. And because of the spotting, I've stripped the bed and she's going crazy picking baby up and carrying him around the house  so I have no idea what to do about that either!

I will see how she goes and call the vet if things change. Thanks all.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

SerendipityBengals said:


> she's going crazy picking baby up and carrying him around the house


She needs to be in an isolated room, not free to roam about the house. If she prefers the duvet, I would give it to her. Sheets can be washed and replaced.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

There is no way, with the written word, to make something come across gentler than it 'sounds' but that is my intention....I wouldn't be doing much anything in the room, least of all stripping the bed.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Hopefully you’ve got more kittens by now and she’s settled down.
68 grams is very small for a Bengal kitt


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