Cat Pregnancy Calculator

Your cat’s due date is approximately 63-67 days after the day she mated. Each pregnancy is slightly different, and it’s not unusual for some cats to carry their litter for as few as 58 or as many as 72 days. If you don’t know when your cat mated, her body and behavior can also give you signs. Nipple enlargement and reddening usually develop 15-18 days into pregnancy, and your cat’s belly will start looking larger around 30 days in.

Cats are pregnant, on average, between 63 and 67 days—that’s about 9 weeks. Some pregnancies last for as long as 72 days. If your cat has not given birth after 10 weeks, be sure to see a vet to make sure everything is okay.

A pregnant cat will usually give birth 63-67 days after she became pregnant, though some pregnancies last up to 72 days. Because many cats don’t show signs until 2-3 weeks into their pregnancy, that gives you just about a month to prepare for the delivery.

After 8 weeks of pregnancy, a cat is almost ready to give birth! You will be able to see and feel the kittens in her abdomen. Her nipples will be large and swollen, and her milk may start dropping around this time. You might notice a little milk secreted from the nipples.

Additionally, cats at this stage of pregnancy tend to groom a lot and may start losing fur on the belly. She may have changes in appetite, and if she hasn’t already found a nesting spot, she’ll continue to seek the perfect warm, safe place to give birth.

Labor in cats is broken into three stages, and it can often last for up to 42 hours in total, though there can be some variations.

The first stage, in which the cat will become restless and anxious and start nesting behavior, most often lasts for 6-12 hours. In some cats, especially if it is a queen’s first pregnancy, this stage may last much longer, up to 36 hours.

In stage 2, visible contractions begin. The first kitten should be delivered within 1-2 hours of initial contractions and straining. After a resting period typically lasting about 30 minutes to one hour, the mother cat will deliver her next kitten.

Some cats may experience an interrupted labor, in which they take a break, sometimes lasting as long as 24 to 36 hours, to care for their kittens before birthing more. If you know there are more kittens that need to be delivered and over an hour has passed but the queen is not in distress, is nursing her kittens, and accepting food, she may be experiencing interrupted labor, which can be normal.

For signs of birthing trouble, look at the queen’s behavior. After the first kitten, it shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes for a kitten to be born once active signs of labor have started. If she is showing signs of labor for 10-20 minutes but no kitten is produced (or if a kitten is visible but no forward progress is happening in that time), veterinary care should be sought, especially if the queen appears to be in discomfort or distress.

If you know that your cat has another kitten to deliver but over 4 hours have passed since the last delivery, this may be normal if the queen appears happy and comfortable. But if you are not sure, it is always best to consult a veterinarian. In total, the delivery phase often lasts anywhere between 2 and 24 hours. If interrupted labor occurs, an additional 24-36 hours may elapse.

The third stage of labor is when the mother cat delivers the placenta(s). Depending on the individual situation, the cat may alternate between stage 2 and 3 until the final fetal membrane is delivered. Sometimes, two kittens may be born quickly one after the other, with their placentas both coming together shortly after. The queen will typically ingest the placenta of each kitten shortly after it is passed.

It is important to note that a large majority of queens will not require assistance with birthing their kittens. But if you are not sure if something you’re seeing during the birthing process is normal or not, always make sure to seek advice from your veterinarian.

About 24 hours before a cat gives birth, she will usually stop eating, and her body temperature will drop below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Just before labor begins, she will start meowing, chirping, and making other vocalizations. You’ll notice her licking her genitalia more often, and discharge may be seen from her vagina. If a queen is cleaning herself often, discharge may not always be visible.

If you’re not sure how close your cat is to giving birth, there are two common tests your veterinarian can use to have an idea of how far along the kittens are, as well as how many your cat has.

An ultrasound (sonogram) can be used as early as days 25-30 of pregnancy to help confirm the presence of growing kittens. Later in pregnancy, ultrasound can also be used to assess the health of kittens if you are concerned that your cat is delayed in giving birth.

After day 45 of pregnancy, an x-ray can be performed to verify a later stage of pregnancy as well as how many kittens are present. This can be very helpful to confirm that your cat may be only two weeks or less from having her kittens, as well as knowing how many you should be expecting.