How long are cats pregnant

How long are cats pregnant

Reproduce

The duration of pregnancy of animals differs from the period of a human pregnancy, and it varies from one animal to another as well, and the periods of pregnancy are usually compared between a group of mammals in particular; This is because - almost all of them - give birth to their young instead of laying eggs. The longest known gestation period in the animal kingdom is in the elephant.

Elephants carry their children for a period of up to 22 months, which is approximately two years, and the blue whale carries its young for a period of a year and a few months, while the gestation period of mice does not exceed twenty-one days or three weeks, and cats are considered animals with a relatively short gestation period in the mammalian group.

The duration of pregnancy for cats

Pregnancy for cats takes two months and a few days, which is between 62 to 63 days, or the equivalent of nine to ten weeks. Cats usually mate during certain periods of the year known as "lust", during which the reproductive desire increases in males and females, and they repeat several times during the year (in the first three months of the year, and July in particular), and they continue in each one of them.

From three days to two weeks, and if the female does not get the opportunity to mate during that period, the next "lust" will likely come within a short period. When the pregnancy period begins, the cat searches for itself for a quiet spot, far from the noise and influences, and after the end of the pregnancy period, it gives birth to several births, usually ranging from three to five, and in most cases the birth proceeds normally (although it may occasionally need a veterinary intervention), The kittens are looked after by their mother for about two and a half months, and then they begin to become independent.

Symptoms of pregnancy in cats

The symptoms of pregnancy in cats begin in the third week, and among the symptoms that appear on them are swelling and swelling in their breasts, and their color is pinkish, but their stomach is not yet swollen.

When the cat enters the fourth week, her appetite increases and she desires more food, and her stomach begins to swell, and pregnancy appears more.

In the fifth week, there are no distinct symptoms, but the owner of the cat must pay attention to feeding it, and in the sixth week the cat appears more pregnant, so its belly appears larger than before, and its behavior begins to change.

She does not expand or wriggle like before and her movement becomes slower, and her steps are cautious, and she resorts to staying indoors - if she is a domestic cat - or in any angry place, and her appetite increases more.

In the seventh week, the cat appears anxious and confused, as she feels the movement of her fetuses, so she begins to move and expand more, and tries to find a birthplace, and here the cat owner must help her and provide her with the appropriate place (such as a cardboard box, for example) and leave her in a dark and clean place.

Later, when the cat reaches about the sixty-first day of pregnancy, the stage of labor begins, and this is for most cats, but the cat can be late for this time, and if the cat is too late, contact the veterinarian.

At the beginning of labor, the cat undergoes some changes in its behavior, including that it appears uncomfortable and restless and makes noises of discomfort, and remains in this state for twenty-four hours, and then begins contractions, which take about half an hour each of them until the first of their offspring comes out.

Then the period between contractions decreases and reaches about half a minute, and the mother licks the place where the puppies exit from it so that the birth process is easier, and the birth process can take place as a whole quickly, while it may be delayed so that it takes a whole day.

The common cat

The domesticated cat (in Latin: Felis silvestris catus) is a type of feline to which all domestic Cats that are raised in homes and animal stores belong or those that roam in cities, and humans began to domesticate the cat for the first time in history in ancient Egypt 4,000 years ago,

as It was of great importance and appreciation in the Egyptian civilization for its ability to hunt and catch rats, which improved the agricultural production - especially grains - which rodents consumed a lot.

Cats live in most parts of the world, and they are the most desirable pet in the United States and many other countries, and they love to live in large groups and communicate with each other with more than a hundred types of sounds, and cats live in families for fifteen to twenty years.

Cat biology

Domestic cats are characterized by high physical abilities, they are fast runners and can jump great distances, and cats can see at night or weak light with much more accuracy than humans, and they are skilled at climbing trees, and they have a great sense of balance that enables them to walk easily on narrow ledges and even thin walls If cats do fall, they know how to cushion the shock by landing on their flexible feet.

The weight of an adult cat may range from two and a half to seven kilograms, and it may weigh more than that, and its height at the shoulder is about 20 cm or a little more.

Unlike most animals that belong to the group of mammals, the cat depends - in its gait style - on moving each side of its body with each other, so when the catwalks forward, it introduces its left back leg with the left front of the right front with the right-back, and this makes it look like He slips while walking.

The five toes of the cat's feet end with sharp claws, and these animals are known for their ability to fold and straighten their claws.

In normal conditions, the claws are buried under the skin by a group of flexible muscles, and when the cat needs to use the claw, it pulls a tendon-like muscle and raises the claw from the skin, and exits.

Cat-human relationship

The domestic cat is one of the most common animals in cities and pet stores, and for this, there are many reasons, including the ease of dealing with Cats, their safety, their lack of resistance to submission to humans, and the commitment to the rules that they impose on them or the training that they teach them.

Some raise them to benefit from their role in combating harmful pests, such as mice and rats, that can be hunted with great skill, and for this, they are very useful in combating pests in the home or on farms where rodents cause great damage to crops and their economic return.

The cat is also valued for its fine and fine coat, which is sometimes considered of economic value in the clothing and fashion industry.