cats in labour.

Question
My cat had 2 kittens 39 hours ago.They were weak and the mother seemed uninterested in them,unfortunatly they didnt survive.the problem is she is still pregnant.I have seen and felt them moving.She is quite happy today,eating well and even playing with our other cat.Is it possible that the first two were born early and she will carry on and give birth to a healthy litter.This was her second litter and she was enormous compared to the first pregnancy and litter of 4 kittens,please help should i take her to the vet.As money is tight i dont want to rush into this as she seems so happy and healthy otherwise.

Answer
Hi Joanne.  How sad to hear of the other two. It is entirely possible that the first two were born prematurely and that she may go on to carry the others to full term.  However, the opposite scenario probably happens more often - that delivery begins on time and something wrong happens in the middle of it to stop it.  I must say for this reason, I would get her to the vet if she were my kitty, just for peace of mind.  

You don't happen to know when she conceived, do you?  If you know she's been pregnant fewer than 63 days, this would've been considered a premature birth by most measures.  A cat's uterus is divided into two horns, and it often happens that all the kittens from one horn are delivered before the kittens in the other horn are delivered.  There can be a break in between, sometimes of hours.  Thirty-nine hours is a long one, and it could indicate something's wrong.  Perhaps in this case, the body was correcting itself.  Only a vet could say!  

From your account of her behavior, it doesn't sound like she's in distress, but watch her closely.  At the first sign that something's off, if she hasn't begun labor, I would have her to the vet.  A stuck or decomposing kitten becomes a deadly situation in just hours.