Do Cats have Breech Babies?

Our question this week was:

My neighbor said her cat had a breech baby. Is that possible?

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Melissa S.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote asking if cats can have breech babies. The answer is yes. Cats have breech babies normally.

A breech birth refers to how the baby comes out of the uterus. A breech refers to the fetus being delivered buttocks first as opposed to the head. In people, breech occurs in about 3% of births. There is a higher risk of complications associated with breech birth in people making them considered a more dangerous birthing presentation.

In dogs and cats, breech is considered completely normal and approximately 40% of births are breech.

An article that might be helpful to you is Normal Birthing in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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