Can You Feel Any Movement When a Cat Is Pregnant?

You can feel a pregnant cat's belly to learn about the circumstances of her pregnancy. Whether you're just curious about what's going on in there or you're trying to get an idea about her kittens' health, gentle touch is one method of gauging Tabby's pregnancy progress. Ultrasound and heartbeat monitoring also provide valuable information.

  1. Palpating to Confirm Pregnancy

    • Whether you purposely bred Tabby and know her schedule or she made a break for it while she was in heat, you want to confirm a potential pregnancy. The average cat pregnancy lasts 63 days, and it takes two or three weeks before you notice any change in a pregnant cat. An experienced vet can palpate -- or feel -- a cat's belly to get an idea if she's pregnant. The vet feels for swelling in the uterus that indicates pregnancy and can sometimes recognize presence and size of fetuses. Palpation is usually possible between days 17 and 25 of pregnancy. Of course, the fetuses won't be moving at that point -- they're far too undeveloped for that. Ultrasound may detect pregnancy as early as the 15th day; at day 20, fetal heartbeats are detectable and can conclusively confirm pregnancy.

    On the Lookout

    • If you don't need to confirm Tabby's pregnancy, you can be patient and watch for signs on your own. You'll know she's not pregnant if she goes back into heat, otherwise, around the fifth week of pregnancy her abdomen will begin to show, a telltale sign she's carrying kittens. Around the same time, her nipples become pink and more prominent and the fetuses aren't able to be felt because they're floating in liquid-filled sacs.

    Moving Around in Good Health

    • Eventually, you'll be able to feel Tabby's kittens. Around the 49th day of pregnancy, their heads should be big enough for the vet to feel them individually. The fetuses will also be moving around at this point. If the vet performs an ultrasound, you may get lucky and see the fetal kittens kick their legs or roll over. You may also feel them move, though you probably won't know exactly what they're up to in there without the help of ultrasound. Actively moving kittens are a heads-up that all's well with Tabby's litter.

    Other Signals of Fetus Health

    • Though watching Tabby's kittens move can confirm their good health, there are other ways to know they're developing healthy. Monitoring fetal heartbeat will confirm they're alive; a healthy, non-stressed fetal kitten has a normal heart rate above 200 beats per minute. On an ultrasound scan, a fetal image should be distinct and with clearly visible organs; blurry organs indicate a fetus is likely not viable. Fetus size is also an indicator of health, however an accurate gauge of size relies on having a clear understanding of when Tabby became pregnant. Generally, a 6-week-old fetus should be about 2.75 inches in length.