# How long between kittens is normal?



## Kaelia (Nov 14, 2009)

Hello, I am posting on behalf of my mother, she has a female cat that is just over a year old. Although she is a house cat she got out a few months ago and according to my mum it was for only a short time. Well the obvious happened and she became pregnant. Early this morning my mother rang me panicking and said she thought the cat was in labour. One kitten was born at around 8.30 this morning and mum and baby are doing well, she is nursing it and kitty seems happy and warm feeding from mum. Labour stopped and she settled with her kitten.I did notice the kitten was very small although it seems to be able to feed and crawl and find her teats well. We thought maybe she was having just the one but I was stroking her earlier and I could have sworn I felt a kitten moving inside her. Is it normal for labour to stop and for it to start again at a later time? 
She isn't bleeding, has eaten and drunk some water since delivery and seems very settled, but as i said I feel sure there are more. Can anyone offer any advice as what might be happening. Thanks in advance.


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## sjreilly72 (Jan 8, 2009)

I am in no way an expert but seen as nobody has replied to your post, I will. From reading on here kittens can be born 24 hrs apart, but this isn't the norm. If she has only had the one and it does feel like there are more if she is pushing or looks in distress I would pop her to the vets just to be on the afe side. Please let us now how she gets on.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Yes they can certainly go 24 hours, more has been recorded too.

Liz


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## Kaelia (Nov 14, 2009)

Thanks for the replies :thumbup1: she isn't pushing or contracting at all and seems very settled with her 1 and only kitten. We are keeping a very close eye on her. I noticed also that one teat is very engorged..well not so much the teat but the gland behind it. It seems to be the one that the kitten is feeding from. Would that be the milk coming in? or the lack of a large litter? Could it be an infection this early on? Sorry lots of questions


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## Kaelia (Nov 14, 2009)

Back again, well she did in fact have another kitten in there. It was born 30+ hours later but sadly it was still born. She is still doing well with the tiny one she has and its feeding and latching on well so fingers crossed everything will be ok now. She has a vet appointment tomorrow as I can't rest, I think she will need a check up and maybe a scan just for piece of mind that there are no retaining kittens there. Both myself and mum have been sick with worry. Mum cat seems to be doing good, eating, drinking, having a wander around to stretch her legs and toilet, then back to her box with her little one. But I don't want to leave it to chance. 
I shall try and upload a picture of the kitten she has. It's beautiful but very tiny. I was convinced it was premature but the stillborn Kitty was so much bigger so I have no idea whats happened.
My mother has agreed to have her spayed as soon as she has weaned her kitten as this has knocked her for six. She is heartbroken that her cat has had to go through so much and then the loss of the kitten. Spaying should never be left to chance as mum thought her cat was safe as an indoor cat but one mistake of leaving the kitchen window slightly open caused a whole heap of problems.


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## ziggyjrt (Sep 8, 2009)

Ahhh I,m sorry the little kitten was stillborn, but pleased mum and baby are ok and that you have an appointment with the vet to get her checked out.
She is quite young at just over a year to have kittens, but of course if a female cat on heat gets out there are plenty of un neutered males out there and of course it only takes one, but accidents do happen,i hope your mum doesn't feel too bad,and of course, if she doesn't intend to breed from her to get her spayed after the little on is weaned as you have stated,good luck with the kitties xx


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