Q: How can you tell if your cat is pregnant? How long are cats pregnant for? How can you tell if your cat is in heat?
A: Heat (the period of time during which a female cat will allow a male cat to mate with her) produces characteristic behaviors in some cats. Females in heat will become very vocal and will yowl or “trill” around the house. They will assume a body posture called “lordosis,” with their rear end up in the air, their tail off to one side, and their little back feet treading into the carpet. This position can be induced by simply touching the cat’s rear quarters. Cats become more affectionate when they are in heat.
If the female cat is successfully bred at this time, kittens will be born approximately 63 days later. In the early stages of the pregnancy, you won’t be able to tell if the cat is pregnant. As the weeks progress, however, the cat will develop an enlarged, rounded belly, and her nipples will begin to swell and produce milk.
Veterinarians often can detect swellings in the uterus (fetuses) between day 20 and 30 of gestation. After that, the abdomen becomes too distended to clearly feel distinct swellings. Perhaps after day 50, individual fetuses again can be felt, this time because they’re now quite large. Pregnancy diagnosis by palpation (feel) is an art, and it depends on the skill of the veterinarian, the size of the litter, the body condition of the cat, the temperament of the cat, and other factors. X-rays can help in the diagnosis. Fetal skeletons can be seen on X-rays by day 42 of gestation. Ultrasound is a more sensitive test. By day 16 to 20, fetal vesicles can be seen, and by day 25, fetal heartbeats can be detected.