What to Expect When Expecting Kittens – Pregnant Cat

Cats make for wonderful pets. However, sometimes, we get more than we bargained for with them. Lots of pet owners every year are faced with the happy, but often inconvenient blessing of a litter of kittens. This can mean a lot of things for pet owners, but most often it means getting as many questions as it does kittens. While there are a lot of different elements that a litter of kittens brings to a household, but there are a few key things to keep in mind when you have a pregnant cat that can make the transition a lot smoother.

How long is my cat pregnant for?

Cat pregnancies are often unexpected, and if one should happen to your cat unexpectedly, you should be prepared for a long haul. The period of time varies from how long cats are pregnant, but cat pregnancy length can vary from sixty-four days to sixty-seven days. Cats are mammals, and as such they carry their children in the womb for the duration of their initial growth, until they are ready to survive outside the mother’s womb and drink their mother’s milk.

Cats do this for around sixty-five days, and then usually give birth to a number a kittens. However, how a cat gives birth is a little different from other mammals, in that cats give birth to a litter of kittens that has a relatively large number of offspring when compared to when other mammals give birth (say people, or cows, who generally give birth to one offspring at a time). This can overwhelm some pet owners, who don’t know what to do with all these new little ones running around the house, or who may not have ever had to deal with kittens before. At this point, it’s custom practice to sell the kittens to other pet owners or hopeful pet owners, not only to take some of the little ones off you hands, but to help other cat-lovers as well.

Changes in your pregnant cat

Another important thing to keep in mind if you know you have a litter of kittens on the way, is that a pregnant cat can at times act differently than it does when it’s not pregnant. If you have a very energetic cat, while pregnant it will be very low-energy, and not move around a lot. A pregnant cat will stay indoors more to keep itself safe, and it will be more defensive when it comes to interacting with different animals, but they generally become more affectionate to their owners, provided their owners don’t move them around too much or irritate them.

Pregnant cats are very protective of their unborn young (as all animals are when they get pregnant), so it’s best to treat your cat gently and considerately, and to be mindful of all times of your cat’s situation. As the pregnancy goes on, the cat’s attitude and actions will only amplify. It’s nothing to worry about, and once the cat gives birth she should return to her usual self for the most part.