Labour And Delivery In Queens

Writen by Cerianwen Ball

A normal pregnancy will take around 9 weeks before labour, this is the time you should be making preparations for labour and giving your Queen a little extra attention.

Make sure that she is well fed and has plenty of fluids, a quiet area to rest and try to handle her as little as possible. Your queen may become a little agitated and restless, but she will find herself a rest place and try to relax as much as she can.

It is common for nest boxes to be used and should be placed where your queen opts to rest. This will become more apparent as the pregnancy matures. I tend to opt for a layer of towels for her to lay on which allows the queen to stretch out and relax whilst also allowing space for me to be at her side and aid her if needed at the birth.

When she is ready to give birth you will notice that your queen will become more restless, will pace and start to pant, she may also try drawing your attention by crying and pacing near you until you follow her to her nest site. Labour can last several hours so patience is important. You may notice a thin filmy mucus near her vaginal area and she will begin to have contractions.

Birthing time varies from queen to queen, a kitten can be born every 15 minutes or so or can take several hours, it is also important to note that up to 40% of births are breech and are considered normal and although it is a stressful time as long as the queen is comfortable and is not in distress the birth should be normal.

The kitten is born in a soft and delicate sac which encompasses the placenta which is born either along with the kitten or separate. When the kitten is pushed through the birth canal the queen will immediately start to lick the kitten around the mouth and nose tearing the thin sac and expelling the yellowy fluid inside. This washing stimulates the kitten and it should start to cry and breath, she will then proceed to chew through the umbilical cord leaving a small piece attached to the kitten before eating the placenta. Do not worry if your queen does not do this do not worry, all queens are different. The placenta is said to contain nutrients valuable to queen in her first days of nurturing her kittens. However if the queen does not start the licking process automatically then take a warm damp cloth and gently wipe at the sac then around the nose and mouth area yourself, take the kitten gently with its head resting in the fork between your fingers and rub with a towel to warm, dry and stimulate the kitten.

Some take the kittens as soon as the queen is settled and place the newborn in a nursing box, I tend to leave the kittens with the queen until they are all delivered unless there are complications as the kittens nursing can sometimes stimulate contractions for the next kitten to be born.

When all the kittens are born place then gently in a snug nursing box and ensure the queen knows where they are being taken. I tend to place the nursing box as close to the birthing area as possible so that the tired queen does not have far to go to be with her kittens and is less likely to take them to a new area. It is important that the queen remains with her kittens so that they can be kept warm and well fed. If however your queen does not do this, microwave a towel so that it is gently heated but not hot and place under the box, this will temporarily keep the kittens warm until the queen enters the box.

The kittens will feed until their bellies are full and will sleep and eat for the first few days without much movement. The kittens are born blind and will not open their eyes for several days, until this time the queen remains with her kittens and keeps them warm and safe leaving only for food and to litter. During these first few days the queen will wash the kittens and will clean up after their messes herself.

If at any time during labour or during the first few days after the birth you notice any complications do not hesitate to contact your local vet who will be able to offer advice and support.

Cerianwen is an author of poetry, children's stories and articles. She has an interest in and has four cats with many years experience of caring for and breeding. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for Pet Forums.