How Can I Tell If My Cat Is Pregnant?
While cats don’t have morning sickness, most experience some type of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Regardless of whether or not your cat vomits, you should watch for any other signs of unwellness. At about the 30-day mark, your cat’s abdomen will become swollen and round. Even if you don’t notice distension in the belly, your cat will gain weight due to the pregnancy. While the amount of weight gained will depend on the size of the kitten, expect it to be between two and four pounds.
Vomiting
Your feline friend may be showing signs of pregnancy, such as a swollen belly or increased appetite. While this is normal, not all cats will experience morning sickness. A pregnant cat will also need to eat more food than usual during pregnancy. Your feline friend will gain around two to four pounds during her pregnancy, which is twice as much as what she normally eats. To help you tell if your cat is pregnant, you can try feeding her kitten food.
The first month of pregnancy in your feline friend may include morning sickness, which is characterized by vomiting due to hormonal changes and stretching of the uterus. Your feline friend may also lose her appetite, avoid food, or even turn off the food bowl altogether. This period is not serious, and will pass within a few days. If your feline friend is vomiting regularly, consider getting her checked out by a veterinarian.
Swollen abdomen
If you want to know if your cat is pregnant, you’ll need to know how to recognize pregnancy symptoms in your cat. A swollen abdomen is one of the earliest signs of a cat’s pregnancy, but it won’t necessarily indicate that it’s due to the fact that your cat has a baby yet. The first signs of pregnancy will occur in the second and third weeks of pregnancy. Your cat’s belly will swell and her nipples will redden. If you notice any of these signs in your cat, you should take her to a veterinarian. The symptoms of a pregnancy can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and an increase in appetite. Some cats will also seem more fatigued than usual.
A swollen abdomen is also indicative of a variety of other conditions in cats, including infections, organ failure, and other medical problems. Your veterinarian can perform an ultrasound to determine whether your cat is pregnant and take X-rays to determine how many kittens are inside her. X-rays are most useful after a cat is 42 days pregnant. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend specific tests that can determine whether your cat is pregnant.
Behavioral changes
There are certain behavioral changes that you can observe in your cat when she is pregnant. Your cat may begin to lose her appetite and cling to you more. She may also begin to play with toys in the nesting box and lose its appetite as labor pains begin. Your cat may also lose interest in food and exercise and start pacing around and calling for you. When you notice these changes, make sure that you immediately stop the behavior before your cat gives birth.
If your cat suddenly seeks attention, it could be pregnant. Your cat may also become less playful and sleep more than usual, and may also develop mood swings. If your cat suddenly disappears from its home, it could be nesting, a common behavior of pregnant cats. Nesting is a natural behavior that happens when the uterine lining swells. This will result in increased restlessness and “accidents” outside the litter box.
X-rays
During early pregnancy, x-rays cannot tell whether a cat is pregnant, but they can help the veterinarian determine if the fetus is developing in the womb. At about the third or fourth week of pregnancy, a veterinarian can detect fetal heartbeats and assess the size of the cat’s abdomen. An ultrasound of the abdomen, meanwhile, can detect fetuses and heartbeats as early as the second or third week.
If a vet suspects a cat is pregnant, he or she can conduct an ultrasound. This procedure can detect pregnancy in the early stages of the pregnancy. Ultrasounds can detect embryos as early as two or three weeks after conception, and an ultrasound can also reveal the viability of the fetus at various stages of pregnancy. However, abdominal ultrasound is the gold standard of pregnancy detection, and is safe for the unborn kittens.
Ultrasounds
If your cat is at least two weeks pregnant, the first step to take is to visit a veterinarian. Your vet can perform an ultrasound to tell if she is pregnant and to feel the abdomen for kittens. The next step is X-rays to determine how many kittens she is carrying. X-rays are most accurate after the kittens are at least 42 days old. If your cat is not showing signs of pregnancy, ultrasounds are an excellent option.
Pregnant cats will develop a rounded belly around the 30-day mark. If your cat is overweight, you may not see the distension. If your cat is a little overweight, ultrasounds may not be as obvious as the other symptoms. Although pregnant cats will gain a small amount of weight, the total is usually only two to four pounds. It’s important to take your cat to the vet as soon as you suspect pregnancy.