False pregnancy in cats

False pregnancy occurs in females after a successful but unfertilized mating. This can happen if the cat has not yet ovulated at the time of mating. Unlike dogs, which can become pseudopregnant even without mating. If the cat is pseudopregnant, she will act as if she is pregnant. This often makes it difficult to distinguish whether the cat is actually pregnant or not.

What are the symptoms of a false pregnancy?
Symptoms can vary greatly from cat to cat. Also, cats do not necessarily show all symptoms, this often depends on the cat and the situation. Symptoms a cat may exhibit include:

• Eat more/ more often

• Sleep more

• fat belly

• Irritable

• clingy

• Less playful

• discharge from the nipples

• Swollen mammary glands

• pulling on objects

How is a false pregnancy diagnosed?
It is often difficult to tell whether a cat is pregnant or suffering from a false pregnancy. The symptoms cats exhibit are often the same as when they are actually pregnant, and even cats that are pseudopregnant often go through physical changes. As the pregnancy progresses, various symptoms appear that may or may not indicate pregnancy.

From the third week you can check for yourself whether the cat is pregnant or not. You should then keep an eye on the cat's nipples. If the nipples darken in color and the fur around them sags, this indicates a successful mating and the queen is pregnant. However, when this can be seen varies from cat to cat. In some cats it is visible as early as the end of the second week, in others as late as the fourth week.

If you really want to be sure, you can have an ultrasound scan done. However, this is only possible from the fifth week, since then everything can be seen clearly.

How is a false pregnancy treated?
If you suspect your cat is having a false pregnancy, it is best to see the vet. It is important that you remember what symptoms the cat is showing. The vet will want to know this and a conclusion will then be drawn from that.

The vet will examine the cat and will usually prescribe an antibiotic or other medication. This happens because there is a risk of uterine infection in a false pregnancy.

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