 Initially , Howard dismissed the notion that Toft had given birth to animal parts , but the next day , despite his reservations , he went to see her . Ann Toft showed him more pieces of the previous night 's exertions , but on examining Mary , he found nothing . When Mary again went into labour , appearing to give birth to several more animal parts , Howard returned to continue his investigations . According to a contemporary account of 9 November , over the next few days he delivered " three legs of a Cat of a Tabby Colour , and one leg of a Rabbet : the guts were as a Cat 's and in them were three pieces of the Back @-@ Bone of an Eel ... The cat 's feet supposed were formed in her imagination from a cat she was fond of that slept on the bed at night . " Toft seemingly became ill once more and over the next few days delivered more pieces of rabbit . 
