My Sphynx cat had kittens but stopped pushing, is one retained?

Poor kitty! If she is still having contractions and something seems to be protruding from her vagina, I would be concerned that she may still have one or more kittens inside her. This is potentially a life-threatening problem, so I would recommend taking her to the vet right away for an exam. He/she can take x-rays to see if there are still more kittens inside her. If so, she will likely need an emergency c-section to get them out.

A vet visit is always recommended in these cases so that is my suggestion - get her to a vet for an exam. If you don't want to take her to the vet just yet then monitor her closely for any signs of illness (not eating/drinking, lethargy, vomiting, hiding, etc). If you notice anything abnormal, then get her to the vet ASAP. She may have only had one kitten - there may not be any others. Please consider having her spayed as soon as you can. If they have stillborns they will usually continue to do so.

Hello. This is always a bit of a mystery as to why this happens, but I personally have seen a queen have one kitten & deliver 4 more a full week later. Most often, a single birth is a premature kitten, but 2 kittens really confounds even this issue. If you can afford to have Lily seen by your veterinarian, an x-ray can show how many kittens are still present & an ultrasound can evaluate heartbeats. If the fetal heartbeats are around 180 - 200 beats per minute, then all is well. If the heartbeats are 170 or less, these kittens are stressed & need to come out. As long as Lily continues to act completely normal & there are no obvious vaginal discharges, then you can probably wait another day or so, but after that, I begin to get nervous. At this point, I would consider a C-section. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If she is not straining to push at this time, then yes give her more time to birth the rest of the kittens at her own pace. This process, known as[ queening](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats/), can take up to 48 hrs to complete. Please try not to worry or [stress](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-surprising-ways-stress-can-impact-your-pet) her during her labor process as this can stall and prolong her labor. If no kitten is delivered after 30 minutes of active straining/pushing, then you should have her examined by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

Hello. You can gently squeeze her abdomen working your way back from just behind the ribs toward her hind legs. If you do not feel any significant lumps, then she is done. Since she had no difficulties with the first ones, it is unlikely anyone was left behind. But if you do get concerned, the best is to have her evaluated by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is not likely to be a retained kitten if she had [a normal delivery](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats) and is behaving normally otherwise (no [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/vomiting/), [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/diarrhea/), [loss of appetite](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-isnt-my-cat-eating), discharge, etc.). It may be a hernia, but your veterinarian will need to make the diagnosis after a physical exam. If it is a hernia, a repair may be done if you decide to have her spayed. [Spaying](https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-cats) would strongly be recommended if she is not breeding stock or a show cat. This would prevent accidental or unwanted litters in the future. Spaying also decreases the risk of mammary gland tumors (breast cancer) and eliminates the risk of a pyometra (uterine infection) later in life.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and this is concerning. Yes, I recommend to get Cali to the veterinarian ASAP. Cats can stop birthing and then finish up to 24 hours later if they are disrupted by something. But it's rare and that doesn't seem to be the case in Cali's situation. So I think it's best to err on the side of caution and get Cali into the veterinarian's office right away. She may need help having the kittens or she may need a C-section. Here' is a link about normal birthing (called queening) in cats: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-and-queening-cats I hope everything turns out well for Cali! Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.