The cat gestation period is basically the duration of the pregnancy. A cat that is allowed to explore the outdoors freely can quite easily come in contact with a tom cat and become pregnant, if she has not been spayed. If your cat lives indoors, but you also have a tom cat who has not been neutered, then they could mate.
Cats achieve maturity and can begin producing offspring any time after they pass 6 to 8 months.
The cat gestation normally spans around two months, or 60 to 67 days to be more precise. Pregnant cats also referred to as ‘queens’, show clearly visible behavioral and physical changes during the gestation period.
These changes will only start become evident around three weeks or so, after breeding. It may not always be easy to tell if your cat is pregnant, particularly early in the pregnancy, but your veterinarian would be able to help. Your vet should be able to detect the cat pregnancy by simply feeling her abdomen gently. Don’t try doing this yourself however, as it can cause serious damage, endangering not just the life of the kittens, but also their mother. A month into the cat gestation period, which would be around halfway through, the signs of pregnancy should be quite obvious, with the unmistakable bulge in her belly.
Here are some of the signs you can be watchful for:
The physical changes – There isn’t much that you would notice in the first few weeks, as your cat will probably only gain a few pounds and her abdomen will enlarge only in the fifth week of the cat gestation period. The extent of enlargement is again determined by the size of the litter, which could vary from just 2 kittens to even 4 or 5. The nipples also seem to be swollen and take on a darker pink hue, while the fur around them seems to recede. Usually, it is only in the seventh week that the mammary glands show enlargement.
The behavioral changes –
Changes in your cat’s behavior become most noticeable towards the latter weeks of the pregnancy. Restlessness and anxiety during the last weeks of the cat gestation period are in fact quite normal. She might also prefer solitude during the period and in the last two or three weeks even display increased irritability. As with a human pregnancy she is experiencing a lot of discomfort and it just makes her weary. There is also increased urination with greater frequency, and passing of stools because of the great pressure on these organs. For this reason she may soil your house frequently.
Make sure that you feed your cat well throughout the cat gestation period, and make sure she has good access to water. She will have an increased appetite as she’s also eating for the kittens, so make sure there’s always plenty of nutritious food available. Don’t allow her out of the house as she could end up consuming something contaminated or expose her to an infection that could be threatening during the cat gestation period.
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