Can Cats Sense Pregnancy? – Signs Your Cat Knows You’re Pregnant
Why is Meowmamma’s tummy getting bigger? Is someone in there? What if it is another meow person? Will she replace me with another cat?
I bet your cat has all these questions circling inside her little head. They are usually aloof. But, all of a sudden, they start to purr and start to rub themselves against their own legs. Why do cats suddenly change behavior when you are pregnant? Can cats sense pregnancy?
Does my cat know I’m pregnant? Whoa! If they do, it’ll change
everything. If you thought no one knew — you missed out on one silent watcher who constantly observes you — and judges you. Yes, your cat can sense if you are pregnant. But how? You can find the answer to that in this article.
How Can Cats Sense Pregnancy?
The cats can sense pregnancy. They use their heightened sense of smell and sense the change in your body and your body temperature to figure out pregnancy. They also track your movement and your behaviors during the time of your pregnancy.
Pregnancy Changes You, And Your Cat Can Smell It
When your body starts showing the early signs of pregnancy, the hormonal levels start to change. The change is profound, and your body produces more progesterone; the levels of estrogen increase, while the human chorionic gonadotropin also changes and increases.
The sudden change in the hormonal level of your body changes the overall ascent of your body. Your body odor becomes more intense, and your can cat can sense this sudden change with its strong sense of smell. Even before you have done a pregnancy taste, they might already have a pregnancy report.
You Have Become Warmer
Can cats sense human pregnancy? Yes, they can, and you should be prepared to sense their reaction when they find out there is someone new you care about. They can understand that you are pregnant by sensing the temperature of your body.
When a woman is pregnant, her body temperature increases due to an increased rate of blood flow in her body. The human body temperature can increase by 20% during pregnancy. Cats are usually warmer creatures compared to human beings; their body temperature is generally higher than that of human beings.
When you are warmer due to pregnancy, your cat might want to snuggle up with you more than usual. They want to cuddle you more and stay with you as long as possible. They will rub themselves against you and will ask for more of your affection. They will want to sit on your baby bump and keep their paw on your pregnant belly. So, can cats sense pregnancy? Yes, they can, and these behavior suggest that.
Cats Are More Observant Than You Think
They don’t only sense the hormonal change in your body or sense the warmth around you. They can spot the difference between your past and present actions. Your body odor, warmth, and your daily habits don’t go unnoticed by your cat. They can see, smell and sense everything.
Did you think that your cat would not understand what that growing baby bump means? Cats can read your body language, understand the morning sickness, and the change of posture when sitting or standing.
They notice you lying fatigued on the couch; they can spot the change in your routine. You are not doing anything productive anymore. Also, your partner is taking care of you more often. Is it not too obvious? Even for a cat?
They Can Sense The New Heart Beating Inside You!
Can cats sense pregnancy? Strangely, different reasons suggest that they actually feel that you are pregnant. They can smell the hormonal change and feel the temperature; some ideas suggest that they can even hear the fetal heartbeat. However, it is not confirmed yet. But there are facts suggesting that it may be possible.
There is an extra fold inside their ears. It plays a key role in heightening their sense of sound. It amplifies the sense of sound and helps them hear things that we cannot. Yes, they might be able to figure it out without the use of a doppler or stethoscope.
The baby’s heartbeat is audible if someone puts their ears on the belly. But that period comes late during pregnancy. So, if the human ear can sense it, then why can’t the pusheen?
Why Do Cats Get Clingy When You Are Pregnant?
Well, people might have told you that your cat understands when you are pregnant and that clingy behavior is because of that, but that might not be the exact reason why you are receiving that extra affection. But there is a reason behind this. That is they love the warmth of your body. During pregnancy, there is a slight change in your body temperature.
The basal body temperature is actually the temperature of your body at rest, and women actually track this to get a better understanding of their menstrual cycle. After ovulation begins there is a slight increase in the body temperature which stays at least for three days, and if this stays for more than fifteen to eighteen days, then that could be a sign that you are pregnant.
Cats are always on the lookout for warm snuggly spots, whether it is outside under the sun or on your lap inside the blanket. Though the change in temperature during ovulation and pregnancy is slight your feline friend can sense it. The normal body temperature can vary from person to person depending on your activity throughout the day. So it is probably because they are seeking comfort on your warm lap and curling up because they felt that change in the body temperature.
Can They Sense The Change In You?
It might happen that your cat has noticed the change in your daily routine and that is why they are responding to you differently. Do not immediately assume that they know that you are pregnant and are reacting to it. Sometimes they do not even pay attention to what you are doing. During the initial phase of pregnancy, your routine changes and that might happen even without you knowing. Do they take note of that? Let’s see what they can notice.
- They might take note of the fact that you have been tired lately. They might not like that you are not engaging with them as much as you used to do. But they might also enjoy curling up on your lap in bed with you.
- They might follow you to the bathroom when you experience morning sickness.
- Your sense of smell changes when you are pregnant. You might not like the smell of cat food at this point and might ask someone else to take off your cat. They might notice this change and this can affect your relationship with your cat.
How To Prepare Your Cat For The Arrival Of Your Baby?
Well, till now, your cat has been the only baby that you have had. It had all of your attention, your love, and your care. But now, things are going to change. All the love and attention is soon to be divided, and no one really knows how your cat is going to react to that.
But rather than making things too sudden, it is better to take slow steps and make them ready for the arrival of the baby.
Give The Sleeping Baby Some Time Away From The Cat
There is an old saying by the midwives that cats may “steal” or just “suck away” the breath of the baby. This is absolutely not true. Cats do not target babies. And they do not maliciously try to smother them either. But that does not mean that you should not be careful with them when it comes to your baby. You would want to make sure that the cat is not sleeping in your baby’s crib.
Cats look for warmth and can possibly sleep a little too close to the baby, making it pretty difficult for them to breathe.
So, try to close the nursery door when you are not around the baby or set a barrier that will keep the kitty out.
Let The Cat Explore The Nursery Before The Arrival Of The Baby
To make sure the transition is as smooth as possible. The home needs to be peaceful for the baby. So, make sure you introduce the big changes in your house before the baby finally comes. Set up the nursery a little early so that the cat gets used to all the new furniture long before the birth of your baby.
If you get worried about the cat jumping on the baby’s furniture, make sure to train them out of this habit as early as possible. This might also involve clicker training or using uncomfortable textures like double-sided tapes.
Give The Baby A Peaceful Homecoming
You can make the entire homecoming experience by introducing the cat to certain baby smells or sounds before the baby arrives. This will make sure that the cat does not get too scared or meow more on the arrival of the baby.
Play sounds of baby noises during certain periods of the day, and slowly increase the volume over time. If you plan to use baby mobiles or toys, make sure that you play those sounds from time to time as well.
Change The Schedule Early
You definitely do not wish for the cat to disrupt the late-night feeds and make the baby upset. So, try to make boundaries and set schedules accordingly even before the baby arrives. This way, your cat will become habituated to the practice and will not bother you or the baby during feeding or sleeping.
Monitor The Baby Closely
Monitor your baby and your cat pretty closely. Some cats tend to be friendly to everyone, while others need space. Do not let your guard down or leave the cat alone with the baby. You also do not want to let the baby play with the cat too soon, as that might increase the chances of your baby getting scratched.
Final Words
Can cats sense pregnancy? Yes, they can sense something different about you. However, that does not mean they know a new baby is coming to take all the love they used to get from you. They understand the change in your smell, your posture, and the warmth you give off.
So, it might be best to slowly introduce them to the world of the baby. You can follow the tips I suggested in this article to help the cat adjust to the new baby. However, if you have any further queries, you can ask questions in the comment section.
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