How to know if a cat is pregnant: tips for novice cat lovers

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Cat in the house… A touching picture immediately melts before your eyes: a cat playing with children, a bunch of medals and cups from the exhibition where your pet visited, the admiration of friends, girlfriends and neighbors. But not everything is as easy and fun as it seems. You need to take care of the cat: bathe, comb it, etc. You can’t just go to exhibitions either: paperwork, carrying, again bathing, combing, etc. But this is all nonsense, a matter of one week or even a day. I repeat, this is nothing compared to your pet's pregnancy.

Beginning cat owners immediately ask a question like "how to know if a cat is pregnant." Many beginners, when the "doomsday" comes, are lost and sometimes their cats simply do not survive during childbirth due to the inattention and carelessness of their owners. Only some especially caring owners who take their pet every two weeks to the vet,which can easily determine the pregnancy of a cat, ask for help from a specialist. But this does not mean that you need to take her to the vet all the time to determine pregnancy.

You can find out if a cat is pregnant by analyzing its behavior and taking a closer look - after all, pregnancy is visible from the first days. Although, by saying "from the first days", I probably exaggerated. The minimum through which pregnancy can be detected after fertilization is on the 20th day. But this can only be done by an experienced veterinarian. And we, mere mortals who do not have a veterinary education, can see a pregnancy in a cat as much as 10 days later. But you can wait a bit, right? But often, when we type on the Internet the query "how to find out that a cat is pregnant", the search engine gives out something that cannot be at all. And beginners have to ask advice from veterinarians or from seasoned cat lovers. And for those who want to know how a cat's pregnancy proceeds, as well as how to generally determine that a mustachioed-striped "in an interesting position", I will try to state here the main signs, especially for beginners in the cat business. There are a lot of these signs, but, in my opinion, there are only six most noticeable.

How do you know if a cat is pregnant?

The first sign of pregnancy is the absence of another estrus period. The cat behaves calmly, does not howl, does not roll on the floor, does not crawl after the owner. In general, behaves as usual at the time when she should be doing the above.

The second sign is a sharp decline, and then a gradual increaseappetite. By the end of pregnancy, the cat will eat a lot.

The third sign is swelling of the nipples. Swipe over the cat's skin just below the ribs and under your fingers you will feel two rows of small bumps. Over time, they become larger and turn pink. If you notice this, it means that the cat is already the third or fourth week of pregnancy.

From the fifth week, the cat's belly begins to grow, especially if she has three kittens. Now it's hard not to notice. But if you have lost sight of this moment, then the next sign should dispel your doubts.

The fourth sign is vomiting in the morning. This is due to hormonal changes and stretching of the uterus. It's not scary at all, everything will pass by the end of pregnancy.

The fifth sign is increased sleepiness. The cat will sleep most of the day. Even if you let your pet outside, she will become a homebody during pregnancy.

The sixth sign - the cat begins to look for and build a nest for itself. This is where you can help her. Put a large box in a dark and quiet place, put fabric and paper in it, put the cat in the box and move away from there. If she likes the nest you made, she will arrange everything in her own way. If you don't like it - don't worry when the cat "wants" to give birth (you will know about it by her worried behavior and continuous walking after you), you can always transfer her to this box. In the meantime, just in case, close all cabinets, pack empty boxes, and leave your box in plain sight.

In addition to fussing with the nest, you need to take care of the cat's nutrition. Therefore, owners often ask veterinarians not only how to find out that a cat is pregnant, but also about what the diet of a future tailed mother should be. Products in different sources are indicated differently, but the meaning is the same - you need to feed the cat with high-calorie food. If you prefer ready-to-eat foods, then give her kitten food rich in calories. If the cat eats natural food, it is recommended to feed it with liver, fresh fish, you can give it the meat of fatty herring, mackerel, sardine, salmon or trout. Cat food or natural food should be fed three to four times a day.

And do not forget to morally support the cat - during pregnancy, she, like people, has a hard time. During childbirth, your moral support will also become physical. But more on that another time.