How To Know If Your Cat Is Pregnant?

Pregnancy causes physical and hormonal changes in cats, affecting their appearance and behavior. The first symptoms of feline pregnancy become noticeable in the third week after conception.

Many cat pregnancy signs are similar to human pregnancy – cats also gain weight, sleep more than usual, and even have morning sickness.

A cat’s gestation period lasts 63-67 days. As soon as you notice the first pregnancy symptoms, bring your cat to a vet to confirm your suspicion and do a check-up to ensure the kittens are developing as intended.

Heat Cycle Change

The first symptom of cat pregnancy is heat cycle changes. Most female cats begin having their estrous (reproductive) cycles at six to ten months of age, but some go into the first heat at five months or over one year old.

The average duration of a cat’s heat is six days with a quiet period of one to six weeks with an average of three weeks.

The frequency of heat cycles depends on a particular cat’s breed, age, previous mating experience, genetics, and health condition.

However, female felines don’t go into heat every three weeks year-round. Feline estrous cycles are seasonal. The breeding season varies depending on geographical, environmental, and genetic factors.

In the Northern Hemisphere, cats usually go into heat from January to October or November. Cats living in tropical regions may go into heat at any time because of increased daylight hours.

If your cat stopped going into heat, she might be pregnant. However, pregnancy isn’t the only reason for heat cycle changes in cats.

They may also be caused by hormonal disorders, aging, reproductive organ diseases, and other medical conditions.

Weight Gain

Sudden weight gain in cats is another typical symptom of pregnancy. Firstly, a cat gains weight as kittens inside the uterus grow and develop. Secondly, many pregnant cats begin eating more and playing less, gaining fat.

The expected weight gain throughout pregnancy depends on the cat’s size and kitten number. A Maine Coon feline pregnant with eight kittens will gain more weight than a Singapura pregnant with two kittens.

On average, mother cats gain 2.2 to 4.5 pounds throughout pregnancy. The weight gain is gradual and becomes noticeable after about a month.

To avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy, owners should consult a vet regarding a suitable diet and provide their cat with sufficient exercise.

Even if a cat is reluctant to play, owners should encourage her to exercise for at least 15 minutes daily.

Many owners wonder how to know if a cat is pregnant or just fat. Pregnant felines distribute weight differently from overweight cats, gaining more around the midsection. They acquire a round tummy while other body parts remain the same.

Changes in Appetite

Pregnant felines usually have an increased appetite because they need extra nutrients to feed the kittens, ensuring their proper development. Simply put, a pregnant cat eats for more than herself.

However, increased appetite alone isn’t sufficient to suspect pregnancy in cats. Sometimes, a sudden surge in appetite is a behavioral problem triggered by depression, hormonal changes, or stress.

Certain medications can also trigger an appetite increase in female cats. In the worst-case scenario, the increased appetite may be caused by medical conditions, including parasitic infections and diabetes.

If the increased appetite is caused by pregnancy, owners should provide more nutritious food to their pets. On average, felines eat 50% more than usual when they are one month pregnant, but some cats may eat even more.

Before the mother cat goes into labor, her appetite will suddenly decrease. This is a normal phenomenon, but if a pregnant cat loses appetite mid-term, she requires a vet’s attention.

Nausea or Vomiting

Everyone knows that women get morning sickness when they are pregnant, but not many know that cats can be nauseous during pregnancy, too. The causes of nausea in cats are numerous, including stomach upset, overeating, and gastroenteric diseases.

However, nausea in pregnant cats usually occurs in the morning. Signs of morning sickness in cats include drooling, excessive licking, chewing, and lack of appetite. Sometimes, nauseous felines are lethargic and reluctant to play.

A pregnant cat may walk away from a plate of her favorite food as if it was the most disgusting thing on the planet. Pregnant cats may also occasionally vomit because of uterine stretching and hormonal changes.

For the most part, morning sickness in cats is normal, but if it lasts over a couple of days or occurs late on the pregnancy timeline, show your cat to a vet to rule out developmental disorders and infections.

Nesting Behavior

Pregnant cats start displaying nesting behavior about two days before delivering their litters, but some cats may begin nesting earlier or later than that.

Typically, owners notice other signs of pregnancy before their cat begins nesting, but sometimes, pregnancy goes undetected until the end due to a low kitten count.

If your cat suddenly starts looking for a quiet, cozy place and behaves aggressively towards other cats attempting to enter her safe space, you can be sure she’s pregnant.

Many female felines choose the owner’s wardrobe or bed for giving birth. That’s expected because cats trust their owners and expect them to help during the delivery.

However, if you don’t want your cat to give birth on your clothes or pillow, make your furry friend a comfortable, safe nest in a cardboard box. Simply take a large enough box for your cat to lie in and place some soft cloth inside.

She Sleeps More

A change in a cat’s sleeping patterns indicates something is going on. If your female cat sleeps more than usual, she may be sick, depressed, or pregnant.

Adult cats tend to sleep 12-20 hours a day, and the sleep duration gradually increases as a cat gets older. Consequently, determining whether a cat really sleeps more or you simply catch her in the act more frequently is tricky.

Note when your cat sleeps. For example, if your cat used to run around the house before bedtime but now sleeps throughout the entire evening, she may be pregnant.

However, changes in sleep patterns may also indicate thyroid hormone disorder, cognitive dysfunction disorder in older cats, depression, obesity, aging, infection, arthritis, and diabetes.

Red Nipples

The easiest way how to tell if a cat is pregnant is to check its nipples. Pregnant cats have slightly enlarged nipples that become pink or red by around the 35th day of pregnancy and may have milky fluid.

However, enlarged nipples may also indicate that your cat is in heat. Pay attention to other changes in your cat’s behavior and appearance. If your cat is excessively vocal and affectionate, rubbing against surfaces, she is likely in heat.

But if your cat is gaining weight, sleeps more, or has morning sickness, she is likely pregnant. Nipple swelling may also signal mastitis caused by nipple canal trauma or bacterial infection.

Mastitis most frequently occurs after a cat gives birth but may also be found in pregnant cats and, sometimes, spayed felines.

A pregnant cat’s nipples don’t cause her discomfort, but in the case of mastitis, the nipples are painful. Cats with mastitis may also have a fever, become lethargic, and refuse to eat.

Changes in Affection Levels

If your cat is unusually affectionate, the chances that she is pregnant are high. During pregnancy, felines experience hormonal and neurological changes that make them cling to the owner.

But how to tell if your cat is pregnant or just in heat? Pregnant cats tend to be not as vocal and display other symptoms of feline pregnancy.

Sometimes, pregnant cats become extra affectionate to a particular family member. They expect their favorite human to take care of them and their kittens.

Interestingly, cats also become extra affectionate when their owners are pregnant because their fine-tuned sense of smell detects new hormones, and they notice subtle changes in the owner’s behavior.

While pregnant cats become more affectionate towards humans, they can become defensive and explicitly aggressive towards other animals. If you have several cats, ensure that your pregnant cat has a safe, quiet resting place.

Diagnosing Cat Pregnancy

Cat pregnancy diagnosis can be made based on abdominal palpation, X-ray, hormonal analysis, or abdominal ultrasound result. Veterinarians can diagnose pregnancy as early as 21 days after conception.

X-Ray and abdominal ultrasound help determine the kitten count, whereas hormonal analysis doesn’t. An experienced veterinarian can give you an approximate kitten count with palpation, but only on the 17th to 25th days of pregnancy.

If a vet makes a hormonal analysis, they will look for the hormone relaxin.

Although this method doesn’t help determine the kitten count, it’s the most reliable cat pregnancy diagnosing method because the hormone is only synthesized in pregnant felines.

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