> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://my-feline.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Cat Pregnancy: What to Know - URL: https://my-feline.com/cat-pregnancy-what-to-know/ - Published: 2025-04-27T08:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-26T14:32:06.000Z - Description: Understanding cat pregnancy and how to support expecting queens through each stage. - Author: James Cudd - Tags: Reproduction & Development, library A cat's pregnancy lasts about nine weeks, sixty-three to sixty-five days on average, and in that time a litter of kittens grows from a cluster of cells into animals ready to take their first breath. A pregnant cat is called a queen, and her body and behaviour change a great deal along the way. Whether you're curious about how your own cat came to be, thinking about breeding, or simply interested in how cats work, this is what happens from the first signs to the birth. ### Recognising Pregnancy in Queens ![Early pregnancy signs in cats](https://ismqigxmrhobxfjfipgo.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/library-reproduction-and-development/RED-003/RED-003%20Section%201.jpg) The first changes usually show within a few weeks of mating. Her nipples become larger and a rosier pink, a change breeders call pinking up, which usually appears two to three weeks after conception. Some queens are sick now and then at around three to four weeks. Her abdomen gradually fills out and is usually noticeable by about day thirty. More affection, more napping and a bigger appetite are all common. By week five the kittens can sometimes be felt through her belly, though this is best left to a vet, since pressing can do harm. A vet examination is the reliable way to confirm a pregnancy. From around day twenty, a vet can feel the small, firm sacs where the embryos are growing, and a scan can pick up a pregnancy from fifteen to twenty days. Later on, after day forty-five, the kittens' skeletons have hardened enough to show on an X-ray, which gives the most accurate count. Early confirmation means her care can start from the beginning, and the nine weeks fall into three distinct stages... **Download and sign up to the My Feline app to read the full article...** --- Research rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 of 5). Last updated 25 August 2026. ### Sources - Knospe C. Periods and Stages of the Prenatal Development of the Domestic Cat. - Bigliardi E, Rizzi M, Bertocchi M, Denti L, Bresciani C, Vetere A, Di Ianni F. Evaluation of Biochemical Composition of Amniotic and Allantoic Fluids at Different Stages of Pregnancy in Queens. - Fournier A, Masson M, Corbière F, Mila H, Mariani C, Grellet A, Chastant-Maillard S. Epidemiological analysis of reproductive performances and kitten mortality rates in 5,303 purebred queens of 45 different breeds and 28,065 kittens in France.