2 stillborn kittens...

Hi my name is Tina and I'm new here. My cat Marilyn had one of her kittens yesterday and she must of had it right before I got home from work because when I found it (trail of blood from Marilyn) it was still wet but clearly dead. I quickly did a search for Marilyn and found her on her pillow pushing for #2. It took her an hour to even get a bulge of the sac to show we tried to help by gently pulling as she pushed and was able to help her deliver the kitten but it to was dead. NOTE: I did try for several minutes rubbing the kitten with a cloth and trying to get it to breath but it just wouldn't. Marilyn pushed a couple more times after #2 but then stopped. I know there are more kittens inside. I can feel them. I let her be all night by herself hoping she would have the rest but 12 hours later still no kittens. Marilyn is up moving around and eating and drinking. She seems fine. Do I continue to be patient? Should I be worried? (trust me I already am) any help would be appreciated.
Note: Our other female Bette had a 7 kitten litter 5 weeks ago (2 did not make it) should I be keeping the kittens from Marilyn? They keep going to her to feed.

Marilyn first.  This situation as here, when she stopped her labor, is not unusual.

The trick is to see, how she is.  Is she calm, no distress, no labor, no problems, you can let it wait

Do observe, but you dont need do any emergency.

The others will come when they come, several hours or even days later.

(especielly if the first were premature this solution happens rather often).

But if she IS in distress or any sort, or comes in long fruitless labor - say more than one hour - contact your vet and be prepared to rush her to the vet.

I wouldnt let the other kittens milk her now, unless it is keeping her calm and happy.

The mom to be shall have calm and peace.

Later on, it is not unusual two mom who are friends, are helping each other.

How is Bettie, does she has enough milk and nurse her children properly?

A good way to know, is to weigh them kittens every day, preferably in grammes. If they add on 10g+, good, if they dont gain - beware, and be prepared to step in...

ps.    Are you a breeder?  If not, I would recommend you to spay your girls when they kittens are weaned, typically at 8+ week.

Good luck!

Welcome to our Forums!

Hi and thank you!! I just got up and checked on Marilyn again. She is purring and let me love on her and feel her belly. She does not seem agitated or in pain at all. She is the oldest of our three cats (almost 3 years old). She is also the moodiest of our cats so her letting me rub on her belly is not a normal thing.
Now about Bette, she is our youngest cat (1 yr this summer). I think maybe because she was so young she never really stepped up to the plate to be mother of the year. She did ok though. The kittens started nursing from Marilyn about 2 wks ago. Bette had stopped feeding them. I was bottle feeding them as often as I could and then one day I found Marilyn in a basket with them. Every now and then I'll catch Bette laying with them but not often. The kittens are on kitten food now as well. So I think Bette has been trying to wean them?
Note: The male cat, Rhett, was fixed 2 weeks after Bette had her litter. We originally thought Rhett was a girl (boy were we wrong).

TinaGrier said:

Now about Bette, she is our youngest cat (1 yr this summer). I think maybe because she was so young she never really stepped up to the plate to be mother of the year. She did ok though. The kittens started nursing from Marilyn about 2 wks ago. Bette had stopped feeding them. I was bottle feeding them as often as I could and then one day I found Marilyn in a basket with them. Every now and then I'll catch Bette laying with them but not often. The kittens are on kitten food now as well. So I think Bette has been trying to wean them?

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I myself think Bette is just a rather bad mother, not caring well enough.   Possibly not having enough with milk too.

Good she is at least being with them now and then, and they have also some support from Marilyn.

Is the male Rhett helping them too?  Some males do.

If I were a breeder, and she wasnt REALLY stunning excellent, I would not use her Bette more in my breeding programme.

I would possibly use Marilyn being a good mother, even if she werent stunning, but I wouldnt want to send "bad mother" genes down the River of Life.  Not in MY breeding programme.  

But if you arent a breeder, spay them all, is my advice.

If you want small kittens to see them grown up, you can cooperate with some suitable shelter nearby.

Good luck!

Ps.  It sounds good with Marilyn.  continue to keep good watch, but you dont need to panic.

Yes we have all said Bette is a bad "teen mom". Now that Rhett is neutered we won't have to worry about any more kittens. Thank goodness!
I was reading on another forum and saw that it says not to rub/press on mommas belly? Is that dangerous? Last night my husband (Marilyns favorite human) was rubbing her belly in small circles and she seemed to like that (rolled on her back for him).

TinaGrier said:

I was reading on another forum and saw that it says not to rub/press on mommas belly? Is that dangerous? Last night my husband (Marilyns favorite human) was rubbing her belly in small circles and she seemed to like that (rolled on her back for him).

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Palpitating by someone who dont know how and where, perhaps way too hard and without good feeling, may be dangerous yes.

But some soft massage, like rubbing in small circles as mentioned, is surely just  nice and even - healthy.   As long you do it with the "feeling in the fingertops".

You can also see it directly on the cat, if it is comfortable and nice for her.

Give your DH a clasp [pat] on his shoulder from me, will you?   

Good luck!

Update: Marilyn has started pushing again. No kittens as of yet but I'm hoping things go smoothly. I have put Bette's kittens in another room to give Marilyn her space and quiet.

How is it going?  Its 70 minutes now - prob not overly much, but cats tend to have rather quick labors, compared with humans.

I hope you are busy helping her drying of the new kitten, and admiring it...

Good luck!

I had to leave for work so I called a friend over to sit with Marilyn. My friend sent me a message and said that Marilyn kept walking around the house meowing and sitting at my door. I suppose she was looking for me. I of course was very upset and crying at work so I called my husband and he rushed home from work to be with Marilyn. After over an hour of pushing Marilyn gave birth to another stillborn kitten. My husband took Marilyn to the vet and they did an ultra sound on her and reports that they do not see any other kittens in her. They wanted to do an x-ray but that was almost $200 and we just couldn't swing that. We are hoping the ultra sound results is reliable. Marilyn is running a fever and her uterus is infected, so we have started her on some antibiotics and are watching her here at home. Thank you for your help and concern.

Yes, ultrasound and palpation by a vet should be enough.  They quite often propose X-rays, perhaps not because it is strictly necessary, but because they do have it and can.

Good you wisely went to the vet as soon you noticed there were problems, and she gets now antibiotics and further attendance.

If the kittens werent visibly premature, this is probably the explanation they were dead - she must had this infection in her.  Not so unusual.

Good luck!