Expert: Marcia Owen - 6/2/2008

Question
How do I know when my cat is due if i didnt notice anything about her being pregnant until she started showing and I dont remember the date of that. I know she has been showing at least a month but it could have been more.  She looks like she has a touch of loose stools, shes used the bathroom a lot today and had lots of bowel movements.

Answer
Its not always easy to say when a cat is due if you don't know the date of mating.  The kittens can be felt moving at around 2 weeks before birth and near the birth she might get restless and start looking for somewhere to have her babies, though not all do this.  Her milk glands may also start to become evident but again that isn't always the case as some girls never seem to show this.

You really need to keep an eye on her.  She will have a show of fluid (sometimes a bit bloody) shortly before she is going to start contractions.  

Hope this helps

Marcia