Cat Pregnancy & the Birth of Kittens

According to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, a cat can begin having kittens when it is at least 80 percent of its adult size and when the days are long enough to trigger its breeding cycle. While pet cats should be spayed to prevent accidental and unwanted kittens, being aware of the cat's pregnancy and subsequent delivery can help you look after your pet.

  1. Time Frame

    • A female cat can be come pregnant at the age of 5 months. A cat typically delivers its kittens between 59 and 70 days after mating. The kittens will be completely dependent on their mother's milk for the first three weeks, but completely weaned within seven to eight weeks.

    Identification

    • A cat may start to put on weight between its third and fourth week of pregnancy, and its nipples may become more prominent. A veterinarian can identify pregnancy in cats in a number of different ways, including ultrasound, x-rays, and abdominal palpitation.

    Preparation

    • During a cat's pregnancy and until the kittens are weaned, the mother will need high-calorie food. A cat's caloric demands can triple when it is pregnant or nursing. During the last week of its pregnancy, a cat will seek out a warm, dark place to deliver its kittens. You can offer the cat a choice of several nesting boxes that are lined with soft towels.

    Warning

    • The cat should not be vaccinated when it is pregnant. Unborn kittens are vulnerable to the live viruses that are used in vaccinations. Vaccination during pregnancy can cause cerebellar hypoplasia, which is a brain malformation that leads to tremors and wobbling in the kittens.

    Prevention

    • Unless the cat is going to be purposefully bred, it should be spayed and prevented from having more offspring. While nursing, the cat's heat cycle is interrupted, but most female cats return to heat about a month after their kittens are born. A cat can become pregnant again before the first litter is weaned. Ideally, a female cat will be confined until about a month after the kittens have stopped nursing.