Is My Cat Pregnant? How to Tell & Tips for Care

Christine O'Brien

January 10, 2020

Has your female kitty always been on the slender side but is now packing on the pounds? If so, it's natural to wonder if she might be pregnant. Luckily, how to tell if a cat is pregnant usually comes down to a few common signs, such as:

Noticeable weight gain in a few weeks (she'll gain about 2 to 4 pounds in all)
Swollen and pink nipples (called "pinking up," this occurs around week three of pregnancy)
Distended abdomen (noticeable around week five)
Increased appetite
Vomiting
Personality changes (she may become either more affectionate or, less common, more reclusive)

If you have a female cat that is still intact, meaning she has never been spayed, and checks off some or all of these boxes, you'll want to confirm the pregnancy with your veterinarian right away. They can perform a blood test, an X-ray and an ultrasound to identify if your cat is pregnant and how many kittens she's carrying.

Some of the most common signs of a pregnant cat include weight gain, distended abdomen, increased appetite and personality changes.
It’s important to confirm pregnancy as soon as possible, so that you can give your cat the proper care.
If you want to avoid a pregnancy in your cat, getting them spayed and keeping them indoors are two easy options.

How to Care for a Pregnant Cat

Once you know that your cat is pregnant, you'll next want to ensure she has everything she needs to stay safe during this time. While even pregnant cats can be quite independent, here's how you can care for a pregnant cat during the 58 to 67 days of gestation (the period of time that a kitten is carried in the womb).

Amp Up Routine Care

It's tempting to cuddle your cat's pregnant belly, but this can be hazardous. As Animal Planet points out, pressing on or squeezing her stomach in any way may be uncomfortable for the cat and potentially cause a miscarriage.

And if you aren't doing so already, clean her litter box at least once a day — twice, ideally. If her current litter box cannot accommodate her pregnancy weight, replace it with one that's lower to the ground and has a wider entrance.

Yes, spaying your female cat prevents pregnancy, but there are other great reasons to do it.

Christine O'Brien

Best Practices for Pregnancy Prevention

You now know how to tell if a cat is pregnant and how to care for her when she's expecting, but what if raising a litter of kittens isn't your dream scenario? There are a couple of ways to prevent unexpected cat pregnancies.

Get Your Cat Spayed

Yes, spaying your female cat prevents pregnancy, but there are other great reasons to do it. For example, spaying your cat prevents:

Health issues such as uterine infections, cancer and breast tumors
Your cat going into "heat"
Cat overpopulation (the ASPCA reports that 3.2 million homeless cats and kittens enter shelters in the United States annually)

If your cat has just given birth, wait until the kittens are weaned to speak with your veterinarian about the spaying procedure and post-surgery recovery.

Christine O'Brien

Christine O'Brien is a writer, mom, and long-time cat parent whose two Russian Blues rule the house. Her work also appears in Care.com, What to Expect, and Fit Pregnancy, where she writes about pets, pregnancy, and family life. Find and follow her on Instagram and Twitter @brovelliobrien.