Home CAT HEALTH How Long Are Cats Pregnant? – Everything About The Cat’s Pregnancy

CAT HEALTH

How Long Are Cats Pregnant? – Everything About The Cat’s Pregnancy

I bet you read a bundle of books and watch documentaries when expecting a newborn of your own. But do you know what happens to a cat when she becomes pregnant? Or how long are cats pregnant?

Generally, a cat stays pregnant for 2 months, nine weeks, or 58 to 72 days. This is just an estimated period, and it can vary depending on various factors.

Like humans, pregnancy is an important stage in a feline’s life. As an owner, it is your duty to learn everything about it and provide the best care your cat deserves. If you are confused and looking for proper information about a cat’s pregnancy, this is just the article you need.

Perfect age for a cat to get pregnant:

How long are cats pregnant? Or how to care for a pregnant cat? These are indeed important questions. But before anything, you need to know at what age your cat can get pregnant.

It can be hard to imagine, but a cat can get pregnant at an early age. A cat gets sexually matured at four months. Though a cat can be pregnant at an early age, it is not healthy. Experts claim that a cat is not considered an adult at that age and it is highly discouraged to breed them.

Making a cat pregnant at an early age can be stressful, both mentally and physically. Sometimes, breeding a young can lead to a painful death. If your cat gets pregnant young, there is a high risk of having pyometra. This condition can be life-threatening.

So, what can you do? Obviously, you can not resist the cat from mating. But, neutering the cat can be a great option to prevent unwanted pregnancies of the cat. Vets suggest spraying cats when it reaches 6 months. But in the shelters, kittens are sprayed a lot earlier, around the age of 8 weeks. It reduces the number of homeless kittens.

What time of the year does a cat go in heat?

To be honest, there is no perfect time that is best for the cat to get pregnant. A cat goes into its heating cycle every two or three weeks during the mating season, and light plays an important role here. Experts claim that if a cat is exposed to direct sunlight for 10 hours or more, she will get her hormonal cycle activated. It means cats around the world probably go into heat at different times.

how long are cats pregnant

Your cat can get pregnant in any season of the year. Generally, the mating season is considered spring to fall, and every heating cycle stays for 6 days. A female cat can have 3 to 5 litters in a year.

What are the signs your cat is in the heat?

A cat coming into heat means she is sexually active, fertile, and receptive to mating. Generally, a cat exhibits some symptoms when she is in heat. For example,

The female cat will start howling to attract the male ones. Her meow will sound like she is in pain.
The cat will start rubbing her head and body on everything. She will roll on the floor and wave between her legs.
You will notice the cat going into the mating position whenever she is petted.
The female cat starts licking her private parts. Also, she will try to escape home many times.
However, a cat in heat eats less than normal time.

Cat pregnancy symptoms

Your cat will show some signs right after getting pregnant. If you notice the feline closely, you can tell if she is pregnant or not. Here are some symptoms a pregnant cat shows:

Your pet cat’s nipples will become red and enlarged after 15 to 18 days of pregnancy. This condition is known as pinking up.
The queen’s tummy can start swelling because of the pregnancy. So avoid touching her belly. It can harm the unborn kitten. However, you must observe if the swelling gets unhealthy or not.
Like humans, pregnant cats also go through morning sickness. It means the queen will vomit quite often. But if the vomiting becomes too frequent, consult with a vet immediately. It can be some other sickness.
The appetite of the mother cat may increase later on in her pregnancy. So, her weight will increase by 1 or 2 kgs. However, due to the appetite increase, there will be signs of worms.
A pregnant cat purrs more than normal and seeks attention from the owner.

How to confirm if your cat is pregnant or not

Pregnant cat behavior is quite different from a normal one. So, the owners can easily understand that something is going on with the cat. If you want to be sure if the queen is pregnant or not, do a cat pregnancy test.

Visiting a vet with the cat will be the best option here. There are a few other things you can do to confirm the cat’s pregnancy. For example,

Ultrasound: This can detect if the cat is carrying kittens or not after the 16th day of pregnancy.
X-ray is a great way to find out if your cat is pregnant or not.
There is a special hormonal blood test available that can confirm a cat’s pregnancy.

However, the belly of a queen cat will start growing big after 30 to 40 days. Also, the nipples will become red and enlarged. So, that is a clear sign that your cat is pregnant.