How long does pregnancy last in cats - signs, developmental features and methods for determining the period (125 photos)

Owners of purebred cats often expect offspring from their pets. Not all representatives of the cat family can independently bear healthy offspring. It is precisely purebred cats that often need more vigilant attention and help from specialists.

It is important to immediately identify the symptoms of pregnancy in cats for the proper development of kittens. How many months does pregnancy last in cats? How to properly care for them during this period? This article will help answer these and other important questions.

Symptoms of pregnancy in cats

Thanks to several accompanying signs, you can determine whether your pet is pregnant:

• morning sickness;
• swelling and change in color of the nipples;
• increased appetite;
• change in food preferences;
• change in character and behavior;
• drowsiness and apathy.

Presence of pregnancy can only be determined with the naked eye in the second month. Specialists will be able to help in the second week of the term.

Methods for determining pregnancy

At the moment, it is impossible to use tests to determine whether a cat is pregnant or how many days it lasts. Possibly with the help of ultrasound 2 weeks after the start of coverage.

The veterinarian can determine pregnancy by palpation. Perhaps this is only on the 20th day and not later. Otherwise, the fluid-filled uterus will no longer allow this.

Gestation period for Scottish cats

The first question that arises for pet owners is how long the pregnancy of a Scottish cat lasts.

On average, the process takes 65 days, starting from the first day of coverage. May vary from 60 to 70 days. Not everyone succeeds exactly on time. This directly depends on proper care of your pet.

In the Scottish breed there are cats with straight and hanging ears. The shape will not affect in any way how long pregnancy lasts in fold-eared or straight-eared cats.

Classification of asphyxia according to the Apgar scale

To assess the severity of asphyxia in a newborn, the Apgar scale is used. With its help, the doctor evaluates heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, skin color and reflexes, and then determines the severity of the pathological condition.

To give a rating, the doctor evaluates each of the five signs as 0, 1 or 2 points. Accordingly, the maximum and best score is 10 points. The assessment is determined taking into account the following criteria:

The condition is assessed in the first and fifth minutes of life. Accordingly, the child receives two ratings: for example, 8/10. If the score is 7 or lower, the baby’s condition is assessed additionally at the 10th, 15th and 20th minutes.

Depending on the Apgar score, the degree of asphyxia is determined:

• 1-3 points – heavy;
• 4-5 points – average;
• 6-7 points – mild or moderate.

The Apgar score is not highly sensitive. Therefore, if a child has abnormalities, additional diagnostics are necessary to assess asphyxia.

Gestation periods for British cats

How long does pregnancy last in British cats? On average, the same as for Scottish representatives. The more kittens expected to be born, the sooner you can expect birth. Some may appear on the 58th day from the day of conception.

Most owners are concerned about the cat's first pregnancy and how long this process lasts. Don't irritate your pet. In cats, the process is inherent in nature. The timing of the first or subsequent pregnancy is not affected in any way.

Period of active movements

Kittens begin to move around 5-6 weeks . At first they are quite rare, then the babies begin to move more and more often.

By this time, their paws and toes had already formed, skin had appeared on their body, and the first hairs had begun to sprout. During this period, babies develop their basic senses: hearing, touch, and smell. The nervous and muscular systems continue to develop.

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Features of pregnancy in the second half of the term:

• The cat's belly becomes quite noticeable, its shape becomes pear-shaped, since the kittens are located in the belly area. Moreover, if a cat is expecting 1-2 kittens, the belly may not be visible at all.
• At this stage, experienced owners can feel the heads and determine the number of kittens in the stomach. True, this is not so easy to do - especially when they begin to move a lot.
• Closer to the 7th week, it is already clearly noticeable from the outside how the kittens move, if the cat’s hair is not too long.
• The cat becomes more careful, avoids jumping from heights, seeks shelter, eats and sleeps a lot, and moves little.
• Kittens, as a rule, are quite mobile and move a lot during the day: they can stretch, make massaging movements with their paws, and push each other. When swallowing amniotic fluid, babies may hiccup – these movements can also be noticeable. If the litter is expected to be large, then at times it seems as if the cat’s belly is literally shaking.

At 7-8 weeks, the cat’s stomach becomes less and less space, and the kittens begin to move with a vengeance. The activity of children at times greatly disturbs the cat; she seeks solitude and hides in secluded corners. At this stage, you can easily feel how the babies move through the wall of the abdomen - you just need to put your hand.

Proper care during pregnancy

Cats change their behavior after conception begins. They move little, lick themselves more often and do not come into conflict with other pets.

But it is the owners who need to monitor the correct diet of purebred cats:

• at the end of 1 month you can increase the usual portion of food;
• it is advisable to divide the double volume of food into several equal parts;
• at the end of 2 months, establish the original diet before pregnancy.

If cats are usually fed natural food, then it is worth adding vegetables and herbs, fermented milk products. Sometimes give boiled fish and increase the amount of meat in the daily diet.

If your pet has consumed ready-made food, it should be replaced with cat food for pregnant and lactating women.

And most importantly, do not irritate a pregnant cat. Moving, rearranging furniture or loud noise can affect the health of future kittens.

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Birth of kittens

The most difficult thing for people without specialized education is determining the onset of labor in a pet.

There are several characteristic signs of a cat:

• anxiety;
• poor appetite or complete refusal to eat;
• licks and breathes frequently;
• settles in a certain place and does not leave it.

The cat is able to cope with the birth of kittens. Excessive attention can cause stress in a cat, which often affects the process of giving birth to kittens.

If the birth is too long and bleeding appears, then you cannot do without the help of specialists.

Malformations of the upper limbs

Anomalies include any deviations in the skeleton of the shoulder girdle and arms.

If we talk about developmental anomalies of the upper extremities, the classification developed by The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH) shows the following areas:

1. Structural defects are longitudinal and transverse.
2. Impaired differentiation of bone and soft tissue.
3. Polydactyly or duplication.
4. Excessive development of segments.
5. Inferiority of development.
6. Underdevelopment of hands or fingers.
7. Congenital constrictions.
8. General pathology of the skeleton.

Main diseases:

• malformations of the hand - its complete absence, the inability to move the wrist or straighten it;
• absence of other parts - forearm, fingers;
• phocomelia – seal-like limbs;
• syndactyly - fused fingers;
• stenosing ligamentitis – inability to straighten the finger;
• camptodactyly – part of a limb is missing due to intrauterine constrictions.
• giant or very long fingers.

Caring for mother and kittens

After giving birth, the cat may refuse to eat for 24 hours. It is still worth worrying about the availability of food, water and access to a waste tray.

The cat provides the kittens with full milk nutrition for 4 months. You should not touch or pick up kittens at first. There will be plenty of time to pet and watch the cute little kittens.

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Types of newborn asphyxia

Classification is carried out according to several criteria. First of all, depending on the time of development of the pathological condition, the following are distinguished:

• primary, or intrauterine asphyxia - develops directly in the womb;
• secondary, or extrauterine asphyxia – occurs in the first hours of the baby’s life.

In turn, primary asphyxia is also divided into two subtypes:

• antenatal, or chronic - develops even before the onset of labor;
• intrapartum, or acute - occurs during the period of uterine dilation and fetal birth.

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