Does a cat need human help when giving birth?

A cat usually does not need human help giving birth, because even feral cats deliver on their own without human or other-animal assistance. After a kitten is born, the mother usually bites the umbilical cord and licks away the amniotic fluid, entirely without the owner’s help.

However, some cats lack experience and may not know how to care for the kittens, causing oxygen starvation and death, and some weak mothers may have difficult labor. So the owner should still watch during birth and take the cat to a vet if labor is difficult.

If the mother does not clean the kittens promptly, the owner should step in and help.