Feline Pregnancy

Learn the things you most need to know about feline pregnancy.

Before a cat can have a pregnancy, there has to be a conception. During mating, the barbs on a male cat's penis actually stimulate the cat's ovaries to begin releasing eggs. It may take up to 48 hours for the sperm to reach and fertilize the eggs. Once fertilized, the eggs continue their journey to the uterus where they will implant themselves at regular intervals in the uterine wall. The female will continue to be in heat and allow subsequent breedings until the eggs release a chemical message that they have been fertilized. Once this happens, the female goes out of heat and breeding activity ceases.

Much like dogs the gestational period for a cat is approximately 63 to 65 days long, give or take a few days.

• During the first two weeks, the fertilized eggs, aka blastocytes, develop into embryos.
• By week three, the embryos are well on their way to developing their organs.
• By the end of the fourth week, it is usually possible for a veterinarian to feel the pea sized embryos by palpating the uterus.
• By week five, the pregnant cat is just beginning to gain a bit more weight.
• By week six, you may be able to feel the kittens, since they begin to grow rapidly from this point forward.
• By week seven, the female's abdomen will have grown considerably, and she will likely be a bit awkward when it comes to moving around and grooming herself. Rather than eating a larger single meal, she will tend to eat many smaller meals throughout the day.
• By week eight, the female begins producing a small amount of milk in preparation for the birth.

It's extremely difficult to miss the signs of a cat in heat, but detecting a feline pregnancy is a bit more difficult. Watch for the following signs:

• Darkening of the nipples: Increased oxygen flow to the breasts causes the nipples to darken to a deeper shade of pink. Additionally, you may detect a slight amount of swelling as the breasts begin to develop in preparation for milk production.
• In the early weeks of pregnancy, your cat's appetite may lessen, and you may even notice that she throws up from time to time. This is a normal reaction to the increased level of pregnancy hormones circulating through her bloodstream, and it is usually just a temporary response.
• Your cat may also exhibit a personality change. Many queens become more affectionate and even a bit clingy during pregnancy.
• Eventually, around week five, your cat's appetite will increase and she'll begin to expand around the waistline.
• During the latest stages of pregnancy, many females tend to hide out and sleep in the spot they have chosen for delivery.

• Any deworming and vaccinations should be carried out prior to a planned breeding or taken care of after the kittens are weaned.
• Nutrition is most important. Feed your cat the best quality, balanced cat food you can afford. If you do this, it shouldn't be necessary to provide additional supplements because they will only upset the balance of nutrients in the food.
• About midway through pregnancy, begin substituting a small portion of your cat's regular diet with kitten food. It's higher in protein. Continue substituting larger amounts until your cat is completely on kitten food near the end of the pregnancy.
• Keep your cat indoors for the duration, and try to limit vigorous activity. Normal activity is still good for helping her stay in shape.
• The hair on the abdomen may be trimmed a bit a week or two before delivery to make nursing easier.

Cats have amazingly strong instincts about what to do when delivery time arrives. Typically, they will seek out a dark, secure nook for the birth. In the wild, the safest time to give birth is during the night when many other predators are sleeping, and this remains the case with most domesticated cats today.

It's beneficial to give your cat a box to have her kittens. Line the box with old towels or blankets so it is comfortable. Plan to have fresh towels ready so you can replace those that become soiled with the afterbirth. Once you have the box ready, try to find a dark, quiet location for it. An open closet is often an ideal location. Place your cat in the box once so she has an opportunity to explore it. Hopefully she'll find it the ideal place to give birth later on, but you'll need to watch her carefully in case she has her own ideas about where she feels most secure about giving birth. If she selects another location, you can move the box there and encourage her to use it.

In most cases, you'll find that even a first time mother is quite capable of delivering her kittens without any additional help from you, but it's still best to be present if you know delivery time is at hand. There is the rare occasion when a kitten may become stuck and need a gentle tug from you in order to free it when mom has the next contraction.

What you'll see:

• Mom will strain visibly with contractions.
• A dark bubble (the amniotic sack) will begin to protrude from the vulva.
• The kitten, still in that sack, will begin to emerge.
• The kitten, and then the placenta will be expelled. It may take another set of contractions for the placenta to come out, and the kitten will remain attached via the umbilical cords.
• Mom will break the sack and chew the cord to separate the kitten. She'll then lick the kitten vigorously to clean it and stimulate breathing. The process will repeat until the last kitten is born.

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