# Pregnant cat absorbing kittens



## frankfrankie (Sep 10, 2008)

Does anyone know anything about why cats sometimes absorb kittens. If so what proof do breeders have? Have kittens been identified on ultrasound only to have disappeard a couple of weeks later?


----------



## emmar (Aug 1, 2008)

something wrong with the kitten


----------



## JANICE199 (Feb 1, 2008)

frankfrankie said:


> Does anyone know anything about why cats sometimes absorb kittens. If so what proof do breeders have? Have kittens been identified on ultrasound only to have disappeard a couple of weeks later?


i think you will find his can happen with humans as well


----------



## Selk67U2 (May 5, 2008)

*Yep I know of several breeders this has happened too. 1 Queen was 7 weeks pregnant, confirmed by scan. There's nothing you can do.*


----------



## Cerridwen (Jul 26, 2008)

Infections and serious deformities in the kittens may cause resorption. But of course it's hard to prove that there have been foetuses in the queen when they're gone. You need to have had an ultrasound done previous resorption in order to be completely sure.

But it happens in all mammals, so why not in cats?


----------



## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

I've heard of it, foetal movements detected or a scan showing foetuses that had been resorbed by the time delivery came, so there were less than expected. 
A friend had a placenta passed with no kitten at all, vet said it would have been resorbed at some stage.


----------



## KitCats (Sep 5, 2008)

My vet was saying it is more common than people realise. Sometimes its the whole litter other times its just one or 2. I think it probably is down to abnormalities or still borns etc, but who knows for sure,


----------



## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I think its very clever. Mother Nature realises she hasn't got it quite right and it gets dealt with. Most times you never see anything, just see the early signs of pregnancy, pink teats, putting on weight, then everything seems to go backwards and their due date comes and goes. Depending on when they reabsorb, you may see a funny mummified sort of kitten born, but not really recognisable as a kitten.

I did have a queen just deliver 2 afterbirths once, nothing else, no kits, so I assume whatever was attached at some point, didn't develop any further.


----------



## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

In a sense its a mercy as the queen is spared the hard work of parturition / birthing and the potential kitten is spared the hard work of struggling to survive and then dying what might be a painful death. Sad but mother nature knows best ...


----------



## Dingle (Aug 29, 2008)

Rraa said:


> In a sense its a mercy as the queen is spared the hard work of parturition / birthing and the potential kitten is spared the hard work of struggling to survive and then dying what might be a painful death. Sad but mother nature knows best ...


totally agree!

It happens to all creatures which give birth, mainly caused by illness or infection as already said.


----------



## hollyslove (Aug 23, 2012)

This happened to my cat all was going well intill 7 weeks they were moving around like mad then her belly sudenly got slimmer and slimmer intill it was back to normal and soft this only took a day or 2 then a week later she lost her mucus plug and 2-3 days after that she had a serlight discharge not much and it didnt smell she went off her food for a few days and was sick a few times didnt look herself. Its her due date this week now shes back to her normal self the only sign she was ever pregnant are het nipples their still big and pink. Ive herd of reabsorption befor but didnt think it could happen past the stage where they developed their bones and deffently not as late as 7 weeks. Its very sad for. Both me and mummy cat so please be awear if your cat shows any of these signs then it may mean the kittens are no longer exsisting


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

There is a school of thought which says there are lots more embryos than ever make it to to term and many are reabsorbed quite normally in the early stages. Presumably the process is out of kilter somehow when it also happens later in the pregnancy.


----------

