Pregnancy Diagnosis in the Cat

Is it possible to have a blood test to tell whether my cat is pregnant?

Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no reliable blood tests that will detect pregnancy in the cat.

How can I tell if my cat is pregnant?

There are three basic techniques:

1.  Abdominal palpation. This is a useful technique but even with experience can be inaccurate. The earliest time to palpate is between 20 and 30 days of pregnancy. After about the 45th day foetal heads can usually be palpated and at around one month most cats will "pink up" i.e. develop reddened teats. It has to be said that the results are often more dependent upon the state of relaxation of the queen than the experience of the person carrying out the palpation!

2.  Radiography (X-ray). This is a valuable technique for determining the number of foetuses and the state of foetal development. Uterine enlargement can be seen from about 17 days onwards. However it is only when foetal skeletons are visible that pregnancy can be reliably confirmed. In the final two weeks the whole foetal skeleton can be seen. Counting skulls is the usual method of determining the number of kittens that are being carried

3.  Ultrasound scan. This is the most reliable method. Foetuses can often be detected as early as three weeks. By 28-30 days heart beats are visible. Negative results are time consuming since careful checking is necessary and a negative feline pregnancy by ultrasound scan can be unreliable until after 4-5 weeks. 

Will a scan determine the number of kittens my cat is likely to produce?

With cats, ultrasonography is not very accurate in this respect as errors can occur. Radiography, particularly during the last two weeks of pregnancy, is more accurate.