How Many Months Are Cats Pregnant Cat Pregnancy Facts For Owners

It is always pleasing to learn that your pet cat is about to become a mother.They will soon be nursing their young ones, and you, as an owner, can watch these satisfying moments. But have you ever wondered how many months a cat’s pregnancy lasts?Unlike humans, cats are not pregnant for nine months. Female cats are pregnant for only about two months, 63-65 days, or around nine weeks on average before giving birth. However, this varies from cat to cat and for different breeds. The gestation period can last as long as 72 days. You will not see any pregnancy signs until three or four weeks. Therefore, it is hard to pinpoint the exact number of days or months a mother cat spends in pregnancy.They undergo several stages, from when they mate to when they deliver young kittens. There are also some bodily changes you can notice to confirm that a cat is pregnant. Continue reading to learn more about how long are cats pregnant and other important facts.If you are overly curious about cats, why not learn how many cat breeds are there? Many people are also intrigued by the Maine coon breed, so consider reading Maine coon facts as your next read.What are the signs when a cat is pregnant?Pregnancy is a life phase that has a profound impact on the female body of any species. This is true for cats as well. Cats that are pregnant are called queens. They undergo behavioral and physiological changes. As a cat owner, you can look for these signs to confirm that your pet is pregnant.A cat’s pregnancy length is about 63 days. In between these days, there are a lot of things that surface. The major signs of pregnant cats are reddening of teats (cat’s nipples), increased vomiting, weight gain, increased appetite, increased affection, and sleeping more. However, these signs do not surface all at once. They take time and are dependent on the different pregnancy stages.The first stage of a cat’s pregnancy is fertilization. When a male and female cat mate, the male cat fertilizes a female’s eggs in the uterine tube. Around the sixth day of development, the fertilized egg travels down to the uterus through the oviduct. Once there, the placenta connecting the mother and the kitten is formed. This triggers various hormonal changes in the female cat, which are visible as pregnancy signs.The first pregnancy sign pet owners see is the darkening of the teats. Around two to three weeks after fertilization, the teats will enlarge and become darker. You may also notice discharge of milky fluid from the teats in some cats, but this is not common. The mammary glands begin producing milk only after the litter is born.Also, if the cat is going through heat cycles, it will stop. This should confirm that the cat has copulated with an intact male cat and is pregnant. Along with that, the cat will experience morning sickness. Just like pregnant humans, a cat can get sick in the morning. The cat’s body temperature will be abnormally high and this might be accompanied by vomiting. This is because of the complex hormonal changes that take place inside their bodies. Not all pregnant queens suffer from morning sickness.Also, if it becomes severe, it might not be to do with the pregnancy. The feline might be sick for some other reason. A pregnant cat carrying fertilized eggs will also be hungrier. The increased appetite will force her to eat more. Don’t be surprised if a cat often intrudes in the kitchen in search of its favorite meals. Pet owners should increase the feeding amount and frequency once they notice the signs of feline pregnancy. This increase in appetite is usually towards the latter half of the pregnancy period. This is about 30 days after fertilization.It is also around this time that you will notice the belly bump in pregnant cats. A rounded and swollen abdomen should, again, confirm the pregnancy. However, this sign is not always easy to spot, especially when the cat is obese.Moreover, because of an increased appetite and frequent eating, there is weight gain among pregnant cats. Therefore, you have to look closely at the belly and correlate with other cat pregnancy signs to confirm that the cat is pregnant. During pregnancy, it is easy for cats to gain a few pounds, depending on the litter size.Besides the above physical changes, a pregnant queen will also display behavioral changes. She will develop maternal instincts, which last the entire pregnancy period. Owners have noted that pregnant cats get more affectionate with them. They start to cuddle more, seek attention, and purr louder.Pregnant cats also spend more time around people or any specific person they like. However, the reverse can happen as well. The cat may suddenly refuse food and seek solitude. Blame it on the hormones, but it is normal for a cat that is pregnant to be alone when preparing to give birth.Another behavioral change related to her maternal instincts is that she will start to prepare for bearing her kittens. This is just a few weeks ahead of the due date. She will select a space, gather blankets, and scare away other pets and animals. The aim is to create a safe nesting box for her kittens. All of these signs should help you understand that the cat is pregnant and is about to become a mother.Can you feel kittens in a pregnant cat?A mama cat undergoes multiple stages in its pregnancy before giving birth to kittens. The cat gestation period lasts for about 72 days or just over nine weeks. But when can you feel kittens in pregnant cats?You will be able to feel kittens in a pregnant cat during the fetus development stage. This is around the third week or 17th-25th day of pregnancy when the embryo starts to develop into a fetus.After the fertilization stage, kitten embryos start to develop. The head and the body (thoracic region) of the kitten are formed first. During this time, the queen starts to eat more. The third to fourth week is also the period when the placenta connecting the mother and the embryo is formed. This allows the exchange of nutrients and partly explains why the cat starts to eat more.The embryo gets large enough to develop into a fetus at around the fourth-week stage. The organic structures have been formed, and the first trimester is also completed. From the fourth week up until birth, the fetus will keep getting bigger and bigger. The pregnant cat will also direct most of her energy towards the fetus’s development.As the fetus gets bigger, the chances for abdominal palpation are high. Around the 35th day, the kittens will be floating in capsules, and you can feel them from the 49th day. However, it is important to touch the abdomen area under a vet’s supervision. If you press too hard, it can potentially damage the fetus or even lead to the termination of the pregnancy. The abdomen is a vulnerable area where all the vital organs are located. Improper handling may cause the queen discomfort. The vet is often experienced in handling pregnant animals. They can safely touch and sense the kittens by touching the cat’s abdomen.There are options like X-ray and ultrasound where you can see the fetus. In the case of an ultrasound, it can detect a fetus in the second week of pregnancy. From the third week, the scan can also detect the heartbeat. X-ray scans can detect the skull and spine of kittens around the 42nd day of the pregnancy. It will also reveal the number of kittens the cat is carrying. The radiation is not harmful to the cat or the kittens.How many kittens are usually in a first litter?Queens give birth to more than one kitten at one time. This is true for dogs as well. These animals have multiple offspring at one time because their bodies are capable of it. In the first litter, cats have one or three kittens in the litter.A first-time mother cat usually gives birth to two or three kittens, while experienced ones can have more than five kittens in the litter. In 1970, a cat delivered 19 kittens in one go. She was a Burmese/Siamese hybrid and still holds the record to this date. Even though four of the kittens were stillborn, they were counted in the record. It is highly unlikely that your pet cat will deliver that many kittens. However, you should expect more than five as an average number for cats that are pregnant for the second, third, or fourth time.Multiple factors affect the litter size and how many fertilized eggs a female cat carries is one of the factors. You’ll be surprised to learn that kittens born at the same time can have multiple fathers. During the heat cycle (when cats are receptive to mating), queens can mate with multiple toms. The breeding season for cats is during the warmer months of summer and spring.When the days get shorter in the winter months, they quit cycling. However, in the case of pet cats that stay indoors, the exposure to artificial lighting means they can mate year-round. Another fact about female cats is that they are induced ovulators. In other words, whenever they mate, it stimulates ovulation. This is irrespective of whether they have mated previously or not. Whenever a tom mates with a cat, it fertilizes eggs. With a higher number of toms a female cat has been in contact with, there is a possibility of more kittens in the litter. Consequently, the larger the size of a cat’s stomach, the larger the litter will be.Another factor that affects the litter size is infection. Queens can suffer from various infections like feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). This affects the pregnant cat’s fertility and reduces the survival chances of newborn kittens. Similarly, queens suffering from feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) have a higher chance of giving birth to a stillborn kitten.After the birth of kittens, the mama kitty will consume their umbilical cords. This is completely normal and not a sign of infection.How do you tell if a cat is pregnant without going to the vet?By looking at the pregnancy behavior and signs, you can tell that a cat is pregnant. However, only a vet can confirm that assumption, especially in the earlier stages. Several scans can detect a new kitten inside the mother. But is it possible to confirm that a cat is in the birthing process without visiting the vet?To detect a cat’s pregnancy, a keen eye is all you need. Look for the signs mentioned above, correlate them with the series of breeding events, and draw a conclusion. Teats turning darker and bigger should confirm cat pregnancy in most cases and the hormonal glands begin to release hormones that trigger changes. A keen eye should detect these changes and be able to tell if a cat is pregnant.You can also use a cat pregnancy test. Unlike pregnancy test for humans, kits for a cat require you to draw blood and check for a particular hormone. This hormone is released 20-25 after mating. The kit will show the results within 30 minutes.However, if you are not experienced in drawing blood from a cat, you should not consider this option. Please drive down to a vet that has the necessary experience and training.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked learning about How many months are cats pregnant? Cat pregnancy facts for owners! 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It is always pleasing to learn that your pet cat is about to become a mother.