The average duration of pregnancy in cats is about 65 days, although a deviation of several days in both directions is not unusual, as it’s not always easy to determine when your cat’s knitting took place. Even if you have a cat with a pedigree and a breeder gave you the exact mating date, mating cannot be guaranteed, as well as pregnancy. However, you will have a certain representation when the conception took place. Cats can carry from one to eight kittens, and quite often those that bear large litter, have a shorter gestation period. However, in same time if the cat is under any kind of stress in the later stages of pregnancy, this may delay the delivery somewhat.
After mating, the cat usually does not show any signs pregnancy for three weeks. In the early stages, a cat may seem a little more active if she is pregnant, but first a sign, as a rule, is the swelling and redness of her nipples, which will definitely indicate that the cat is waiting for its first litter. After about 4-5 weeks of gestation, tiny embryos will have a length of just over 2 cm, so if you have any doubt, then the veterinarian will be able to confirm the pregnancy by careful palpation of the abdomen. After six weeks pregnancy, if the cat has more than 1-2 kittens, the stomach will become much more, and by the seventh week you can even detect their movement.
To the last stage, if the cat is pregnant (and she can still be a false pregnancy), it usually becomes quite restless and starts looking for a nesting place. During last week, the mammary glands of a cat, like its nipples, will become more enlarged. She can become rather withdrawn and less active, and white discharge from under tail.
You must help the cat find a suitable nesting place, so that she doesn’t get settled, for example, on someone’s bed. Her like a warm and dark enough place, but even cardboard a box lined with newspapers and old clothes can be perfect suitable. In addition, you should pick up a bottle of hot water, and then cover it with material to heat with it some area in the box for the first kittens, until they are born the following.
A very small number of cats can mate up to sixth week of pregnancy, this is due to a lack of hormone progesterone, which prevents the release of eggs. If this will happen, and the cat will be allowed to mate, then, quite it is possible that embryos of different ages. In this situation, if the kittens are from the second mating born prematurely i.e. towards the end of pregnancy from the first mating, then they most likely will not survive, or they may born a little later. However, it is important that potentially the pregnant cat was exclusively indoors, and could not going out, as it can be very risky.
You should avoid at all stages of a possible pregnancy. the use of any medications if they were not agreed with the veterinarian, since even the usual regular remedy against fleas can harm unborn kittens. To you also should continue to feed her a high-quality diet with a high protein content, given that it will need more food in the later stages of pregnancy. If your cat will have a little constipation in the last few days, then you you can give her a small amount of oily fish, as she is a natural laxative.
When the cat begins to give birth, ideally, you should be fully armed and be nearby to offer her whatever she needs help, however, do not give in to the temptation to intervene unnecessarily. If If you have any reasons for concern, you should call your veterinarian and tell him all the important details. Not wait until morning if the cat obviously has problems in the middle nights such as violent contractions lasting more than two hours without the appearance of a kitten that is most likely just stuck. Veterinarians they’re used to being called at different times, although most cats give birth to kittens very easily, without any problems at all.
