Expert: Marcia Owen - 5/31/2010

Question
QUESTION: hpw l;ong is it from when a cat starts showing its pregnant to when it has its kittens?

ANSWER: HI Megan

A cat is pregnant for approximately 65 days.  Their teats usually turn pink at around 21 - 28 days after mating which will give you some sort of idea, and the kittens can be seen moving at approximately 2 weeks before kittening.

Hope that helps.

Marcia

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for that i'm sorry about the spelling :) my cat is a mouse hunter and today i fed her and she ate a little bit and laid down then i went and brought food to her and she ate a bit and laid back down my mom thinks it could be that she hunted last night and isn't hungry but she usually eats more than that and then later she walked off towards our trees and did it kind of slowly..i don't know wether she is going to have her kittens or not.. yesterday i noticed they were kind of moving but i don't know how long they have been moving.. can you let me know what you think about her eating and walking off towards the trees? thank you!

Answer
Hi Megan

I would try to keep her close at home and not let her wander off now.  If she's eating little amounts she must be very full of kittens.  Its difficult to say how long she has to go but generally they start finding somewhere to nest and if she is very 'close' to you, she will be wanting you around.  Any different behaviour is a cause to keep a close eye on her.  When she is very close to kittening she may very well change shape as the kittens drop down so she may not be so round at that point.  Keep an eye on her back end for signs of discharge, clear or tinged with blood.  This can happen up to 24/48 hours before delivery.

Marcia