How long are cats pregnancies
A female cat after reaching certain maturity in sexual will start her estrus cycle. Normally, it happens when the weather begins warmer at the time of spring or fall.
Fertility in cats happen between two in one or two week, cat owners can notice their pets who become a bit affectionate and weird in call and eating habit. After the fertile done, female cats, if in suitable seasons and under common heath condition, will possibly get pregnant.
So how long are cats pregnancies? The answer is around ten weeks. However, during this time, both cat owners and cats have to been through tiringly careful and challenging procedures of take care of fetuses for at last welcoming fit kittens. Diet and caring procedures will be the most wanted keywords for all.
Phases of cat pregnancy
As mentioned before, cat will be experience commonly ten weeks from fertility to giving birth. Each week will pass with changes inside cat body and her behaviors (source)
In two first weeks, people may not easily recognize changes because of fertile, at this time, fertilization occurs inside cat body and changes secretly. Not clear clues would be found to prove that your cat is about to give birth of kittens
Next two week, appearance will change a little bit. In particular, cat nipples will larger and pinker. Even though, it happens when cats go into heat. But cat breast enlarging signals that your cat are prepare for milk fluid. She may start to be sick, not so serious and vomit, however, not all cats do the same. Even though these symptoms are common to all cats in pregnancy, you should consult vet for serious situations.
Next two weeks will be time for fetus to grow. The experienced will sense the kittens by bare hands and properly tell the quantity. But more importantly, breeder will realize increase in food consumption. Because of eating for mum and cat babies, the queen will need larger supply of food. As a result, you should prepare food available at any time to make sure that mommy cat won’t get hungry.
From seventh week, due to apparent changes in weight, female cat will be rounder, especially belly. And next week, breeder will touch and feel kittens under belly wall as real. Her nipples would be prominent at this time to set ready for delivery.
The mommy cat may deliver at late of the ninth week or tenth. However, this last period of time is crucial for both pet and pet owner. People should prepare for sufficient amount of food available and make a nest for birth giving. Closer to the time of labor, cat will focus on her nesting and her nipples may tip milk in drops.
It seems to be abnormal if cats do not give birth few days after the tenth weeks. If breeders are kept in waiting zone for too long time, consulting vet could be a recommended solution.
Cats behaviors
During pregnancy, cats will behave and act weirdly. For first days, it could be signals, and on following days, these are physical and mental changes affecting mom expression.
For start of fertile, female cats will be more affectionate and low in calls to attract tom cats.
From pregnant time on, besides of being slightly tired and sick, cats will eat very much. Their consumption of food will be increase day by day due to kittens rise in size. Additionally, they gain much more weight in short time, they do not be active but slow and lazy instead. For last weeks before onset of labor, cats will start to find a place of delivering. They may search around and get nest prepared gradually, meanwhile, in common, food eaten will rise, somehow, decrease due to kittens weigh down on their stomach, which may narrow space for food (source).
Cats will deliver in secret, as their natural so people should wait and help them in silent.
Cats appreciating diet
Cats’ instinct is not close to people, so besides watching your cat going through pregnancy, people can support them in diet.
In general, all food given to cats during this sensitive time should be nutritious and safe. In particular, there could be some tips for preparing queen cat’s food.
Queen cats must eat for kittens so breeders should choose high calories foods, which are rich but not need to consume in large amount. Scientific speaking, dry foods contain higher rate of calories, meanwhile, they lack water. As a result, if feeding cats with wet food, people should use more, but with dry ones, people should prepare water as complimentary. Food and water need keeping available for cats always even though they show some signals of anorexia. Extra is always welcomed.
For future nourishing kittens, breeders should add some kitten formula onto queen cats’. This change ought to be done gradually form seven to ten days in order to cats get used to new menu.
Notices for delivering and post-delivering
At delivering, cats can choose owners’ pre-prepared nest or use their own. So, you don’t need to worry about it. However, to prevent cats from giving birth outside, people should keep them indoor for several days when they come close to labor. This is only for easier caring and nursing post-pregnancy.
After giving birth, mom cat have to provide milk for kittens form six or eight weeks, consequently, rich nutrition formula will be kept and even more supply. Kitten formulas can be applied for newborns and moisture food will be preferred.
After mom cats start to stop milk production, cat owners should gradually reduce foods and keep the diet back to pre-pregnancy, as for litters, suitable diet is possibly provided.
Overall, female cats are supposed to be through ten week of pregnancy with mostly changes in appearance and appetite. Growing body and biological changes to be mom cats start in the sixth week as normal. Cats from that week will eat up for kittens so their diet will be enlarged in quantity and calories contains. Breeders should support queen cats on their time of pregnancy by taking care of meals and availability of food. Normally, cats will not suffer considerable emotional or physical changes during time of pregnancy.