How long does it take for a female cat to become pregnant

Duration of pregnancy of cats 

Cats reproduce by pregnancy and childbirth (procreation), the gestation period of a cat extends from 63-65 days, the pregnancy of cats begins at the age of 4 months and gives birth at the age of 6 months, the duration of pregnancy of cats may vary up to a maximum of 72 days and a minimum of 61 days.

This difference does not depend on the type of cat, but depends on the time when the cat's pregnancy is known, as it is difficult to know when the cat is pregnant because of the late physical symptoms that appear on it, and these symptoms often appear after the second or third week of pregnancy.

Childbirth has several stages and rituals, namely:

At this stage, the cat's uterus begins to prepare for childbirth, contractions begin and fatigue appears on it, and the movement of embryos can be felt on the abdominal wall of the mother cat, and often at this stage she needs to feel safe from her owner, and some cats before Labor begin to gasp, as a result of pain and fatigue, and when labor begins, the cat refrains from eating (the last 24 hours before birth), and the Labor period lasts for 36 hours in some cats. 

At this stage, the uterine muscles contract greatly and repeatedly, and the fetus moves to the pelvic area to prepare for the exit, and the fetus is enveloped by membranes that facilitate the birth process and the passage of the fetus from the uterus to the pelvis, this stage is the most stressful stage of childbirth for the cat, in which the fetus comes out one by one in periods ranging from 10 minutes to an hour. 

When the cat gives birth to her fetus, she gets rid of the placenta, tears the membrane, bites the umbilical cord and eats it after birth, and begins to clean the kittens, especially the ear area, mouth, by licking them.

How many times a cat gets pregnant per year the number of times 

A cat gets pregnant depends on the estrus cycle, as this cycle comes for female cats seasonally, most often in the spring and autumn months (twice a year), and during this period pregnancy occurs, and during this cycle, which lasts from 9-10 days if mating is not done, it ends after four days.

Cat breeding season

It starts practically as early as February, and lasts until late December, so it can be said that February is the beginning of the mating season. The number of mating times necessary to conceive cats in the ovulation stage, in cats the cat needs the mating process from three to four times, within a period not exceeding 24 hours, the mating process between cats does not exceed two minutes, and this is enough time for pregnancy to occur, and mating may be between one female and more than one male, and here it should be noted that cats may be from different fathers.

During this period, the presence of cat breeders is necessary to provide the necessary care and support for the cat, as sometimes mating between the male and the female is refused, resulting in the presence of fights and severe injuries, in addition to the need to be careful for the appearance of aggressive behavior in some females at times, as they carry out some annoying behaviors such as scratching or biting the breeder.

Symptoms of pregnancy in cats 

Cats show symptoms that indicate their pregnancy, and the most important of these symptoms and signs are the following:

The color of the nipples has changed, as after the third week of pregnancy, the cat's nipples become dark relative to their normal color and their size is enlarged, and a brown-colored substance may be secreted during pregnancy, although milk is excreted only after birth. 

The occurrence of nausea, some females are exposed to symptoms of nausea, especially in the morning, and it is preferable to see a veterinarian if nausea recurs significantly. 

Flatulence, flatulence in cats with heavy weight may be difficult to distinguish, but continuing to increase the size of the abdomen in a cat is evidence of pregnancy, and cats often increase by 1-2 kg during pregnancy.

Choosing a quiet place to stay, after the first weeks of pregnancy, the cat begins to look for a quiet place to stay, in this period it shows actions characterized by kindness, tenderness, makes a purring sound, and may be a little tolerant of the surrounding animals.

After the 40th-45th day of pregnancy, ultrasound can be used to find out if the cat is actually pregnant or not after the appearance of the previous symptoms, in some cases the veterinarian accepts ultrasound, but it will not be of much use, especially in knowing the number of cats, and X-rays can be used to detect the pregnancy of cats, they are safe.

The cat's eating habits can be observed as the pregnant cat may begin to refuse to eat, and in other cases after the third or fourth week the cat refrains from eating for long periods of up to three days, on the contrary, it may experience excessive appetite, and some cats begin to eat more than usual.

One of the most important things to pay attention to is the distinction between obesity and pregnancy in cats, as when looking at the cat from above, the belly of the pregnant cat is swollen from the middle of the neck to the tail, and from the side the belly will look round and swollen, but obesity is the swelling of the cat from all sides, including its feet and neck.

Cats may be exposed to false pregnancy as a result of unsuccessful mating or due to artificial ovulation, as the female cat shows symptoms of pregnancy, such as: enlarged nipples, lymph nodes, but these symptoms disappear after the fortieth day spontaneously.

 How to care for cats during their pregnancy 

Cat breeders should deal with the cat during pregnancy in a natural and calm way as much as possible, as dealing very sensitively with the cat during this period may cause many problems, especially during childbirth, so it is imperative to follow the following instructions in providing care for cats:

Maintaining the amount of eating and not increasing it except in the last stage of pregnancy, especially the last two weeks, what must be taken into account is that the female in recent periods displays all or eats in very small quantities at several intervals during the day. 

Get rid of CAT tools that allow her to jump from high heights, as moderate activity is allowed, especially during the last stage of pregnancy.

Refrain from using insecticides, especially within the area where the pregnant cat is located. Monitoring the state of the cat's excretory system, as cases of constipation may be formed as a signal of the presence of some danger, and therefore it is necessary to provide special laxatives. 

When using any medical drugs for the presence of any disease it is necessary to make sure that they do not affect pregnancy and fetuses.

Work on preparing a place for childbirth, especially in the late stages of pregnancy, and this is by providing a wooden or plastic box and placing a number of pillows and absorbent papers for liquids that can be disposed of after the birth process, which helps the cat to feel safe and comfortable.

The pregnancy stage of cats lasts from 63-65 days, this stage is characterized by sensitivity in the cat, in which some friendly traits appear, especially to those who raise her, but in return she shows some hostile traits of animals in her surroundings, and this period requires providing physical and nutritional care for the cat, without overdoing or shortening, preferably the birth of the cat in a closed place to feel safe and not threatened.