Can cats feel pregnant? -Cats.com (2023)

Pregnancy is an exciting time and affects everyone in the household, even your cat. Withthe pregnancyOn them comes the hustle and bustle of preparing for a new baby. This could mean new furniture, changes in home decor, change in routine, and more. Because cats love routine, they're likely to notice these changes.

But what about the pregnancy itself? Do cats have a sixth sense that you're pregnant? Do you know that a new family member is on the way? Read on to find out.

Changes in pregnant women

Pregnant women often experience manyhormonal changes(through the pregnancy hormones estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, relaxin, hCG - human chorionic gonadotropin) to maintain pregnancy. Sometimes these hormones can subtly alter body odor or even release pheromones.

These smells will not be noticeable to us humans, but there is a good chance your cat can detect these smells. If they do, they may show more interest in you. Cats have an amazing sense of smell.

To put this in perspective, humans have 5 million olfactory receptors that pick up smells. Cats, on the other hand, have between 45, 80 and 200 million olfactory receptors. Their sense of smell is at least 14 times better than ours. Therefore, it is very likely that cats can experience very slight changes in body odor.

Cats also have the vomeronasal organ (also called Jacobson's organ). This is an organ located in a cat's palate that allows it to detect pheromones.Pheromonethey are like chemical scents that cats use to communicate with each other. Pregnant women canrelease pheromonesSo it's possible that cats can detect this.

Pregnant women often have onehighest body temperatureAlso, regular cats are warmth seekers and sun worshipers, so there's a good chance they'll notice that rush of warmth and seek your lap for a snuggle.

Also read:

Can Cats Hear Baby's Heartbeat?

You probably already know that cats are incredibly good at hearing. Their hearing is much better than ours and even dogs. We can often see them moving their ears like antennae, tuning in to distant sounds. You must have been wondering, can cats hear the baby's heartbeat in the womb?

Although there's no scientific evidence or studies to support this, we do know that cats have a remarkable sense of hearing. You can distinguish between two different mice that are 3 inches and 3 feet apart. We also know that they can hear 4 to 5 times longer than humans.

So it seems very likely that cats can hear the baby's heartbeat as their hearing is much better than ours. It's not known when they might start hearing their heartbeat, but it's less likely in early pregnancy.

The heartbeat would get louder towards the end of pregnancy, making it more likely your cat will be able to hear it later when snuggling on your lap.

Also read:Do cats have good hearing?

Emotional changes cats can feel

In addition to the physical changes (such as increased hormones and body temperature) that cats can experience, there are other changes as well. Pregnancy can create a variety of emotions for both parents.

A newcomer on the path can evoke a variety of emotions in parents; excited, nervous, full of joy, some worried. Pregnancy itself can cause mood swings in a pregnant woman due to the fluctuating hormone levels.

Cats are very observant pets and can be sensitive to our mood swings. They can often sense when we're feeling sad, angry, or upset. How they respond to emotional changes depends on each individual cat. Some cats may ignore these changes while others may be affected.

For example, if we are in a very happy, positive mood, our cat may be more inclined to seek our interaction. On the other hand, if we are very upset or angry, they may avoid us. For other cats, it may be the other way around. It depends on their personality and how they are feeling right now.

Also read:Do cats get angry? 10 subtle signs to look out for

Household changes that may affect your cat

Cats can sense subtle changes in mood, body temperature, pheromones, and even hormonal changes. These are changes that can be subtle and difficult to spot. Some changes are more obvious, such as B. House Changes.

Changes at home are inevitable when a new baby is on the way. There will be new furniture e.g. cradle, cradle basket, changing table, car seats and more along with baby items like clothes, diapers, towels, musical toys etc. All these things look very new and may even scare your cat.

Also read:How to prevent cats from scratching furniture

How to reduce your cat's stress

There are many changes when a newcomer is on the move. Between new furniture, appliances, changes in routines and home design, it can be overwhelming for us. If it's overwhelming for us, what about our cats? It may not seem like a big change to us, but as cat owners we need to think of it from our cat's perspective.

Consider the following anecdote. Imagine sleeping on the guest bedroom windowsill every morning, then going downstairs to eat, coming upstairs for another nap, and going back downstairs to play. Suddenly there is a cot in the guest room and the door is often closed so you can't get in.

Suddenly her bed is downstairs where a baby is crying and playing a lullaby, her food is in the same room where the baby is crying so she avoids going in there.

Sound stressful? Yes, I'm sure you would agree. This is a very common scenario that cats find very stressful and can even cause behavioral problems.

Stress can be avoided in this situation by doing a few things;

• Introduce baby items, such as new furniture and appliances, slowly and gradually BEFORE the baby is born.
• If you intend to keep your cat out of certain rooms, start doing this before the baby arrives and give him a good alternative spot in a quiet part of the house.
• For example, start by getting them used to the sounds they will hear. Musical toys, lullabies, crying babies.
• Offer many features such assandboxes,Essenjwater stations,Camerasjscratchin several quiet areas of the house.
• Provide plenty of "escape" opportunities. Your cat has these options, for example, if it feels overwhelmed. stash boxes, beds on shelves, outdoor options when outdoors.
• Connect synthetic pheromones that help reduceemphasizefor your cat

Basically, think about how these changes might affect your cat. Try to minimize major changes by implementing them slowly. Always offer your cat alternatives and make sure she doesn't have to go to noisy parts of the house to get food, water and litter boxes.

Spending time with them is also very important, so offer plenty of interaction on their terms. This will help your cat adjust to the new baby smoothly and prevent behavioral changes.

Also read:Introducing cats to a new home

How to introduce cats and babies

Cats and children can have wonderful friendships that are very rewarding. This is done through mutual respect and friendly interaction. It is important that all interactions are monitored at all times to avoid injury and negative interactions.

When introducing your new baby to your cat, there are a few tips to help with the introduction;

• Let your cat sniff at one of your baby's clothes and examine it before you hit it. This can help build positive associations.
• Keep things cool and calm when you get home planning to introduce him.
• Let your cat examine the baby while you hold and watch over it.
• Praise the positive interaction.
• Don't punish negative behavior as your cat won't understand it and it can trigger fear and anxiety.
• Keep introductions and interactions brief at first to give your cat time to adjust.
• Never leave them alone together.

Also read:The 8 best foods for kittens

Diploma

Can Cats Feel Pregnant? While there is no scientific evidence for this, we think so! You can feel subtle changes in hormones and body temperature, and even hear your heartbeat later in pregnancy. They will also sense changes in the house before a new baby arrives and know something is wrong. So if your cat is paying more attention to you than usual, there could be a reason!

Also read:The Complete Guide to Bottle Feeding Kittens