How to Tell If a Cat is Pregnant

Is she or isn't she? That's the mysterious question cat breeders and owners probably ask more often than any other. They're wondering about the signs of a cat pregnancy.

Overview of Cat Pregnancy

Vetinfo reports that a female cat gets pregnant when she's in heat. This is known as the oestrus cycle. While she's in heat, a female cat behaves much differently than normal when she meets a male cat.

The signs of a cat pregnancy include both alterations in behavior as well as physical changes. On average, the pregnancy lasts 9 weeks - 63 days - with some signs noticeable by the second or third week after the breeding took place.

Signs of Pregnancy in Cats

Fortunately, most cats show distinct signs when they're pregnant. These include:

Sudden interruption of being in heat. Once a female cat has mated with a male cat and become pregnant, her heat cycle abruptly stops. While most female cats go into heat once or twice a year, if they don't become pregnant, the cycles can occur every two weeks. When these cycles suddenly stop, it's a sign that there's a new mom on the block.

Appearance of nipples. In a pregnant cat, the nipples are tender when touched and also look swollen. This is one of the earliest signs of feline pregnancy and generally occurs in the third week, according to MyHealthyCat.com. The cat's nipples might also become pink.

Vomiting. This stage can last three or four weeks. Like women, female cats often experience nausea and morning sickness.

Appetite changes. They also occur during the early phases of a cat's pregnancy. Because of nausea, the prospective mother might also suffer from a lack of appetite. Once the nausea vanishes, the cat should act hungrier. Some experts recommend asking the veterinarian for a growth formula of food for the cat during the fifth week of the pregnancy.

Affectionate behavior. While she's in heat, a cat can act distant or even aggressive when it comes to her owners. However, once she's pregnant, she'll probably become extremely affectionate, especially during the latter stages. Typical behavior includes rubbing her face against an owner's feet, other pets, furniture, toys or walls. In the last weeks of the pregnancy, the female begins to prepare a spot for the kittens to be born.

Larger abdomen. By the time the cat enters the fourth or fifth week of a pregnancy, her abdomen has started to enlarge. Owners will note a slight swelling. If the vet performs an ultrasound, he or she will see the kittens and be able to count them. The kittens at this point feel like lumps in the abdomen. By the sixth week, the pregnancy will be visibly obvious.

Privacy hunts. During the last phase of a pregnancy, the cat will start to look for privacy and will hide. She'll be searching for a quiet place to start putting together a nest for her kittens. At this point, some owners build a whelping spot.

Vet Visits

In most cases, owners don't need to take a pregnant cat to a veterinarian. However, if they note any troubling symptoms like bleeding or too much vomiting, it's important to call a vet right away.

Owners of a pregnant cat should pamper her a bit. They should be sure to feed her an increased amount of food as the pregnancy progresses and kitten food near its end. Kittens will be born between 60 to 67 days after the breeding.

Sources:

http://www.vetinfo.com/cat-pregnancy-signs.html

http://www.myhealthycat.com/cat-pregnancy-symptoms.html