Dear Dr. Audrey,
A pregnant stray cat has come to our house. I have taken her to the vet for a checkup, and she’s in good health. She is a young cat. I’m nervous about what to do when she gives birth. What should I do to help?
Kudos to you for looking after this little lost soul. Cats don’t often have problems giving birth, so it’s likely that she will do just fine, and you won’t have to do anything.
When she goes into labor, you may notice her become restless and fidgety, and she may meow more than normal and make a nest for her babies. Kittens arrive every half hour to an hour, and it is all over within 6 hours. She should clean up her kittens herself, and break their umbilical cord. It’s important not to disturb her during this time; her labor may be interrupted or she may reject the kittens.
If she has been pushing hard for an hour, and no babies have appeared, she needs veterinary help.
She will be on heat again when her babies are a few weeks old, and there’s the risk of her becoming pregnant again, so keep her away from tom cats and have her spayed as soon as your vet is comfortable doing that procedure.
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