How long cat pregnancy

That gives a pet owner a little more than a month to plan and prepare. For instance, hunger alone may be a sign of other issues, and weight gain is sometimes normal. Also, it can be hard to tell when an obese cat with dark fur is pregnant. An owner might want to visit the vet to know for sure.

Your trusted, local vet will be able to tell you for certain if your cat is pregnant by using one of these strategies:. There are typically between one to 10 kittens in a litter.

First-time queens tend to give birth to smaller litters of two or three kittens. Older queens tend to have smaller litters as well. It also may depend on the breed; Siamese cats tend to have big litters while Persian cats tend to have smaller litters. Sometimes, pet owners are surprised by more kittens, as there is typically 10 minutes to an hour between them. Consider coming in for a visit to make sure and get ready. The human imitation can follow much the same plan with additions in a real emergency.

If in doubt persist with stimulating the kitten; some can still be revived over 30 mins from birth. That said, the longer the duration before breathing, the higher the risk of hypoxia causing brain damage or blindness. Warmth is a primary essential for the newborn. The kitten cannot react to cold by shivering and cannot control its own body temperature. Normally, warmth would be obtained by direct body contact with the mother and conserved by the maternal choice of an enclosed kittening bed.

The first point to remember if help is required is that a newborn wet kitten loses heat very rapidly, hence the brisk rub dry. Follow this, if the mother is ill or not co-operative, by contact with a warm, well-covered hot water bottle and conserve heat with a covering blanket.

Great care must be taken not to inflict contact burns by having the bottle too hot. An acceptable alternative is an infra-red lamp widely used for pigs and puppies and readily obtainable. Its disadvantages are that many cats dislike the open bed required for its use and that it may make both mother and kittens too hot and lessen the close normal nursing contact between cat and kittens.

Congenital defects that are obvious at the time of birth, and may be involved in dystocia, include:. Many serious inherited abnormalities are not obvious at birth and abnormalities of the eyes, hearing and heart fall into this category. Suspected abnormalities of joints and limbs should be viewed with caution unless utterly self-evident such as severe shortening of a limb.

The most difficult decision usually concerns the kitten persistently rejected by its mother, despite its apparent normality. The choice, in this case, lies between hand rearing, fostering or destruction, and in this connection, it should be remembered that the completely hand-reared kitten will be at a disadvantage in its behavioural responses to its own species.

The decision can only be made by the breeder after full consideration of the circumstances. Occasionally a cat may fail to pass the final set of foetal membranes after parturition appears to be complete.

She will probably show some signs of restlessness and of abdominal discomfort and may be unwilling to settle with her kittens during the hours after parturition. Her appetite will probably be poor and a brownish vaginal discharge may be seen. Examination will show a raised temperature and palpation through the abdominal wall will disclose a thickened lumpy area of womb containing the membranes. Broad-spectrum antibiotic cover is necessary and prostaglandin F2-alpha may help to induce expulsion of the retained membranes.

If this fails, an emergency ovariohysterectomy spay may be required. Metritis inflammation of the uterus occurs occasionally, usually within three days of parturition. The cat is much more obviously ill than with simple retention of foetal membranes.

She will be dull and lethargic, ignore her kittens, refuse food, become polydipsic, and may vomit. A purulent, foul-smelling vaginal discharge is present along with fever. Abdominal palpation may cause the queen pain and the uterus usually feels thickened. Antibiotics should ideally be chosen according to culture and sensitivity.

However, first-line treatment usually consists of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, eg, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, or a cephalosporin. Uterine prolapse describes the telescoping of the uterus which then protrudes from the vulva. It occurs rarely, where it is seen as an acute post-parturient emergency.

The appearance of the invaginated uterus at the vulva is self-evident. Initially, the cat is noticed to be straining and uncomfortable despite the completion of parturition. If treatment is delayed the cat will rapidly become dull, shocked and lethargic, in a similar manner to the animal with a uterine rupture. Uterine prolapse constitutes an emergency requiring immediate medical support and surgical intervention. Mastitis inflammation of the mammary glands , as an acute suppurative form, sometimes occurs during early lactation.

It is usually confined to one gland and may follow a simple congestion or overstocking. The affected gland will be tense, hot, painful and enlarged. If it is only congested, the application of heat and subsequent gentle massage will bring normal milk out of the teat orifice, and the situation may be speedily relieved by milking the gland concerned. If an abscess is present, the cat will become anorexic, dull and feverish, and in addition to pain and swelling in the gland, a pointing, or purplish area of fluid pressure from the accumulation of pus will be seen.

Antibiotics are essential. While, ideally, they should be chosen according to culture and sensitivity, first-line treatment usually consists of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, eg, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, or a cephalosporin.

Lactation tetany could, in theory, occur during, or at any time after, parturition. Early cases are well known in the bitch.

However, in the cat, most cases have been recorded later in lactation, 17 days to eight weeks post-kittening being most typical. While the precise causes of the condition are not known, it involves a sudden drop in the amount of calcium circulating in the bloodstream. It is undoubtedly connected with the demands of milk production and the affected cat usually has a fairly large litter to suckle. The first signs of the onset of the condition usually include lack of coordination and tetanic muscular spasms with later collapse and coma.

Treatment by the intravenous injection of calcium preparations leads to a spectacular reversal of the condition. A later subcutaneous injection may be required to maintain the recovery. Kittens should be removed from the cat if old enough, otherwise, their numbers must be reduced or supplementary feeding given.

Any affected cat should only be allowed to rear a small number of kittens at any subsequent litter. Lactation tetany often occurs after each kittening so this fact must be remembered when considering the advisability of breeding again and taking prophylactic measures, or alternatively of neutering.

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Our Other Sites. When to wait and when to worry… While many authors believe that problems in parturition birth are rare in the cat, others feel that with the progression of selective breeding these problems are becoming more common. Late pregnancy and premonitory signs of parturition In the cat pregnancy generally lasts for 63 to 65 days; however, it is not unusual for some cats to carry a normal litter for either a shorter or longer time range 58 to 70 days.

The stages of parturition For the stages of birth see here. Interrupted labour So-called interrupted labour is common enough in the cat to be considered a normal occurrence. Abnormalities of labour — dystocia Dystocia difficult birth can be classified as either maternal or foetal in origin, depending on whether it is caused by problems with the queen or kittens. Abnormalities of the first stage Abnormalities of the first stage can include all forms of primary inertia, and occasional rare disorders, such as torsion or rupture of the uterus.

Abnormalities of the second stage Secondary inertia arises after prolonged second-stage labour, and may be associated with obstructive dystocia, muscle fatigue, or excessive pain.

Malpresentation Posteriorly presented, or tail-first, kittens occur quite frequently, so much so that this could almost be considered a normal presentation, often causing no delay in birth. Malposition Malposition usually occurs when a kitten has died in utero prior to rotation. Queens tend to have an increased appetite later in their pregnancy, which will also contribute towards her weight gain.

An increased appetite could also be a sign of worms or illness, so double check with your vet to confirm. Your pregnant cat may act more maternal, meaning that she purrs more and seeks extra fuss and attention from you. Some vet practices can diagnose cat pregnancy using ultrasound, sometimes as early as 15 days into her term.

The vet may also be able to give you an indication of how many kittens your cat is expecting by day 40 of her pregnancy. Bear in mind that in cat pregnancy, a larger kitten can obscure other smaller kittens in the womb, so you could have more kittens than expected!

There are several signs to look out for that signal that the kittens are on their way. Right before giving birth, mum may become more vocal, appear agitated and want to wash herself constantly. Delivery should start with strong abdominal contractions, followed by some discharge from her vagina.

If the discharge is heavy and black, or blood-coloured, then contact your vet. After this discharge, the kittens should follow very quickly! Explore our cat brands:. Related articles. Advice and articles tailored to your pet's needs. Free access to our in-house team of vets, behaviourists and advisors. Discounts and offers from our brands.