Labor pains?

I've had three children myself and I've assisted in the maternity ward a few times so I know how painful it is for us to give birth, but I've never seen an animal give birth. I was just curious if they experienced pain during childbirth as well? Do they appear to understand what is about to happen or do they have a look of "What the heck is that thing that just came out?"

It really depends on the cat. Usually it's harder on smaller cats, but thats not always the case.Most of them are fine, and they know whats going on (the instincts kick in) Ya, I think it's easier for them than for a human, but who knows?

Echo let out a good moew hiss type thing when the kitten came out but thats all.

She did look like she new what came out of her. And started cleaning them

I was worried about how much pain my little girl was going to be in (I had 4 myself, so I knew how bad it could be).

Sadie had her first one just as I was getting out of the shower and I heard a terrible meow. I went running downstairs to see her cleaning up a kitten. But the rest of them (4 more) seemed much easier. She laid quietly in her box and pushed them out. It didn't seem like it hurt her much at all.

This was her first litter (and last) and she's a pretty small cat.

Wendy

I thought the reason human birth was so painful was that human heads are so large to accomodate our big brains that they barely fit through the birth canal. I don't think with other animals its as tight a squeeze of hard bone through bone (cranium through pelvis).