She returns later after not being seen for a short period of time say half a day to a day with a guilty look in her eye and you know by her new found silence that the likelihood is she has been meeting up with that bad sort from down the road and got herself pregnant.
There are no blood or urine tests that determine whether she is pregnant or not but after 3 to 4 weeks, a vet will know by examining her.
At 6 weeks, an x-ray can tell you and how many kittens she will deliver but this is an unnecessary expense.
What to watch for
So having got your suspicions what she has been up to then expect a wait of between 61 to 69 days or in simple terms around 9 weeks.
During that time, you will not notice too much difference for the first 3 to 4 weeks but you will start to see subtle changes in your cat.
Some cats have morning sickness. They don’t get particularly large until the final 2 weeks so it’s not always that obvious that they are pregnant but you may notice weight gain around the tummy before that.
The first clues come after around 3 weeks when you may notice her nipples turning pink and becoming larger. If it’s her first pregnancy then it is more pronounced than second or third pregnancy.
Other signs are that she becomes more homely and stops fluttering her eyes at the local toms in fact she shows total disinterest in male cats. She has had her use now, “leave me alone!”, is the message.
She will gain weight without becoming huge but you may notice she is becoming plumper. After 5 weeks you may start to notice that she is pregnant by looking at her.
After 6 weeks as her breasts fill with milk, you will see they are getting larger.
She will become hungrier naturally but none of the craving for ice cream or any other such thing thank god, but she will want to nourish herself well and its best to let her do this as she is going to need it.
This becomes more apparent as she comes near to time to give birth but a few days before she is due to give birth, she may well have a decrease in appetite.
Don’t give her too much but certainly increase her portion. A good idea is to mix some kitten food in with her regular food.
Around the fifth or sixth week, your cat may become much more affectionate and quieter as her time gets nearer.
Around the 7th week, she is going to start looking for somewhere safe and out of the way to have her kittens. Try to avoid her getting out although she is unlikely to want to but there again she may choose to go and have her kittens elsewhere, which would not be a good idea.
Nest building
It may be a good idea to give her a box in the area she seems to have chosen for herself. Give her time to become accustomed to the box, let her have a good sniff etc. and sleep in it, but she will almost certainly take to it as she knows it’s an ideal spot for her to have her kittens in.
Encourage her to a place where there is not much activity, out of harm’s way, and away from kids running around.
Supply her with newspaper, which is good for easy cleaning and mom may appreciate it and shred them up for nesting material.
Before birth, she will become restless and may refuse food and water, then you know that her time has come.
Giving birth and after care is another subject.
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