The female cat can get pregnant right from the age of 4 months and she may well start experiencing heat around that time. A cat’s heat cycle is also known as the ‘estrus cycle’. As menopause doesn’t happen in cats, they can keep producing litters their entire lifetime.
There is no perfect time or seasonable attribute for a cat to come on heat and produce kittens – it is possible anytime in the year.{1}{2} There are however a number of factors to determine when the cat’s heat cycle begins:
- Breed
- General health
- Age
- Weight
- Days getting longer (Spring/Summer)
How Long Do Cats Stay Pregnant
Cats’ pregnancies last for circa two months. The exact pregnancy period of a cat is between 63 to 67 days, though sometimes it may last up to 72 days. You might not be able to see any signs of pregnancy in the first 2 to 3 weeks.{2}
Frequency of Cats Coming on Heat
- Cats belong to the polyoestrous (having more than 1 oestrus cycles in a year) species. The estrus cycle of a cat ranges from 7 to 10 days. If the cat gets pregnant, she can get the heat cycle back after 8 weeks of giving birth.
- Some cats experience the symptoms of pseudopregnancy (or false pregnancy), which means having all the symptoms of pregnancy without being pregnant for real. In this situation, the cat may get the heat cycle back in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
- In general, the cat may return to the heat cycle within a day or a couple of weeks.{1}
Symptoms of Visible Signs to Predict That a Cat Is Pregnant
There are a few traditional approaches to ascertaining if a cat is pregnant, however, you should always consult a vet for a final confirmation. Some of these traditional approaches are:
Swollen Abdomen
The cat starts showing physical signs of pregnancy after passing almost half of the gestation period. Swollen abdomen can be seen any time after 2 to 3 weeks of pregnancy.
Nesting Behavior
Cats search for an isolated and calm place to prepare themselves for birth. It could be under the bed or a lonely corner in the house where she can raise her babies peacefully.
Doting Behavior
During pregnancy, cats become more loving and attention seeking.
Increased Sleeping
The female cat starts loving to sleep more and more. After all, growing a litter in her belly is a laborious task.
Weight Gain
There is visible weight gain of approximately 2 to 4 pounds in a cat, after a couple of weeks in pregnancy.
Vomiting
Just like humans, frequent vomiting is also a sign of a cat’s pregnancy. But vomiting could signify other health issues, if there is no sign or possibility of pregnancy.
Darkened Nipples
During pregnancy, the nipples of the female cat swell-up and turn darker in colour.
Increased Appetite
Growing babies inside her womb will make her appetite larger.
Cat pregnancy cannot be determined by any one factor, but needs a combination of many factors. The visibility of any sign does not always mean that she is pregnant, it could be false pregnancy or some other issue too.{2}
How to Confirm Cat’s Pregnancy
There are 3 practised strategies to confirm the pregnancy of a female cat:
Ultrasound
Ultrasound can determine cats’ pregnancy, but only after 21 days of conception. Mating date does not always mean the date of conception. Try DuePet’s pregnancy calculator to find the due date.
X-Ray
With the help of an X-ray, one can see skeletons of kittens, but only after 40 days of pregnancy.
Palpation
A practised veterinarian can determine the pregnancy of a female cat by gently pressing the abdomen and feeling her fetuses.{2}
Number of Kittens a Cat Can Produce
Typically, a female cat can have approximately one to ten kittens in a litter – it depends on the age of the cat. The young and old cat may give birth to fewer kittens and have smaller litters. Size of the litter also depends on the breed of the cat. For example, a Persian cat has a smaller litter, whereas a Siamese cat has a bigger litter. Sometimes, not all the kittens are born in one go, they are born in intervals. Things may get complex in such cases, and you should seek professional help.{2}
If you suspect that your cat is pregnant, you may consider trying our mobile app, which has proven very helpful in managing a pet’s health (including pregnancy).
Download DuePet’s iOS App Now Download DuePet’s Android App Now
FAQs
Yes, a cat can get pregnant at the age as young as 4 months.
A cat gets skeletal maturity after 10 months of age. So, it is better if a cat gets pregnant after that.
