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This is the most frequently asked question by cat owners. After all, you want to know how long it’s going to be before you need to start worrying about the birth!

Have you any idea at all? Has your cat been pregnant before and previously given birth to kittens?

One thing is for sure, knowing the length of a cat’s pregnancy won’t help at all unless you know the date when she mated with her chosen suitor.

As a rule, your cat keeps that information a secret!

Just when you think that your life is on track, your cat comes home with more than she went out with…….

So you thought that all that loving behavior and cute rolling around she’s been doing lately was just for your benefit? She’s been coming into season and was practising her seduction technique for every Tom, Dick or fur-covered Harry that will pass her way.

And now, without warning, you have an idea that you are going to be the proud grandparent to a litter of kittens and you haven’t the first notion of when that will be.

So, just how long will it be before you can gaze on your tiny new kittens?

The avarage length of feline pregnancy is 63-65 days - around nine weeks - but kittens may be born as early as 58 days or as late as 70 days gestation.

But as chief midwife-in-waiting, unless you have a good idea when your promiscous puss-cat was consorting with the local toms, you will only be able to make a rough guess at the expected delivery date.

It’s far more usual not to have any idea that your beautiful, pregnant cat is ‘with kittens’ until she is 35-42 days into her 65 day pregnancy and starts to show certain signs.

By the time you begin to recognise the physical changes in your cat she will already be over halfway through her pregnancy.

If you are very vigilant, you may have noticed your cat’s nipples looking significantly pinker than usual. This occurs around 3 weeks into the pregnancy as her milk glands begin to change in readiness for full-scale milk production when her kittens arrive.

Around the same time, your cat may go off her food. Could it be puss-cat morning sickness perhaps?

However, just about every cat gets picky about their lovingly prepared food from time to time, so pregnancy is likely to be the last things that enters your mind as you dispose of yet another uneaten meal.

Whether you have noticed these signs or not, you are unlikely to attach any significance to them unless your cat has been through pregnancy before and you are alert to the subtle changes that she has previously experienced.

It will not be until there are only 21-28 days to go before the birth that you will become sure that your lovely cat is pregnant.

You will naturally be anxious to learn all you can about what to expect during your cat’s pregnancy and labor so that you can be on hand to give her all the help and care she might need. So make sure that you have equipped yourself with the knowledge you will need by finding a comprehensive ebook that will easily guide you through all the stages of pregnancy, labor, birth and nursing.

But most of all, take the time to savor the anticipation of the arrival of a litter of cute, fluffy newborn kittens!

Last 5 posts by Jane Tompsett

• Do You Make This Mistake With Your Cat's Carrier? - April 30th, 2008
• Cat Vaccination - Are You Dicing With Your Pet's Life? - April 24th, 2008
• Is Your Cat Treading on Her Bedding? Get Ready For Kittens! - April 11th, 2008
• Your Pregnant Cat - Building A Nesting Box - February 26th, 2008

Tags: Cats