Symptoms of a Pregnant Cat - What to Look For

By Ian Pennington

If you have a cat, knowing the symptoms of a pregnant cat is a very important piece of information to possess. They have a tendency of becoming pregnant when you least expect it, even showing signs of being in such a state without actually being pregnant. For this reason, knowing what to expect and what specific signs to look for are extremely important. It may take up to two to three weeks after conception for the signs to truly begin to show themselves but with the proper attention paid to your queen being able to diagnose pregnancy in your cat. Here are a few signs for you to keep an eye out for:

Her Nipples are Pink in Color

One of the main symptoms of a pregnant cat is a change in her nipples. A pregnant cat will have pink nipples after the first few weeks of pregnancy. If you see pink, you only have about six weeks to wait until the kittens arrive if she is pregnant, so seeing a veterinarian is of the essence!

She Turns into a Sweetheart

Pregnant cats are a great deal more loving than they would normally be. They become a great deal quieter, less interested in other cats-especially male ones. Her heat cycle will have stopped at this point and she probably won't care to spend much time outside if any. The more time that she wants to spend with you, the more apparent her pregnancy should be.

She Gains Weight

She may not look pregnant at first, but if your cat is becoming a little chunky that is one of the surefire signs of pregnancy. This is one of the most important symptoms of a pregnant cat, because if she isn't gaining any weight and continues to remain the same size all of the other signs are out the door. The gain in weight may be slow at first, but as time goes on it will get quicker and quicker until she is all belly. If she is in fact carrying kittens it should not be too difficult to observe after a few weeks have gone by.

She Has a Ravenous Appetite

If your cat is pregnant she will definitely want to eat more. Humans eat for two; cats eight for five, or six, or seven or eight sometimes. This doesn't mean that you have to feed her eight times the food but she does need more food and at a higher plane of nutrition. Regular cat food mixed with nutritious kitten food should give her all that she needs to be healthy and nurture the little lives growing inside her. While you want to make sure to have food available at all times for her it is important not to over feed her. The closer she gets to pregnancy, her appetite will begin to decrease a bit.

Diagnosing a pregnant cat is easy, but there is no substitute for a vet. If your pet is exhibiting symptoms of a pregnant cat you may want to start to prepare yourself for kittens before too long!

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about symptoms of a pregnant cat, please visit My Pet Cat for current articles and discussions.