Cat just had kittens. Mom didn't eat placenta or cut umbilical cords. What do I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 9 months and 2 days old
I have a cat that just had 2 kittens. She has not eaten the placenta, and the kittens' umbilical cords are still attached to their mother. What do I do?
5 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 1st, 2016
Ensure the mother has cleaned their noses and nothing is obstructing their breathing. If the mother has not broken the cords you can tie off the cord with some cotton or dental floss sterilized with boiling water. Tie two very tight knots at least one inch from the kittens belly and half inch apart and cut between the two knots with sterilized scissors. She may eat the placentas when she is completely done with the [queening](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats) (delivery). If she doesn't, you can dispose of them after a few hours.
93Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 3rd, 2018
Do nothing, Leave her be and let her do her thing. Just check once in a while that the navel cord does not wrap around the baby or its leg(s). If she has not chewed it with in the next hour or so, you can take some sewing thread, dip it in iodine or alcohol, and tie it off, leaving about 1/2 inch of navel cord hanging. The important thing is to watch that the cords of the babies do not start to form a mess tying up the babies legs or heads and cutting off blood supply.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on December 24th, 2019
Hello. You can go ahead & help Arya with her kittens. Take some string or even dental floss & tie a good knot on the umbilical cord 1/2 between the body wall & the placental sac. Cut the umbilical cord a small distance from the knot on the side WITH the placenta. The knot tied on the umbilical cord should remain with the kitten. When the cord dries, it will fall off naturally. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on September 25th, 2017
Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The most important thing for this kitten is warmth. If you already have the kitten on a heating blanket on low, you need to get some nutrition into it. You can purchase a kitten replacer at any pet store & attempt to get a little milk into the baby every hour. I find the best way to do this is to cut off the corner of a clean makeup sponge, soak it in the milk, & kittens usually can latch onto a corner. You can then take some dental floss & place a knot 1/2 way between the placenta & body wall. Cut just beyond the knot leaving it tied on the umbilical cord & throwing out the placenta. If you can get a couple of small meals into the kitten, you can leave it for the night. Then tomorrow, start calling vets, rescues, anyone you know that loves cats, & hopefully someone will be willing to foster this tiny baby. I wish you much luck. Take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 13th, 2017
If the placenta is still inside her and the last cat was born last night, she needs to go to the vet to have it examined/treated. It should not take this long for the placenta to pass on its own, so she needs assistance and also to be sure there aren't any additional kittens left, because I am concerned if her uterus wasn't able to expel the placenta if there could be other kittens she hasn't expelled either.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Hello! My cat had 5 kittens today. At approximaly 9:03am this morning, well she hasn't bit off the unbilical cords and I have no scissors to do it. I am home alone, and I have never done this before. What do i do? It does however look like she has bi
My girl just had 7 kittens, I had to help with the last 3 and cut of their umbilical cords with sterilized scissors. She ate 4 of the placentas, but what should I do with the other 3? Should I leave them for her to eat later, throw them away, or mayb
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How long should I wait to cut a kittens umbilical cord after the mother gives birth, if she does not ?
My cat gave birth late last night, by morning she had 4 kittens however the last one (which is large) is still attached to the placenta which is still inside here. Despite efforts she is not chewing the cord or expelling the placenta. Should I cut th
My cat had her kittens 10 hours ago. And there is no sack attached to them anymore but the umbillic cord is still attached to there belly . What should I do?
My cat just had kittens and she is having problems. This is NOT her 1st litter. What I believe is the last kitten was a difficult 1 for her as it was breech. She got the baby out, rested, when it came time to deliver placenta, she had a hard time. Fl
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