Signs by week
| Week | Sign |
|---|---|
| 2 | Heat ends and the calling stops. Behavior may begin to change. |
| 3 | Pinking up: nipples darken to pink, sometimes red. Physical signs usually first show around now. |
| 4 | Nausea or vomiting and food refusal, a swelling abdomen and the start of weight gain. A cat may gain 2 to 4 pounds over the pregnancy. |
| 6 | More affectionate, purrs more, may be less tolerant of other pets. |
| 7 | More time resting and appetite rises again. |
| 8 | Nesting begins, about two weeks before delivery. |
| 9 | Food refusal and increased resting. Kittens usually arrive at 63 to 67 days. |
White nipple discharge can also appear. Not all cats show every sign, and some show very little.
Confirming it
A vet can use ultrasound or X-ray. Petfinder says ultrasound can be done safely from about week 2, and at about day 40 (week 5) an ultrasound or X-ray can show how many kittens she is carrying. Do not press on or handle her belly.
Work out the due date
If you know when she was bred, enter it in the cat pregnancy calculator, which gives the expected date and the normal window, or look it up in the cat pregnancy calendar. The week-by-week guide explains what to prepare.
Getting ready
- Book a vet visit to confirm, and ask about diet, deworming and vaccines for a pregnant cat.
- Set up a quiet, warm, safe spot for nesting, about two weeks before the due date.
- Cats can usually give birth without help, so intervene only in an emergency.
See a vet. A cat that strains without producing a kitten, has bloody or foul discharge, is very lethargic or stops eating for more than a day needs a vet straight away.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first sign of pregnancy in a cat?
Pinking up, when the nipples turn pink or red, around week 3 after mating.
How long are cats pregnant?
About 63 to 67 days, which is roughly nine weeks.
Can a vet tell how many kittens a cat has?
Ultrasound or X-ray at about day 40 can show how many she is carrying.