First Signs of a Pregnant Cat

A pregnant cat, known as a queen, can show both personality changes and physical changes. These changes will become increasingly evident at approximately three weeks following breeding. The average gestational period for a cat is between 60 and 67 days. Some veterinarians will use 63 days as the average gestational period as it equates to an even nine weeks of pregnancy.

  1. Physical Signs

    • The first sign that a cat is pregnant is typically that the cat will no longer be experiencing heat cycles. Heat cycles occur every 10 days to 14 days, so if they stop suddenly, this is an indicator that the cat is pregnant. Another physical sign of pregnancy in a cat is that her nipples will grow to a rosy color and will begin to swell. This is the first visual symptom that you may notice.

    Increase in Appetite

    • Pregnant cats will usually have an increased interest in eating and food, as she is now eating not only for herself but also for a number of kittens as well. Another symptom that may present itself is not unlike human morning sickness, where a pregnant queen may have a bout of vomiting or apparent nausea. This may result from the increase in the food she is consuming, or it may just be a side effect of her pregnancy.

    Abdominal Enlargement

    • Some pregnant queens do not show many symptoms of their pregnancy up until the point where their abdomen begins to swell. It is sometime following the fifth week of her pregnancy that her abdomen will begin to enlarge, and it will continue growing until she gives birth.

    Personality Changes

    • There are two personality changes that a pregnant cat may experience, tipping you off to her pregnancy. The first is an increase in her affection, and the second is nesting activities. You may find her behaving more affectionately than normal, or begging for attention more often than normal. You may also see her beginning to nest by seeking out quiet and private places where she can give birth.

    Clinical Diagnosis

    • There are two primary ways to diagnose pregnancy in a cat through a veterinarian, which are palpation of the abdomen and ultrasound of the abdomen. The veterinarian may use palpation of the abdomen to feel the fetuses by gently pressing on the abdominal cavity between 17 to 20 days into the pregnancy. As early as the second week of the pregnancy, a veterinarian can use ultrasound to detect fetuses in the cat. Heartbeats for the fetuses can be detected via ultrasound as early as in the third week of pregnancy.