How Long Before Delivery Do Cats Produce Milk?

Your cat̵7;s getting fatter. Well, not fatter, but more pregnant. Her nipples are swollen and she'll produce milk any day now. That means she̵7;s getting ready to give birth. Timing varies, but milk production usually starts a couple of days before she̵7;ll deliver kittens.

  1. Feline Pregnancy and Anatomy

    • Cat pregnancy averages about 65 days. About halfway through, a cat's four pairs of nipples become pink and swollen, although they won't fully swell until her final week of pregnancy. Each teat has one to seven ducts through which milk is secreted. A pregnant cat will start producing milk about two days before giving birth, although milky discharge may be present before that. If your cat is on any medications, it's important to talk to your vet as soon as possible to see if those drugs are safe for kittens, as your cat will pass them on through her milk. Cats' milk is usually light in color; anything else may indicate a problem.

    Normal Lactation

    • During the final days of pregnancy, many lactating queens -- i.e. unspayed female cats -- become reclusive, restless or hyper affection. Many frequently lick their genitals. Her mammary glands may sporadically produce milk discharge, too. Around the same time they begin producing milk, cats' temperatures drop to 99 F as they prepare for birthing. Regardless, milk production is almost always a sure sign delivery of kittens is immanent. Help your pregnant, lactating cat by providing a kittening box near her food, water and litter box. If your immanently pregnant cat isn't producing milk or isn't producing milk properly, see a vet as soon as possible -- especially if kittens are involved.

    Other Conditions

    • A variety of conditions can mimic or accompany the normal lactation in cats. Some felines' mammary glands swell because of benign or malignant growths. This can happen sans lactation, but may also block or complicate it. One condition, called mammary gland hyperplasia, is painless and usually affects young, intact females, whether they're cycling or pregnant. Feline mammary gland tumors are rare but, when present, are usually carcinomas with early mastitis -- i.e. mammary gland inflammation or infection. Painful mammary glands and fever can also indicate mastitis and may accompany milky or non-milk mammary secretions. In the case of false pregnancies, cats begin lactating a month or two after their last heat, and may continue lactating for more than a month, likely because of a hormonal imbalance.

    Other Considerations

    • Nursing cats need more calories and heightened nutrition throughout their pregnancy. Depending on your cat's health, a veterinarian may recommend pre- or post-natal supplements. At the height of lactation, cat's milk is 10.8 percent fat, 10.6 percent protein, 3.7 percent sugar and 1 percent ash, according to an overview from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That's a higher percentage of fat and protein than humans, cows, pigs and even dogs. Although early proper lactation is key, nursing cats can develop milk production issues after kittens are born. If your cat's kittens don't double their weight during their first two weeks of life, something may be seriously wrong with her and, by extension, her milk and her kittens.