Does My Male Cat Know I'm Pregnant

• Do Cats Detect Pregnancy In Humans?
• What Are the Pregnancy Changes That a Cat Can Sense?
• Helping Your Cat Adjust to Your Pregnancy
• Precautionary Tips

One of the most loved household pets, cats are sensitive and love their fair share of affection from their humans. They also have an innate and smart sense of smell and intuition which can help them detect if a person is pregnant. In fact, cats sense pregnancy before you know it yourself.

This is why it's important to keep an eye on how your cat is behaving if you're looking to conceive. These tell-tale signs can be an early indicator for you to go forth and get a pregnancy test. Some cats can't detect pregnancy but will also notice if there's a new baby at home and you need to prepare it for this new addition.

Do Cats Detect Pregnancy In Humans?

Many animal behaviour specialists claim that cats can tell before a test if you're pregnant or not. Cats that are generally solitary and also aloof can begin to rub themselves against your legs and purr more often.

Cats can smell pregnancy hormones in your body with their refined sense of smell and ability to also detect changes in the body temperature of a human. Also, your movements, behaviours, and habits get noticed and give them a sense of what's going on.

What Are the Pregnancy Changes That a Cat Can Sense?

Cats can detect a wide variety of changes in a human who's pregnant. These can include –

1.Changes In Your Body Chemistry

Cats can tell you're pregnant with the changes in your body chemistry one of the first signs. Their sense of smell will notice hormonal level changes. Your body begins to produce more progesterone, human chorionic gonadotrophin or hCG hormones and estrogen. These hormonal changes can affect how you smell too and they will begin to act differently.

2. Behaviour Changes

Cats can also detect your behavioural changes when you're pregnant. They're not always lazing around the house like you think they are. When you're pregnant, you tend to eat more and also feel more tired often. Cats can notice these tiny differences in your behaviour too.

3. Mood Swings

You'd know that being pregnant comes with its own set of mood swings. You're happy one second and suddenly you're upset or irritable. Cats can sense this behaviour too and even act out themselves, either by being gentler or avoiding you entirely.

4. Posture And Movement

The way you move during pregnancy can be a big giveaway to your pregnancy. Your back becomes arched and you also tend to take heavier steps. Your cats will give you sceptical looks and you should take note of them.

5. Body Heat

Your body tends to get warmer when you're pregnant and cats that like such spaces will start rubbing themselves against your body to feel better. If you notice your cat getting more affectionate, there is a high chance you're pregnant.

Helping Your Cat Adjust to Your Pregnancy

Sometimes, a jealous cat might make its presence felt around the home, so you might need to be careful if you have a newborn. More often than not, cats end up becoming more loving and protective of their owners. You need to give the cat attention and love during the pregnancy period. If you neglect them, the cat might not like the newborn baby when it comes out as it feels deprived of attention.

Cats can also act out by urinating in places to make their presence felt. This can include the bed or laundry basket. It's important to give your cat extra attention and lots of love so it knows your relationship isn't going to change with the new arrival.

As you continue the process of pregnancy, you can stick to the same cat routine and feed it and coddle it as usual. Sticking to the routine will ensure there aren't any behavioural problems that arise with your pet. You also need to ensure the routine continues even after the arrival of the baby.

In case you're overwhelmed, you might have to consider asking friends or family to look after the cat and help maintain its daily routine for a while. Your other housemates can pitch in too if needed. If the cat's routine is maintained, it will become more affectionate to you and your baby when you bring him home.

Cats can act jealous if they feel they're not getting the right amount of attention. If they begin to misbehave or act out in a big way during your pregnancy, you might need to take them to a vet or trainer to sort this out. They can offer individual classes or "baby readiness" routines so the pet can adjust accordingly when the time comes.

Precautionary Tips

There are a few precautionary measures or tips that you must take if you're expecting –

• Toxoplasmosis is a disease that can occur when the parasite from cat stools transfers to your baby. Always wear gloves and a surgical mask when you're cleaning out your cat's litter and food bowls.
• Try to assign the caretaking responsibilities to another individual till you're done nursing the baby for the first few weeks or months.
• Up to 40% of women can be immune to toxoplasmosis, so there's no risk at all. Regulate the cat's diet and keep it indoors so the illness doesn't transmit.
• If you do acquire any infection, visit the doctor immediately and they can treat it successfully with the right medication.

Thus, your cat can begin sensing your pregnancy way before you even know it. They can also become more living and protective, so make sure you notice all these signs. Studies also indicate that spending more time with a pet animal can improve the mood, reduce depression, lower blood pressure, and also help you live longer too.

Even if the cat doesn't detect pregnancy before the test, it will notice over time. You must prepare the cat to accept this new addition to the family and help make this transition smooth and comfortable for the cat of the home! Good luck!

Also Read:

Keeping Pets While Pregnant
Is It Safe To Clean Cat Litter Box in Pregnancy
Can Dogs Detect Pregnancy In Humans

Does My Male Cat Know I'm Pregnant

Source: https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/do-cats-sense-pregnancy/

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