Possibly pregnant

Question
QUESTION: We recently got a male kitten who is unfixed and we have a female who is also unfixed. We thought he was to young to mate with the female but it seems as though we were wrong. What are some pregnancy symptoms? She should be due early to mid April if she is pregnant. Thanks for your help. :]

ANSWER: Hi Marissa.  I once found myself in the same situation.  How quickly they learn!

Cats rarely have any mood changes associated with pregnancy.  There is the occasional sleepiness or lack of appetite in the first few weeks, or once in a great while, even some vomiting.  

But the first sign you will probably notice is deepened pink nipples that begin to stand up around 3 weeks into the pregnancy.  Even so, you will really have to be on the look out for this, as it's a subtle change that even experienced breeders can sometimes miss.  If she's due early to mid April, then this may be evident any time.

It isn't until more than halfway through the pregnancy, about five weeks along, that most people start to notice that the belly is getting a little round, and this is when a pregnancy usually is suspected.  Now the mammary glands may also be swelling noticeably.  

Some vets are able to confirm pregnancies by palpating the belly, and x-rays can confirm pregnancy at about 6 weeks along.  I have all of my mothers x-rayed so that I know how many kittens to expect.  It makes things much easier when it comes time to deliver - no worries about whether there are any kittens who haven't been born!  There is also a blood test that can confirm pregnancy around one month along.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much. I'm pretty confident she's pregnant then.


Oh and is it normal for a pregnant female to sleep a lot more, eat more, and be more affectionate?

Answer
I'm sort of envious!  Even though I encourage everyone to spay and neuter, expecting little ones can be exciting!  Sleepiness, increased appetite and extra affectionate personality can all be considered normal.  They usually intensify later in the pregnancy.  In the last two weeks, she may either become restless and clingy or withdrawn as she begins nesting.  It varies from cat to cat.  And some cats will have a tapered appetite a day or two before delivery.  

Most pregnancies go off without a hitch, but just be watchful for any vulvar discharge.  Two of my pregnant cats have gotten pyometra, an infection where the uterus fills with pus.  A sign of it is yellow, brown, white or greenish discharge.  The best treatment is an emergency spay, but if you want to keep the pregnancy, antibiotics may be an option if the infection is caught early enough.  One of my queens was treated successfully with antibiotics and was able to carry her litter full-term.  The other one had to have an emergency spay, as the infection was to a life-threatening point, and the kittens were already distressed.