cats giving birth

[babykitty]

can male cats be in the same room as mother cats as the are having birth and after they have gave birth?

[Diane]

Let your cat guide you. She may show some or all of the symptoms below before the birth and respond in any differnetly to you and or any other cats (male or female).

The first stage of labor lasts from 12 to 24 hours, and may include the following "symptoms."

She may start snooping around in closets and secluded areas for an appropriate place to bear her kittens. Prepare an area for her in a private place, with a box or basket lined with soft towels. She may decide instead to give birth on the cold, hard floor of your bathroom.
She may suddenly become very loving, and want to be near you at all times.  Don't be surprised though, if a previously affectionate cat becomes withdrawn and seeks solitude. Either personality change may be completely normal.
She may decide she'd rather sleep most of the time.  She may also lose interest in food.
24 hours or so before birth, she may show a milky discharge from her nipples. (even earlier in cats that have given birth several times).

After the birth she will become defensive toward the kittens and will probably not let you or any other cats (male or female) near them.

To avoid stressing her and keeping her and the kittens safe it is generally best to leave her somewhere safe and warm, away from other animals and people. Some female cats have been known to eat their kittens if they become scared or worried for their safety. If you are at all unsure, seek some advice from your Vet. Most are happy to give advice free of charge over the telephone. If you have any other concerns about the birth it might be best to take her to the Vet for acheck up too. Also ensure that she has more food and drink available than normal asshe will need her energy and resources to feed and nurtur her kittens.

Good Luck to her and you.

[inferno]

Do you mean to give support, hold their hands, tell them how to breathe and so on?

[Clare A]

A good few kittens have been born in our house over the years. I'd agree with all the advice so far given, and would just like to reinforce what others have said about the importance of peace & quiet. Nervous mothers will often 'up sticks' and transfer the brood to another location - which may be in or outside the house! I've had this happen more than once, simply because there's been too much passing human & cat 'traffic'.

Kids (the human sort) need an eye kept on them about this. Naturally, a cat & her kittens are fascinating to them, but heads peering into the nest too often can trigger exactly the behaviour described above. Interestingly, two female cats that have kittens around the same time quite often 'co-nurse' in shifts!