Is your cat pregnant? If so, it can be quite exciting; however, to ensure your cat receives proper care, it is a good idea to get to know a bit more about the five stages of cat pregnancy. You’re in luck. Here you can learn all about this time, what to do and what to expect.
Fertilization
There are some cat’s that reach sexual maturity as early in life as six months of age. While it is a good idea to seek spaying services early, if you haven’t done this and your cat is pregnant, keep in mind, the litter may have more than one father.
Earliest Stage of Pregnancy
Some are surprised to learn that some cat’s experience morning sickness during the earliest stage of their pregnancy. For the initial two weeks of this period, you may notice your cat eating less due to nausea. However, by week three, they should eat normally and begin to gain weight. Also, by the third week you may be able to feel the little kittens as they begin to develop.
Middle Stage of Pregnancy
During this stage, your cat is going to be gaining quite a bit of weight. The kittens will be getting bigger and she may look as though she swallowed a football. If you want to know the number of kittens that your cat is pregnant with, you can get the vet to do an X-ray.
Pre-labor
This will begin about a week prior to your cat giving birth. At this point, her nipples will be visible and you may even see some milk production. She will also begin to search for safe and warm places to make a nest. You can help by making nesting boxes for her. Most cats will stop eating about two days before they give birth.
Related: 10 Popular Cat Names
Labor and Delivery
It should be obvious when your cat goes into labor. She will begin to lick her genitals and may even make noises indicating discomfort. Most cats give birth to the first kitten approximately an hour after the labor begins.
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It will be necessary for your kittens to stay with their mother cat for a period of eight weeks, but 12 weeks is better. After the babies are successfully weaned, they can find new homes, if that is what you want to do.
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We have two mommy cats that had already given birth before we adopted them. It’s interesting to learn what they went through!
What an interesting and informative article! My female cats are both fixed so that we do not have to ever worry about kittens. We have so many stray cats in our neighborhood.
I actually went thru the stages here with a cat years back before I had kids. I was a kitty Mama to six babies, the mother died shortly after giving birth. Love that you are sharing this for people who may not have gone thru cat pregnancy, this way they can be prepared!
We have two mommy cats that had already given birth before we adopted them. It’s interesting to learn what they went through!
What an interesting and informative article! My female cats are both fixed so that we do not have to ever worry about kittens. We have so many stray cats in our neighborhood.
I actually went thru the stages here with a cat years back before I had kids. I was a kitty Mama to six babies, the mother died shortly after giving birth. Love that you are sharing this for people who may not have gone thru cat pregnancy, this way they can be prepared!
We have a stray in the neighborhood who looks ready to birth. We’ll be watching to help care for her if need be. She looks very healthy so I know I’m not the only one looking out, or she’s just not a stray and wanders from home. I can’t tell yet.
We have a stray in the neighborhood who looks ready to birth. We’ll be watching to help care for her if need be. She looks very healthy so I know I’m not the only one looking out, or she’s just not a stray and wanders from home. I can’t tell yet.
I’m pretty sure a cat just had some kittens in our backyard. The kids have been glued to the window trying to get a glimpse of the kittens.
Wow, this is interesting. My mom has a cat in her garage that nobody owns that keeps getting pregnant. I’m going to share this article with her!
I’m pretty sure a cat just had some kittens in our backyard. The kids have been glued to the window trying to get a glimpse of the kittens.
Wow, this is interesting. My mom has a cat in her garage that nobody owns that keeps getting pregnant. I’m going to share this article with her!
I never had a pregnant cat, so I hadn’t even thought about the stages of pregnancy. A pet owner expecting kittens will find this information beneficial.
I never had a pregnant cat, so I hadn’t even thought about the stages of pregnancy. A pet owner expecting kittens will find this information beneficial.
I have two cats and I have never been through this. It’s amazing to know the real process.
My family has experienced this! We were looking forward to our children witnessing our family cat have her first litter. We attended a marathon and upon returning home, found her under our couch with 4 littles. We were bummed we missed it but we couldn’t have missed it by much as she was still trying to clean them and they were “fresh”.
I have two cats and I have never been through this. It’s amazing to know the real process.
My family has experienced this! We were looking forward to our children witnessing our family cat have her first litter. We attended a marathon and upon returning home, found her under our couch with 4 littles. We were bummed we missed it but we couldn’t have missed it by much as she was still trying to clean them and they were “fresh”.