Feline Pregnacy and Queening

When a cat is pregnant, it’s pretty much the owner’s responsibility to help it maintain a proper level of nutrition and health. That requires the owner to actually know how to care for a pregnant cat and for the owner to know when the cat is pregnant to begin with.

There are certain signs you can look for to determine whether your cat is pregnant. You will notice a significant weight gain in your cat, particularly in the abdominal area. Weight gain, however, typically doesn’t appear until the fifth week or so of the pregnancy. You’ll also notice your cat may experience morning sickness. This is quite similar to morning sickness in human women. Cats experience morning sickness because their bodies aren’t used to larger uterine organs. You’ll also notice that your cat’s nipples will begin to grow. This typically will happen by the sixth week of the pregnancy. Her nipples will become soft and pink, and they’ll fill with milk.

Your pregnant cat will start eating a lot more and demanding a lot more food. After all, it's eating for more than just one! A pregnant cat likely won’t start eating more, however, until just a few days before delivery. So when this starts to happen, you can be assured that she’s about to give birth.

Further, you’ll notice your cat behaving a bit differently than you’re accustomed to. Pregnant cats are normally quieter and more loving than they are when they aren’t pregnant. Also, you can count on seeing the kittens in the uterus area within a week of delivery. This sometimes freaks some owners out, but it’s normal.

It’s important for you to notice that your cat is pregnant as early as possible. This allows you time to study how cats react during pregnancies and be best prepared for delivery. In the days leading up to delivery, you want to be sure to prepare a soft place for your mother cat to give birth and another place for her kittens to sleep. The birthing process is often a messy one, but the mother typically will take care of it. You should monitor the newborns as soon as you realize the mother has given birth in order to make sure they’re clean and healthy and that the mother is okay.