Cat Gestation

Cat gestation, or the pregnancy term of your feline pet, will last an average of about 65 days and represents the timeline of development of the kittens inside the mother’s bellies.



The expecting mother cat, also known as the ‘queen’ will appear to bloat significantly during this period and other cat pregnancy symptoms include the increased prominence of the nipples, the onset of morning sickness (usually mild enough to go unnoticed) and a substantially increased appetite. Cats will only get pregnant if they go into heat, having not being spayed previously, and this normally happens during the warmer months of their geographical location. Most symptoms will only become visible about a couple of weeks into the cat gestation period.



The veterinarian will simply feel the cat’s abdomen in order to confirm pregnancy, unlike the procedures with humans where a number of blood tests and other medical procedures can also do the same. After the sixth week, the veterinarian may use the help of an x-ray machine in order to take a closer look at the development of the kittens within the queen’s body.

Unlike in most other situations, a feline pet experiencing the cat pregnancy period will see its attitude change substantially during this phase.



Expecting cats are known to be more friendly and affectionate, craving their master’s attention on a more than average level. It is important that you avoid shunning the cat and provide her with the attention she desires in order to make her as comfortable as possible this very confusing time. During the last few weeks of the pregnancy, you will notice that the cat becomes rather restless and unable to relax. The queen will become rather shy and try and hide from most company. The best care to provide the expecting mother would be to give her special bedding in which she can deliver her kittens.

When the cat is ready to deliver, she will begin to start howling and there will be a sudden drop in her body temperature. This is also accompanied by a milky discharge from her nipples. Most mothers will deliver about 5 kittens on an average. Once the kittens have been successfully delivered, it is best to take them as well as the mother to a veterinarian for a medical check up to ensure that they are all in the best of health. Because of the fact that feeding and constantly caring for her young ones will take a lot out of the mother, it is essential to provide her with specially engineered pregnant cat food to provide her with the additional nutrition, vitamin and energy that she requires at this stage.