Cat Pregnancy

A pregnant cat may show signs that she is pregnant about three weeks after mating. If the female cat has been having cycles of being in heat and it abruptly stops, it’s possible that she is pregnant. The cat may eat more and may experience vomiting. If a cat is vomiting, the cat should be examined by the veterinarian. Vomiting in cats could be a sign of a serious illness.

Pregnant cats may become more affectionate than usual during the pregnancy. The cat’s nipples may become swollen and more pink in color. An increase in the size of the cat’s abdomen may become noticeable at around five weeks after breeding.

When it gets closer to time for her to give birth, the cat may engage in nesting activity. There may be milky discharge from the nipples about twenty-four hours before birth. The pregnant cat that is close to the time of birthing may sleep most of the time and stop eating.

The cat may seek out a quiet place to give birth. This is known as nesting. The pregnant cat may look for a place that is away from the usual activity in the house. It’s not uncommon for a cat to seek out a place such as a corner in a closet.

A cat owner may have some success with isolating the female cat in a room with a box for nesting if they would prefer this to the closet. Encouraging a cat to give birth in a box or basket lined with towels ensures that the cat will birth her kittens in a safe place to which the cat owner has easy access.

The cat gestation period is sixty to sixty-seven days. Many people like to refer to the gestation period as a set number of days, such as sixty-three or sixty-five days. However, it’s important to remember that just as a due date for a human pregnancy is just an estimation, so it is with cat pregnancy. Therefore, it’s better for the cat owner to expect the kittens to arrive within the range of sixty to sixty-seven days.