Is it normal our cat in labor ran away for a few days?

arie85 · Jul 16, 2020

We have a female cat we've raised since she was a kitten, she loves our house and most of the times she likes staying outside and not indoors, which is fine. Today she craved for a lot of attention to which I gave her and the kids too ... but then all of a sudden she disappeared.

She's about to give birth and we have enough space for the kittens, but she literally disappeared, I called her name several times, was looking for her around but I don't see her.

I wanted to ask if perhaps she went away to the fields nearby as perhaps she wants to give birth to the kittens there instead of our house? (in our house the kids sometimes agitate her as they're very young so I can understand why she doesn't like staying in the house nor giving birth in it, if anything the yard is her fav place but she is not in the yard).

So anyway - is it normal for female cats who go into labor to escape or run away or hide somewhere so they could just give birth on their own, peacefully and quietly and then hopefully within 1-2 days she would be back with the kittens? Or perhaps this is not a normal behavior and I should suspect that something bad might have happened?

cataholic07 · Jul 16, 2020

Unfortunately yes some cats will leave to have their babies but they won't always return with their babies. Some will for the surviving kittens when they are a bit older and moving about to keep them safe but not always. I hope you do get mom spayed after these kittens are old enough, unfixed mainly outdoor cats have really rough lives. They roam further from home and get into fights which can lead to FIV as well as abscesses and infections. If she comes back to still pregnant put her in one room and just ensure the kids stay away from her and the kittens. Yes it means tough love but kids need to be taught manners. Hopefully she does come back pregnant so she can have her kittens inside where its safe

arie85 · Jul 16, 2020

cataholic07 said:
Unfortunately yes some cats will leave to have their babies but they won't always return with their babies. Some will for the surviving kittens when they are a bit older and moving about to keep them safe but not always. I hope you do get mom spayed after these kittens are old enough, unfixed mainly outdoor cats have really rough lives. They roam further from home and get into fights which can lead to FIV as well as abscesses and infections. If she comes back to still pregnant put her in one room and just ensure the kids stay away from her and the kittens. Yes it means tough love but kids need to be taught manners. Hopefully she does come back pregnant so she can have her kittens inside where its safe

Thank you.
Yes, we are planning to get her spayed afterwards for sure, 100%, as one litter of kittens is enough for ourselves.

However right now I am not even sure where she is!
She was here in the morning and was very affectionate (perhaps she was trying to tell me "I'm going to the hospital" i.e. going to give birth) ... or perhaps it's something else?

I was calling her name so many times, she usually always comes back when I call her name when she's not indoors - but now there is no response whatsoever ....

Can she really run away on the 90th minute of having kittens? I tried to set her a place to give birth in the house but she didn't like it... I can't force her, I know she likes the yard more than the house which is fine ... but not sure what to do now ... is there a chance she would be back?

She was raised since she was a kitten herself, would she really just give up on her home just like that?

arie85 · Jul 16, 2020

She came back!
She wanted some food and water which she has plenty and she seems to be a lot more skinny now (thinner) because the kittens are out... I'm just not sure why she didn't want to keep the kittens in the house.
She keeps them next to our house, there is a fence with a place that seems like a great place to hide the little ones, so I can understand why she chose that place.

Should I come near the kittens and try to bring them safely to the house or just let the nature do what it does best and let her handle it for now and avoid making contact (not even eye contact) with the little ones? What do you think?

susanm9006 · Jul 17, 2020

I would keep her in the house and go bring the kittens in. There are so many predators outdoors they are all safer inside.

Willowy · Jul 17, 2020

Yes, if you know where the kittens are, collect them, put them in a box in a safe room indoors, and make the mother cat stay home. She won't like it, but it's just not safe for baby kittens out there, plus if she gets killed you'd have to raise the kittens and that's best avoided. And she can get pregnant again very soon after giving birth so she should stay in until after she's spayed.