Do you have reason to suspect your cat is pregnant? Are you wondering, do human pregnancy tests work on cats? Or, how hard is it to tell if your cat is pregnant?
I can tell you right away that – no, human pregnancy tests do not work on cats.
It will not come as much of a surprise that cats are very different to humans anatomically, biologically, and in many more ways. So, it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise that you can’t use a human pregnancy test with a cat.
The main reason why a human pregnancy test will not work with a cat is because the test is designed to react with a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HGC). This hormone isn’t present in cats, so there is just no way these tests are going to work.
If all you really want to do is find out if your cat is pregnant, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to tell if your cat is pregnant if she is just 4 weeks along, as I’ll explain in this article.
Are There Pregnancy Tests for Cats?
There are pregnancy tests for cats that you can use at home. I couldn’t find any available online to recommend, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend giving your cat a pregnancy test yourself anyway.
It requires you drawing blood from your cat to test. Something that breeders are comfortable doing, but it isn’t something a regular cat owner should be doing in my opinion.
The ‘normal’ way to be 100% sure if your cat is pregnant or not is to take them to your vet for an ultrasound. You will almost certainly be seeing one or more of the signs of pregnancy I’ve detailed below too, so it’s worth going through the list.
The ultrasound will help confirm for sure what you now suspect. It’s helpful to get a vet to confirm your cat is pregnant, as well as giving you a timeline on the expected date of birth, and check everything is looking healthy and normal.
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Pregnant: 5 Physical & Emotional Signs
As you would expect, a female cat goes through some physical changes during pregnancy, both physically and emotionally.
Here are some of the common, and most obvious things to look out for to help you confirm if your cat is pregnant or not:
Pinking-up – This is a term that refers to a cat’s nipples swelling up and getting pinker or even reddish in color. You can expect to see visible signs of this after 4 weeks.
They’ll be more affectionate – This will come as one of the more welcome signs that your cat is pregnant. Most cats become a lot more affectionate and will really appreciate you spending time with them.
Morning sickness – That’s right. Cat’s can experience morning sickness too!
A growing tummy – Around the 4-week mark you can usually notice a cat is pregnant by the size and shape of her growing tummy. It’s usually more obvious by looking at her head on. You’ll notice the sides of her tummy swelling as those kittens keep growing and taking up more room.
Increased appetite – Eating for 4, 5, or more means your cat is going to start eating more at some point during her pregnancy. This will usually be after some of the other signs though, so you should be well aware she’s expecting at this point.
I Think My Cat Is Pregnant – What Should I Do?
If you’ve spotted one or more of the signs above in your cat and think they might be pregnant, the first thing to do is call your vet and book an appointment.
Even if it’s very obvious from looking and feeling your cat that she is pregnant, they will probably do an ultrasound to see how many kittens they are expecting and that they look healthy and everything is normal.
Your vet will then give you all the advice you need. There are some do’s and dont’s to be aware of. But nothing daunting, it’s an enjoyable and magical experience witnessing a cat give birth to a litter and the weeks that follow.
In Summary
Human pregnancy tests do not work on cats. If you think your cat is pregnant, the best thing you can do for them is take them to a vet to be checked out by a professional.
This way you will get a confirmation for sure if she is pregnant or not. As well as the peace of mind that everything is looking normal and being told what to do next.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness two litters born, and I can say it really is something special.
From seeing newborn kittens entering the world. To watching how a mother cat tends to her babies, the changes in the personalities of all the cats and kittens, and of course the chaotic and crazy weeks that follow as those kittens grow up and become active!
