Pregnant Cat: How Long Are Cats Pregnant

Pregnant Cat: How Long Are Cats Pregnant – “Is my cat pregnant?” It is a question concerned cat owners ask a surprising quantity. When you have not gotten your cat spayed and she is gone unsupervised for a time, chances are that your cat could be pregnant. However how does one know for certain? This is how to tell if a cat is pregnant. There are several key symptoms and features to search for throughout the short gestation period.

How Long Are Cats Pregnant?

Pregnancy in felines lasts about two months. A cat stays pregnant between 63 to 67 days, although it might be so long as 72 days. Often, a cat will not display signs of pregnancy till two or three weeks into the term. That offers a pet owner a little more than a month to plan and prepare.

Signs a Cat Is Pregnant

Here is how to tell if your cat is pregnant the old fashioned way:

• • Heat Cycle Change: Your cat will normally have a heat cycle each 10 days to 2 weeks. This is often accompanied by yowling or rolling on the floor. This will stop when she gets pregnant.

• • Increased Appetite: Your pregnant “queen” will likely desire more food during this time (about 1.5 times her normal diet), as she is not only feeding herself.

• • Darkened Nipples: The cat’s nipples will swell and “pink up” in color. They may look darker and fully engorged, especially if she is had more than one litter. It may not be easy to tell below a layer of dark fur, nevertheless.

• • Vomiting: Morning illness is common for both humans and cats. Regular vomiting could be a sign that she is pregnant early on. However, if your cat is repeatedly doing this with all its food and there are not other indications of pregnancy, it could be a sign of other severe problems.

• • Weight Gain: Especially later on in the gestation period, owners will often notice a two- to four-pound weight gain.

• • Longer Sleep Periods: Your cat will want to stay asleep for longer periods of time.

• • Affectionate Behavior: Many pet owners say that they notice an increase in affectionate behavior. You could notice your pet looking for out your attention more often. This is because of hormonal and neurological changes.

• • Nesting Behavior: Cats prepare for birth by finding secluded, quiet places to have their litter. Your cat might even begin arranging blankets or being feisty with other animals about her space.

• • Swollen Abdomen: Halfway through your cat’s gestation period, she will show physical signs of being pregnant. This distortion might be harder to see on overweight cats.

Of course, it is a combination of factors. For example, hunger alone could be a sign of other problems, and weight gain is sometimes normal. Also, it may be hard to tell when an obese cat with dark fur is pregnant. An owner may want to visit the vet to know for certain.

How to Know If Your Cat Is Pregnant for Sure

Your trusted, local vet will be able to tell you for sure if your cat is pregnant by utilizing one of these strategies:

• • Palpation: An experienced veterinarian can gently press on the cat’s abdomen and feel the cat’s fetuses as early as the 20^th day of pregnancy.

• • X-Rays: X-rays will only show skeletons of kittens about 40 days into the pregnancy. It is the finest way to show the number of kittens.

• • Ultrasound: Ultrasounds can find kittens as early as 21 days of the pregnancy, however it could possibly sometimes be difficult to count the number of kittens.

How Many Kittens Can a Cat Have in One Litter?

There are typically between one to 10 kittens in a litter. First-time queens tend to give birth to smaller litters of two or three kittens. Older queens tend to have smaller litters as well. It also might depend upon the breed; Siamese cats tend to have big litters whereas Persian cats tend to have smaller litters. It is a smart idea to talk to your vet to find out how many kittens in the litter to expect, as sometimes a first-time Mom will birth some however not all of its kittens, which is able to cause potentially life-threatening problems. Sometimes, pet owners are surprised by more kittens, as there’s typically 10 minutes to an hour between them.

What Age Can a Cat Get Pregnant

A cat can get pregnant as soon as she is about four months old, which is why it is so important to get her spayed early on. Typically, a female cat might experience “heat” around that time. A cat does not experience menopause like a human does; it could possibly keep getting pregnant till the last few years of its life. Therefore, a cat that has not been spayed can get pregnant both very young and very old.

If you have more questions about feline pregnancy that have not been answered here, feel free to call us for more info. Consider coming in for a visit to make certain and get ready. There are numerous medical reasons to check up on your cat, especially if this is her first litter.