Kitten Diary - Birth of Three Scottish Fold Kittens

Soon, the back feet became visible as well. It was good to see the back feet, because sometimes a visible tail, without the feet, could present as a full breech, and the birth could be extremely problematic. It became a tense moment, as we were fighting between letting the baby move down the birth canal itself, and getting the kitten out as quickly as possible so that death due to suffocation does not occur. The tiny little feet were beginning to turn blue due to the fact that that the head was now the only part of the kitten not yet born.

One more little problem soon evidenced itself...not only was the baby being born backward, now it was also upside down. This means that the face of the baby was facing upwards, not downward, maintaining the natural angle of the spine in relation to the birth canal. The baby must be turned quickly. A paper towel held loosely in one hand, wrapped around the slippery body of the baby, the other hand holding mom down firmly, slowly turned the baby so that the face was facing downward. With the thrust of another contraction, and one hand on Dottie's belly pushing firmly and the other hand wrapped securely around the baby, the first baby makes its appearance into the new world!

Baby #1 weighed in at 3.7 ounces at birth (106 grams). She is a blue and white girl. The afterbirth follows almost immediately and the cord is quickly tied, cut, cleaned, disinfected and discarded. The weight is excellent, and she appears strong, robust and ready to eat.

Within 15 minutes, Dottie was panting and purring heavily again. A few minutes later, out comes the head of a beautiful cream and white kitten. Was it a girl or a boy? This kitten was in no hurry to arrive, and because it was fully encased in the sac and the head was already born, mother nature simply took her time; soon the baby was born. This time it was a boy, a big boy, weighing 4.1 oz. (116 grams). Again, the tying and cleaning of the umbilical cord was done, the afterbirth accounted for, and everyone is happy! It is now 2:57 in the afternoon.

Dottie decided that she needed some time with her first 2 before adding a third. At about 4:30 p.m. Dottie began her panting / purring routine again. At 4:37, the third kitten makes its appearance in a very dramatic way. The second this kitten was born, it was flailing its tiny limbs around inside the sac. After the sac was broken and the airway cleared, this little girl screamed her lungs out! We have a feisty one here!