The kitten is born in a soft and delicate sac which encompasses the placenta which is born either along with the kitten or separate. When the kitten is pushed through the birth canal the queen will immediately start to lick the kitten around the mouth and nose tearing the thin sac and expelling the yellowy fluid inside. This washing stimulates the kitten and it should start to cry and breath, she will then proceed to chew through the umbilical cord leaving a small piece attached to the kitten before eating the placenta. Do not worry if your queen does not do this do not worry, all queens are different. The placenta is said to contain nutrients valuable to queen in her first days of nurturing her kittens. However if the queen does not start the licking process automatically then take a warm damp cloth and gently wipe at the sac then around the nose and mouth area yourself, take the kitten gently with its head resting in the fork between your fingers and rub with a towel to warm, dry and stimulate the kitten.

Some take the kittens as soon as the queen is settled and place the newborn in a nursing box, I tend to leave the kittens with the queen until they are all delivered unless there are complications as the kittens nursing can sometimes stimulate contractions for the next kitten to be born.