Do Cats’ Waters Break During Labor? Our Vet Explains Feline Pregnancy Facts
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Whether you’ve experienced it yourself, know someone who has, or watched it on practically every sitcom in existence, you know what it means when a pregnant woman’s waters break—it’s baby time!
If you’re awaiting the arrival of some kittens, you’ll want to know what you should look out for. Will there be contractions? Yes. Panting? Sometimes. Screaming? No. Crying? Not usually. And, will you see the telltale sign of a pregnant cat’s waters breaking? Not exactly, because each kitten is enclosed in their own amniotic sac and is generally born inside their sac with it still intact.
So, what does a cat’s water breaking look like? For everything you need to know about what happens when a cat gives birth, keep reading.
What Waters Are Breaking?
For humans, when the fetus is ready to leave the safety of the womb, the cervix dilates, causing the mucus plug that has been blocking the entrance to the uterus to dislodge, and the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby rushes out, sometimes discreetly, sometimes all over your shoes.
With cats, there are usually multiple fetuses inside the womb—typically around four to eight, with each contained within their own amniotic sac. Much of the time, the kitten is delivered still enclosed within the sac, so no amniotic fluid comes out before the birth. If the sac does break before the kitten is delivered, you may notice a very small amount of fluid coming from the mother cat’s (queen) vulva, but most of the time, she will clean it up before you’ve had a chance to notice anything. The fluid may be clear, greenish, or pink-tinged. Brown, red, yellow, or black discharge means it’s time to phone the vet.
So, if you’re expecting a dramatic flood of fluid to let you know that kittens are on the way, you’re in for a disappointment. This is why cats so often manage to sneak off and deliver their kittens without anyone noticing.
What Are the Signs That My Cat Is in Labor?
If we can’t rely on breaking waters to let us know that a cat is in labor (also called queening), what other signs can we be looking out for? Cats are notoriously stealthy when it comes to giving birth, and often, the first sign we will see is the sudden presence of kittens by her side! Most cats prefer to give birth in private, so don’t be too committed to the idea of holding her paw through the process.
If you want to know when kittens are on the way, here are a few signs you can watch out for:
Before a kitten appears, you will usually see a “bubble” appear at the entrance to the vagina. This is the amniotic sac. The queen will usually take care of breaking the sac and crushing the umbilical cord, so only intervene if there seems to be a problem.
How Long Will Labor Last?
Once queening has commenced, expect to see a kitten at least every hour, but it is not unusual for the delivery to be much quicker than this. It is also not unusual for there to be a pause in the delivery for the queen to rest, and many cat owners have woken the next morning to find two or three more kittens!
What Are Signs of Problems?
In the vast majority of cases, cats will deliver their kittens with very little difficulty and without the need for human intervention.
However, there is always a chance of things going wrong, so here are some red flags to look out for:
Be sure to have a vet on speed dial in case you have any concerns or need advice.
Should I Let My Cat Have Kittens?
It is a common myth and misconception that female cats should be “allowed” to have a litter before they are spayed. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this notion, having come from the anthropomorphic (applying human emotional experiences to other animals) idea that all females should experience motherhood.
If you are thinking about breeding your cat, first consider these statements:
This is why our advice is to spay and neuter your cat. However, if you really want to allow your cat to have a litter, then please ensure that you have already found a loving home for all of the kittens. However, by bringing more kittens into the world, you would be taking away the opportunity for already existing kittens to get adopted.
Final Thoughts
If you are waiting to see your pregnant cat’s waters break, you are likely to be disappointed. Although they technically do experience a similar process to that seen in humans, the volume of “water” is so small that it’s likely to be missed, if not already cleaned up by the queen before you have a chance to see it. Additionally, most kittens are born still contained within the amniotic sac, so the fluid is contained until after the birth.
It’s important to be aware of what is and isn’t normal when it comes to queening, but even more important is knowing that there are millions of cats in desperate need of homes, and adding to that population unnecessarily is something that should be carefully considered. So, it’s often best to spay or neuter your cats.
Sources
Featured Image Credit: Boy67, Shutterstock
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Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian)
Dr. Karyn comes from Queensland, Australia, and has lived in the UK for the past 10 years. In 2010, she graduated from The University of Queensland School of Veterinary Science and also has a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology. She is passionate about using evidence, experience, and owner collaboration to provide the best solutions for pets, and believes in making reliable information about animal health accessible to all. Dr. Karyn shares her home with five cats, four dogs, and one husband. When she is not in the scrubs, she spends her time writing, gardening, and cleaning up pet hair!
