The gestation period for a cat is 63-65 days. This varies between cat though, and anywhere between 60 to 70 days is normal.

What are the signs of pregnancy in cats?

Unlike humans, it is not possible to determine a pregnancy via a blood or urine test in cats. However, there are often indicators that your cat is pregnant, some signs include;

• By the  third week of pregnancy the cat's nipples will become enlarged & pink. This is known as 'pinking up'.
• By the fourth week of pregnancy she should have gained enough weight to make her pregnancy visible.
• By 3-4 weeks your veterinarian should be able to palpitate the abdomen & feel the babies.

How does the veterinarian confirm diagnosis?

An experienced veterinarian will be able to palpitate the abdomen & feel the kittens around 17 - 25 days. Do NOT attempt to do this at home as you may cause miscarriage or damage to the developing kittens. After 32 days the developing fetuses & fetal membranes become difficult to distinguish.

The fetal bone structure can be seen on x-rays around the 43rd day. X-ray should be avoided in early pregnancy.

Pregnancy can also be detected by ultrasound. By around day 26 the fetus & heartbeats can be seen.