my cat just had 4 kittens

Question
peaches had 3 kittens between midnight and 1245 am im not sure what time she had the 4th but it was between 2 and 6 am. she still feels pregnant 12 hours later. is this normal. i havent noticed any contractions or anything

Answer
Gena,

Being that I'm not an expert with pregnant cats, I would have to say that it's possible that there could still be the placenta in there.  If it's a retained placenta, then it would certainly feel like there are kittens still in there.  However, a retained placenta is rare in cats, and usually happens with large litters, or abnormal labor or births. Has she delivered the placenta?  There would be placenta born with each kitten.  

If it is a retained placenta, then you may notice a discharge (lochia) which is normal after giving birth, but which may be dark in color and has a foul odor.  It will also increase in amount.  The cat may exhibit signs of being sick--lethargy, vomiting, fever, OR it may not.  Sometimes cats with retained placentas go days before they actually look sick.  

There's also a possibility that maybe there are more kittens in there, in which case, you need to get her to a vet immediately.  A cat that has given birth to several kittens, but not all of them, can be construed as a veterinary emergency.  The kittens could be too large, her cervix may not be dilated anymore, she's not contracting enough to push them out, or if she's sick in any way, she may just be too exhausted.  How is she acting?  Is she paying attention to her newborns?  Is she attentive?  Is she still doing any nesting, where she finds a comfortable place to deliver?

If it still feels like she may have babies in there, then I'd say a call to the vet is warranted.  The only way you're going to be able to know for sure is to have a vet ultrasound them and actually visualize her uterus.  On the other hand, if she's got a retained placenta, that also warrants a trip to the vet to prevent infection, which can ultimately end up to be a severe infection.  I think a lot of what you end up doing is going to depend on how she is now, and her behavior, but it certainly couldn't hurt to bring her to the vet just to be on the safe side.

Savannah