how do i know if my cat is pragnent

How do I know if my cat is pregnant

Carry cats

A female cat is ready for mating when she is five to nine months old, and her gestation period ranges between 58-68 days, with an average of 63 days, and during this period she needs double care from her keepers, in addition to the periodic veterinary visit until her birth.

Signs of a cat pregnancy

After the female meets the male in the mating process, the possibility that the cat is pregnant becomes great, and if it occurs, it does not show any signs until three weeks after her pregnancy, so the cat breeder has to watch the following signs on his cat to find out if she is pregnant or not:

The cat's nipples acquire a darker color than normal, so that they become dark pink, along with their enlargement, and brown secretions are sometimes noticed from the nipples, although the cat does not start producing milk until after its birth.

The cat goes through periods of vomiting, especially in the early morning, which is similar to the period of lameness that many pregnant women go through, and it is not the condition that the pregnant cat vomits, as the cat's pregnancy stage may pass without vomiting.

An increase in the size of her belly after about a month has passed since the date of her meeting with the male, and this sign cannot be observed on all cats, as a fat cat is difficult to see with her stabbing swelling, as it can be noticed with the advancement of the pregnancy period, and the weight of all pregnant cats increases by an average of 2-4 pounds depending on the number of fetuses That carries them in her womb.

A pregnant cat's behavior changes; It begins with a stage called nesting, in which it begins to search for a quiet, safe place, to be the shelter in which to raise its young after birth.

The maternal instinct appears on her, so she becomes more attached to her owner, more flirtatious with her, and more demanding to be controlled, and on the other hand she may become more hostile with other pets, driven by the maternal instinct and the protection of her children.

Visiting the veterinarian to examine the cat with an ultrasound, after 40-45 days have passed since the start of her pregnancy, and this examination can be performed as early as 21 days.

To find out the number of fetuses, the mother can be x-rayed, as ultrasound does not know their numbers, and there is no need to fear the effect of X-rays on the cat or its young, as the amount of radiation is small within the safe limits.

Health complications during and after childbirth

Preeclampsia: or what is known as milk fever, which occurs as a result of the depletion of the mother's body of calcium, and this problem may also occur after childbirth, so dietary supplements rich in calcium are necessary during pregnancy and under medical supervision.

Fetal death: The death of one or more fetuses before they exit the birth canal may cause complications in the mother’s delivery.

Difficulty childbirth: Because of the large head size in some strains of cats, such as: Siamese and Persian, and here it is necessary to differentiate between fetal obstruction caused by the large size of the head, and between the hardship of the pregnant mother, which results from the inability of the mother to remove fetuses of the same size Normal, due to the occurrence of uterine insufficiency resulting from weakness in the uterine muscles and its inability to further contract and contract to expel the fetuses in their normal size, due to the long period of labor in the mother, or because of the low levels of the hormone oxytocin, which stimulates the uterine muscles to contract to push the fetus out.

Inflammation of the nipples: due to the closure of the ducts of the mammary glands, or infection, swelling of the nipples occurs, with the mother's refusal to allow her young to breastfeed due to her feeling of pain, along with the descent of blood secretions with milk, and the mother loses her appetite for food, loses its vitality and becomes very lazy and lethargic.

The inability of weak cats to breastfeed: Colostrum is the milk that comes out from the mother's breast immediately after birth, and it is rich in carbohydrates, proteins and antibodies that the young need to build up their immunity and protect them from diseases, and it happens that some cats are unable to breastfeed from their mother because of their weakness, or the large number The young, or the mother’s illness and her inability to breastfeed her young, and here the cat breeder must manually feed the young ones with artificial milk equivalent to the mother’s milk.

Difficulty defecating the young: This problem occurs when the young are unable to breastfeed from the mother for the reasons mentioned in the previous point, and here the young belly must be gently stroked with the hand, to help her to defecate after birth, as one of the signs of the young’s health defecates them immediately after birth.