She’s turned up at the feeding spot looking a bit wider. She’s eating more than usual, and she’s friendlier than she used to be. You start to wonder.
A street cat who hasn’t been spayed is pregnant a lot of the time. Females can breed from about four months old, and the season runs from around February to October in the northern hemisphere. If she’s female, grown and has no ear tip, there’s a good chance.
In short
| How long? | About 63 to 65 days, so nine weeks. |
|---|---|
| First sign | Pinker, bigger nipples, from about week three. |
| Round belly | Shows from about week five. |
| Last two weeks | She looks for a quiet, dark, safe place. |
| How to help | Extra food, a sheltered box, then neutering. |
The signs, week by week
A cat’s pregnancy lasts 63 to 65 days, according to International Cat Care. For the first few weeks there’s almost nothing to see.
- Around week three: pink nipples. Her nipples get pinker, bigger and easier to see. Vets call it pinking up, and it’s the first sign you can spot.
- Weeks three to six: more appetite, more weight. She eats more and slowly fills out. Some cats get friendlier and want more attention.
- From about week five: a round belly. Seen from above, she’s wider at the middle, and the belly is firm and round rather than loose.
- The last two weeks: nesting. She looks for a quiet, dark place: under a shed, inside a bush, at the back of a garage. Her nipples fill with milk.
Pregnant, or just plump?
A lot of cats look pregnant and aren’t. Every cat has a loose flap of skin under the belly, the primordial pouch, which swings when she walks. That’s not kittens. A pregnant cat’s belly is round and firm, wider at the sides, and grows week by week.
Toms get fat too, and a kitten with a pot belly but thin hips and spine more likely has worms. Our guide to fleas and worms covers those.
How to help her
- Feed her more, and better. Cats Protection says a pregnant cat should switch to a good kitten food, which has the extra goodness she needs. Keep that up until the kittens are weaned.
- Fresh water, every day. More so in summer.
- A safe place to give birth. A cardboard box on its side with the top cut off, lined with old towels, out of the wind, rain and sun, somewhere quiet. She may choose her own spot anyway.
- Keep your distance. Don’t try to move her or handle her belly. A stressed mother may leave a nest.
- Tell a local cat group. They can plan for the kittens, and for her neutering afterwards.
After the kittens
For the first weeks, leave the family alone and keep the food coming. Our guide to found kittens covers when to step in, and the kitten age chart helps you tell how old they are.
Kittens are fully weaned at around 8 weeks. Don’t wait long after that to get the mother spayed: she can come back into season soon after giving birth, and without help, this will happen again next season. Our guides to trap, neuter and return and to catching a cat safely explain how.
What if she’s caught for neutering while pregnant?
It happens. A vet can spay a pregnant cat, and in many neutering programmes they do, because it’s often the only chance to catch her. It’s a hard call and not one to make alone: talk it through with the vet and the cat group before the day.
Questions people ask
How long is a cat pregnant?
About 63 to 65 days, or around nine weeks. The first sign, pinker and bigger nipples, shows from about the third week.
What should I feed a pregnant street cat?
Kitten food, which has the extra nutrients she needs, plus fresh water every day. Keep feeding her well until the kittens are weaned at around 8 weeks.
Can a cat get pregnant right after having kittens?
Yes, she can come back into season soon after giving birth. Talk to a vet or a cat group about spaying her once the kittens are weaned.
Snap her with Island of Cats. A mother on the map is one the neighbours can help.
