Kittens may be passed stillborn, either before their due date or on their due date. In some cases, a deceased fetus may become mummified within the uterus. Mummification occurs when the body creates a protective membrane around the fetus, allowing it to remain encased and walled off within the uterus.
If the kitten dies later in the pregnancy, the mother cat may go into labor and deliver the deceased kitten along with the rest of her litter. What is this? In some cases, a dead kitten will not be expelled from the mother's body and will need to be removed surgically.
If a kitten dies from a congenital deformation in utero early in the pregnancy, the queen may absorb the kitten, or she may suffer a miscarriage. If the congenital defect forms late in the pregnancy, it can result in a stillborn or fading kitten.
However, sometimes a kitten dies inside the womb without triggering a miscarriage. It could literally rot away inside the mother, requiring immediate veterinary intervention and a c-section to remove the putrefied body.
It usually takes 4-16 hours for all kittens to be born, but it can take longer. WARNING: contact your vet if your cat has been straining for 20-30 minutes without producing a kitten, is crying out in pain, or you are concerned at any point.
Step 1: Grasp the kitten with a clean towel. Step 2: Applying steady traction, gently pull the kitten at a slight downward angle. Continue pulling gently and steadily until the kitten is delivered. Step 3: If you are unable to remove the kitten, or if the mother is uncooperative, contact the veterinarian immediately.
Pull the cat's tongue to the front of the mouth, then close the mouth and gently hold it shut. Make sure the cat's neck is straight and breathe short puffs of air into their nose—one breath every 4 to 5 seconds. Give three to five breaths, then check for a heartbeat and breathing again.
In the case of fetal demise, a dead fetus that has been in the uterus for 4 weeks can cause changes in the body's clotting system. These changes can put a woman at a much higher chance of significant bleeding if she waits for a long time after the fetal demise to deliver the pregnancy.
Should I show the body of my dead pet to my surviving cat? If your family pet has died from a cause that doesn't pose a risk of infection to your surviving cat, and you feel comfortable doing so, you can show your cat the body of your deceased pet.
When a cat loses a companion, whether animal or human, she most certainly grieves and reacts to the changes in her life. Cats alter their behavior when they mourn much like people do: They may become depressed and listless.
Chromosome and genetic makeup
Most of the time, a cat can only deliver one kitten, either because it's her first pregnancy or because her body is just built that way. Usually, this normalizes in the following pregnancy, as she might give birth to up to four kittens.
Recovery of Miscarriage in Cats
Some cats may need additional support if they seem depressed or lethargic or are pacing and acting agitated. In these cases it may be appropriate to isolate your cat in a quiet, warm and comforting space until the hormones triggered by the miscarriage and labor subside.
Birth and queen-related factors
Hypoxia (lack of oxygen), trauma, hypothermia – kittens born after difficult birthing (dystocia) have a higher risk of death and this may be the most significant cause of early deaths. This results from lack of oxygen (hypoxia) and/or trauma.
Physical Symptoms – Certain physical symptoms can also signal that a cat is near the end of their life. Loss of appetite, weight loss, and poor coat condition are all common signs of illness in cats, as well as difficulty breathing or laboured breathing.
Overall, cats are not known for their fatherly skills as male cats do not tend to be involved in raising offspring, especially in the wild. Anecdotally, there are rare cases reported where domestic male cats have shown paternal care towards the young.
Wrap the cat in an old blanket or place them in a cardboard box to transport them to the vet. The vet will be able to contact the owners to let them know their cat has been found if they are microchipped and they are usually prepared to look after the body even if there is no chip.
Home burial
Some people prefer to take their cat home to bury in the garden. There is no formal planning required for burying a cat at the home it lived in as long as you own the land and the vet has said that there is no risk to other animals or people. If in doubt, speak to your local authority.
Maceration occurs when the fetus fails to abort, and decomposition in utero occurs, resulting in retention of the fetal skeleton in the reproductive tract compromising future breeding.
A stillbirth is the death or loss of a baby before or during delivery. Both miscarriage and stillbirth describe pregnancy loss, but they differ according to when the loss occurs.
Intrauterine fetal death refers to babies with no signs of life in utero. In addition to any physical effects, stillbirth often has profound emotional, psychiatric and social effects on parents, their relatives and friends.
Gently move your hand around her belly to feel and identify whether there is a lump or not (if you're vague about what a stillborn kitten looks like, it's almost other newborn kittens' size).
Unfortunately, orphaned kittens less than 4 weeks old cannot live without their mother, and must be bottle fed around the clock in order to survive. Thankfully, most discoveries of newborn kittens do not call for human assistance, and in fact, leaving Mom and her family alone is generally the best thing you can do.
If the kitten is not breathing and obviously vigorous, or if it has come tail first and possibly inhaled fluid, it is necessary to clear debris and fluid from the air passages.