Cat pregnancy guide

Preparing your feline friend for a healthy pregnancy is vital, for the wellbeing of both her and her kittens. At this stage, it’s essential to do all the research you possibly can, while also preparing your cat’s home environment so she feels safe, calm, and comfortable. 

Most insurance companies do not cover pregnancy or breeding-related problems. So, be prepared to cover all expenses and vet fees, in case something doesn’t go to plan and your feline friend and/or her kittens need emergency treatment.

You’ll have to book appointments for the kittens to be microchipped and vaccinated by a vet when they reach a certain age, too. Plus, you’ll need to administer vet-approved flea and worming treatment when the kittens are old enough.

How a vet will check if your cat is pregnant

To confirm feline pregnancy, your vet may perform any of the following investigations:

• Physical examination.
• X-rays.
• An ultrasound scan.
• A blood test.

The vet will probably ask you about any recent changes to your cat’s health, habits, and behaviour, too. At this point, it’s worth mentioning any signs you’ve noticed that could signify something isn’t quite right, e.g. unexplained nausea.

A vet will also be able to give you advice about:

• Providing your cat with the right nutrition, so she and her unborn kittens stay happy and healthy. 
• What types of exercise are safe for your cat while she’s pregnant.
• The vaccinations, worming programmes, and flea treatments that are safe for pregnant cats.
• How to support your cat while she’s giving birth, and what to do if something goes wrong.
• Making sure your cat recovers well following the birth.
• Taking care of newborn kittens.

Cat pregnancy week-by-week

Feline pregnancy lasts for around nine weeks.

Weeks 1-2: There’ll be no visible signs of feline pregnancy.

Week 3: Your cat won’t be in heat, and you may notice changes to her nipples.

Week 4: She may be feeling nauseated (morning sickness), which could cause your cat to seem off her food. You might also see changes to her weight.

Week 5: At this point, your vet should be able to tell you how many kittens your cat is carrying.

Week 6: Her kittens will be growing rapidly, so your feline friend is likely to have a very round tummy at this stage. To accompany her expanding waistline, your cat’s appetite will have increased by this time, too!

Week 7: Nesting behaviour begins this week; you might want to set up a cosy space for your cat, where she can feel safe and comfortable. She could be extra cuddly this week as well.

Week 8: The closer she gets to giving birth, the larger your cat’s nipples will become; she could also lose hair from around her nipples at this point.

Week 9: With the impending arrival of her kittens, your feline friend will probably display lots of anxious behaviour (e.g. pacing).

Potential problems during cat pregnancy

Keep an eye out for the following signs that something’s wrong, and call your vet immediately if you notice your pregnant cat is:

• Vomiting a lot. 
• Losing weight.
• Refusing to eat.
• Peeing more often.
• Increasingly thirsty.
• Producing discharge.

Ways to prevent future feline pregnancies

Whether or not your cat has already had a litter of kittens, it’s important to understand the ways to prevent future pregnancies in order to keep her safe.

As you can see, pregnancy, birth, and nurturing a litter of kittens can be stressful for cats, as well as posing risks to their health and wellbeing. Instead of putting your feline friend (and yourself!) through the worries of managing a litter of kittens, we recommend making the most of spending quality time with her. 

Here are a couple of ways to prevent feline pregnancies, along with an alternative option to breeding from your cat:  

Get your female cat spayed

The only guaranteed way to prevent your cat from becoming pregnant is to get her spayed (neutered). Visit our article all about the procedure for spaying cats to find out more.

Spaying your cat offers other health benefits, too – like reducing the risk of pyometra (a life-threatening infection of the womb) and lowering the risk of certain cancers (e.g. breast cancer).

Keep her away from unneutered male cats while she’s in heat

Keeping your cat safely indoors when she’s in heat will stop unneutered males from going anywhere near her!

Your cat can also get pregnant again within two weeks of giving birth, so you’ll need to keep her away from unneutered males around this time.

Consider adopting a kitten instead of breeding from your cat

The ongoing rehoming crisis, due to the rising cost of living, has meant there are thousands of cats in rescue centres waiting for forever homes. 

Yet, despite rescue centres bursting at the seams with abandoned pets, many owners don’t have their cats neutered before letting them roam – which leads to unwanted kittens being born. 

Alternatively, the soaring cost of living might cause some owners to believe that breeding from their pet is a viable option for extra income.

Unless you’re an experienced breeder with the right knowledge, space, and financial capability to properly care for your cat and her kittens, please think twice before breeding from her. If you’d like a lovely little kitten to join your family, there are countless cute kittens awaiting new homes in rescue centres across the country!

Do you need some help finding a local rescue centre? Get in touch via Facebook or Instagram, and we’d be happy to connect you with one of the charities we support.