"There’s a cat on our porch we’ve been feeding – she’s been declawed, but we don’t know if anyone owns her. We think she may be pregnant – do you do pregnancy tests? If she’s not fixed, I’d like to get her fixed but I’m not sure if she’s carrying a kitten”.If you’re thinking of a lab test such as those we use to detect human pregnancy, there are none that we know of. And, during the first 3 weeks of the 9-week term, there aren’t any outward signs you can rely on. But by the end of the third week you can tell a cat’s pregnant just by looking at her. First she loses the hair around her nipples while they enlarge and pink out, and then her tummy starts to grow. You may even notice her having morning sickness–becoming nauseous, eating less, and sleeping more. If you take her for an exam, the vet can palpate her stomach to confirm there are kittens– and after 5 weeks -- with the aid of an x-ray – can even estimate how many and far along they are.
The question isn’t “how do you test for cat pregnancy”, it’s “why would you want to?” Unplanned kittens are a bad idea on many levels and vets routinely spay cats well into their pregnancy. When you suspect a cat is pregnant, spay her--sooner rather than later. In fact – don’t wait until you suspect a cat is pregnant – spay her as soon as you begin feeding her. Help save the lives of already-born kittens and cats by reducing the number of new ones entering the annual adoption pool. And besides, without getting into the philosophical issues that cloud this decision, even if you wanted to, it’s almost impossible to prevent spaying a pregnant cat.
You may mistakenly think if you let the pregnant cat have her kittens, you can wait until they’re weaned to spay her and that way she won’t be pregnant. Wrong! Cats continue to get pregnant even while they’re nursing – so you may still end up fixing a pregnant cat even if you wait. And, if you think confining her indoors will keep her out of play, there’s always the chance she’ll escape outdoors. It only takes a few minutes for an in-heat cat to get pregnant.
Cats always seem be in heat because they almost always are. They’re classified as polyestrus, long-day breeders. Unlike dogs who go into heat only twice a year, cats cycle from February through October – with new cycles starting up again only 2 weeks after the previous one ends. They can go into heat as young as 16 weeks of age, continuing thereafter every two weeks unless they’re spayed, ill, or pregnant. An average number of kittens in a litter is 4 -- and, depending on how warm the winter months are -- a cat can have 2-3 litters each year.
Preventing your cat from reproducing doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy kittens. Shelters, rescues and veterinary clinics are always looking for foster homes to house litters of kittens too young for adoption. To be fully socialized to people, kittens need to be raised in homes, not shelters. If you and your family want to indulge, this is a great way to enjoy kittens without adding to an already overpopulated cat community. It’s generally a 3-4 week process and the baby kittens will appreciate all the love and attention you can give them.
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