With cats comfortably being the second most common type of pet behind dogs in the western world, we constantly see a wide range of different questions from the cat owning community.
We have see a number of people reaching out and asking about why they can feel the kittens in their pregnant cat moving and wondering how long it will take before their cat gives birth.
This can cause some cat owners some worry, especially if it is the first time that their cat has been pregnant so we wanted to publish this article.
If you can see unborn kittens in your cat moving and feel their movements if you rest your palm on her stomach then your cat is probably within the last two weeks of her pregnancy and the kittens may be born soon.
Most cats are pregnant for around nine weeks and the majority of healthy cat pregnancies will produce kittens that you can usually feel moving in the pregnant cat in the final fifth of the pregnancy.
The majority of the time being able to feel kittens moving is not a cause for concern and does not indicate that there is a problem as this is a natural part of the pregnancy.
If you do suspect that there are any problems with your pregnant cat then you are able to book a video call with a veterinarian to have them examine your pregnant cat via video call and give you peace of mind on how your cat’s pregnancy is going.
How Long After Feeling Kittens Move Will They Be Born?
A pregnant cat will usually give birth to her kittens within two weeks of the unborn kittens growing to a size where they are large enough for you to see or feel them moving inside of your cat.
This is not an exact timeframe so it may take a little longer in some cases but the majority of the time, the kittens will be born within two weeks.
There are a number of possible complications that can change this though and a cat’s first pregnancy or pregnant senior cat can take longer to give birth than the average healthy cat.
You may find that there are other possible issues with some older cats that can make the process more complicated but as we mentioned, you can book a video call with a veterinarian to have them check your cat over if you are worried.
Depending on how close your cat is to giving birth to her kittens, your cat may make some vocal sounds as if she is in pain but this can just be due to her feeling her kittens move inside of her and not know what is happening.
For the most part, these sounds are nothing to worry about but in some situations, it may be obvious that your pet cat is in actual pain rather than just experiencing strange sensations due to her kittens moving and this is when you should usually seek assistance from a vet.
What If My Cat Doesn’t Give Birth Soon?
If your pregnant cat is at a stage where you are able to see her kittens moving inside of her then she really should be giving birth within a maximum of two weeks.
If she does not give birth within this time frame then getting your cat checked over by a vet is recommended as they will be able to give you specific advice on how to move forward with your particular cats situation.
Try not to worry if your cat does not give birth within this two week time period though, for the most part, your cat should still have a healthy pregnancy free from issues.
A vet may have to do a minor surgery in some situations but still, the kittens and the mother cat will usually be totally fine within a week or two of the surgery.
There are some posts on social media going over some ways that can apparently encourage a pregnant cat to go into labor but we would never recommend that you do them.
Some of them will do little to nothing where as others may actually put your pregnant cat and her kittens at risk. Just because someone on social media said that they were able to implement these techniques does not mean that they will work for you and your cat.
Is It Normal To Be Able To Feel And See Kittens Moving Around In A Pregnant Cat?
It is considered normal to be able to feel kittens moving around inside their mother for the last week or two of her pregnancy and in some situations, you will also be able to see the kittens moving if you look closely at her stomach.
This does not indicate a complication with the pregnancy or that there is anything wrong and is usually considered a natural part of the process.
If you think of a human pregnancy, this stage is similar to when a human fetus will kick and the mother will be able to feel it. In some situations, you can also see an unborn human baby moving around in the womb.
This is exactly the same for what happens with pregnant cats at this stage and it is considered a natural part of the pregnancy.
Please note that if your cat has been pregnant for six or seven weeks and you are not able to see or feel the kittens moving inside of the mother, this does not mean that there is a problem with your cat or her pregnancy.
We know that this may sound a little confusing but not all cats will get to this stage of their pregnancy and get to a stage where you can see or feel her kittens moving depending on where she is carrying her kittens and the body fat percentage of the cat.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over why you can sometimes feel or even see kittens moving in the womb of a pregnant cat and why it is generally no cause for concern. Just keep a close eye on your pregnant cat for the coming weeks as she will be close to giving birth and any signs of obvious complications should be treat as early as possible.
