Cat Pregnancy

For all the cat owners cat pregnancy is a very delicate and vital period. You need to take special care of your cat during this period.

Pregnancy signs in cat
Pregnancy in cats lasts about nine weeks. During the first half of the pregnancy the cat gives no clue that she is pregnant. She hunts, rests, and generally behaves normally. Later on under the influence of progesterone - a hormone released during the pregnancy - and with an ever increasing weight in her abdomen, she soon moderates her behavior, gradually reducing her activity level and resting more.

If you think that your cat may be pregnant, first check her nipples. These become more prominent and pink by three weeks of gestation. By four to five weeks after conception, her belly becomes visibly enlarged and developing fetuses are usually quite easy to count.

Precautions to be taken during pregnancy
The greatest risk to unborn kittens occurs during the first three weeks of development in the womb. Both drugs and infections might seriously impair healthy development. If, for example, the mother is exposed to feline infectious enteritis (FIE, or panleukopenia) at this time, the surviving kittens will be born with severe brain damage. Even exposure to live panleukopenia vaccine is dangerous. Cats should be vaccinated before they are pregnant, to increase the amount of passive protection they pass in the first milk to their kittens.

Never vaccinate pregnant cats to increase the level of inherited protection. Never vaccinate other cats in the household of a pregnant cat. Live vaccine virus can be shed by vaccinated cats and affect the pregnant cat's fetuses.

Important/Practical advice

• Before breeding cats arrange for a home for the resulting litter.
• Before breeding make sure that the cat is emotionally and physically mature.
• Test the cat and the proposed father to ensure that they are not carriers of viral diseases such as FIV or FeLV.
• Ensure that your cat is well nourished during pregnancy, and lactation period.