Do cats sense when your pregnant?

Kekei · Jan 18th, 2012, 15:46 PM

Sorry if its a bit mad but just wondering if cats can sense pregnancy. We have 2 cats and today one of the cats has been really loving. This morning she just sat right on top of me and just now on the sofa she has been snuggled right into me. The more I think of it, I was at my friends yesterday and her cat kept jumping up on my lap for cuddles and she has never done that in the 2 years Ive known my friend. Any one had any experience of this?

seaweed eater · Jan 18th, 2012, 16:03 PM

No personal experience, but a couple thoughts. 1) Cats have a higher body temperature than humans, so they like to snuggle with humans who are especially warm. When you are pregnant your body temperature may be slightly elevated. On the other hand, it could just be where you are in your cycle (progesterone will elevate temps during the luteal phase). 2) I definitely read recently that hormonal changes associated with pregnancy change our smell in a way that animals like cats and dogs can detect. However, I wonder how long it takes beyond conception for that to be the case. As you know, hormone levels rise throughout the first several weeks of pregnancy, and if it is too soon for a HPT to detect a change in your hormones I would be surprised if your smell would be different enough that a cat would be able to tell.

Fingers crossed it is a good sign!

Impet Limpet · Jan 18th, 2012, 16:06 PM

I agree with seaweed eater. Cats enjoy people with higher body temps, you may also find they tend to snuggle up to people with a fever too. I probably would get over excited just yet, but if you get your BFP it'll be an interesting story to tell!

Scout · Jan 18th, 2012, 16:07 PM

I don't recall my cat acting any differently the three times I got pregnant, but she's pretty independent.

Pingu224 · Jan 18th, 2012, 16:13 PM

My cat Malkin can always sense when I am unwell and will comfort me eg when at shows her ugly face he will snuggle on my tummy to help with the pain. If I can sleep he curls up on my pillow and purrs to put me to sleep.

He is also my alarm clock. Every day I am working he jumps on my tummy unless i have been sick or had a stomach upset, at 5am. Today however he didn't go near my tummy instead curled up on my legs and I have had a headache and where he would normally come and comfort me he has stayed away. He has been his usual self in every other way and I don't have a tummy upset but he has not come near it....

So I'm hoping that there's something too this tooo!!!

Joralyn · Jan 19th, 2012, 20:31 PM

Lol... I have 3 kittys, and they are all little attention mongers, so it would be hard for me to tell the difference if they were being extra cuddly or not. Right now they are all asleep at the foot of the bed, which is strange that they are actually getting along (the boys like to pick on the girl).

The cat I had when I was pregs with my son 9 years ago could totally tell - she had to lay ON my stomach (not always comfy) and would only sleep in his room after he was born.

Biscuitbaby · Jan 20th, 2012, 05:11 AM

My cat has a condition which is affected by stress - the two times I've been pregnant she has gotten stressed and ended up in the vets!!

This goes on nearly the whole pregnancy and as soon as my boys were born she was fine! Better not tell her we're TTC!!

x Helen x · Jan 20th, 2012, 06:39 AM

I say YES!!! My parents have a particularly old, grumpy cat which barely ever comes near anyone, and now every time we go round to their house he comes and sits on my lap and wont budge. Even if I push him off he jumps straight back on.

I have three cats and although they are always quite loving anyway, I had some bad nausea yesterday and decided to lie on the bed stomach down and all THREE cats came and sat on my body. I had two on my back and one on my legs hahaha! Hubby thought it was hilarious.

I wouldn't take it as a definite sign, but yes I do think cats (or at least some) "know" when you are pregnant and act differently around you. After all, animals have a sixth sense!

Good luck!

x Helen x · Jan 20th, 2012, 06:42 AM

I actually have one sleeping on me as we speak!

Cupcake1980 · Jan 25th, 2012, 10:21 AM

How funny...my cat has for the last week or so has done exactly this. He's such an independent fellow and all of a sudden he'll want to snuggle on my stomach, sleep on me, sit on me....if I walk out of the room, he'll follow me. I've even found that when I'm in the kitchen cooking, he'll come and sit on the counter watching me!

It's adorable, but at the moment I'm hoping that I could be pg so I'm thinking that my little furry friend is telling me that I am!

xx

Jan 18th, 2012, 15:46 PM	1
Kekei Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 95	Do cats sense when your pregnant? Sorry if its a bit mad but just wondering if cats can sense pregnancy. We have 2 cats and today one of the cats has been really loving. This morning she just sat right on top of me and just now on the sofa she has been snuggled right into me. The more I think of it, I was at my friends yesterday and her cat kept jumping up on my lap for cuddles and she has never done that in the 2 years Ive known my friend. Any one had any experience of this?

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Jan 18th, 2012, 16:03 PM	2
seaweed eater Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: US Posts: 7,213	No personal experience, but a couple thoughts. 1) Cats have a higher body temperature than humans, so they like to snuggle with humans who are especially warm. When you are pregnant your body temperature may be slightly elevated. On the other hand, it could just be where you are in your cycle (progesterone will elevate temps during the luteal phase). 2) I definitely read recently that hormonal changes associated with pregnancy change our smell in a way that animals like cats and dogs can detect. However, I wonder how long it takes beyond conception for that to be the case. As you know, hormone levels rise throughout the first several weeks of pregnancy, and if it is too soon for a HPT to detect a change in your hormones I would be surprised if your smell would be different enough that a cat would be able to tell. Fingers crossed it is a good sign!

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Jan 18th, 2012, 16:06 PM	3
Impet Limpet Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lancashire, England UK Posts: 390	I agree with seaweed eater. Cats enjoy people with higher body temps, you may also find they tend to snuggle up to people with a fever too. I probably would get over excited just yet, but if you get your BFP it'll be an interesting story to tell!

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Jan 18th, 2012, 16:07 PM	4
Scout Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Southern US Posts: 2,664	I don't recall my cat acting any differently the three times I got pregnant, but she's pretty independent.

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Jan 18th, 2012, 16:13 PM	5
Pingu224 Trying to conceive (TTC) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 32	My cat Malkin can always sense when I am unwell and will comfort me eg when at shows her ugly face he will snuggle on my tummy to help with the pain. If I can sleep he curls up on my pillow and purrs to put me to sleep. He is also my alarm clock. Every day I am working he jumps on my tummy unless i have been sick or had a stomach upset, at 5am. Today however he didn't go near my tummy instead curled up on my legs and I have had a headache and where he would normally come and comfort me he has stayed away. He has been his usual self in every other way and I don't have a tummy upset but he has not come near it.... So I'm hoping that there's something too this tooo!!!

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Jan 19th, 2012, 20:31 PM	6
Joralyn Trying to conceive (TTC) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 53	Lol... I have 3 kittys, and they are all little attention mongers, so it would be hard for me to tell the difference if they were being extra cuddly or not. Right now they are all asleep at the foot of the bed, which is strange that they are actually getting along (the boys like to pick on the girl). The cat I had when I was pregs with my son 9 years ago could totally tell - she had to lay ON my stomach (not always comfy) and would only sleep in his room after he was born.

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Jan 20th, 2012, 05:11 AM	7
Biscuitbaby Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: UK Posts: 1,344	My cat has a condition which is affected by stress - the two times I've been pregnant she has gotten stressed and ended up in the vets!! This goes on nearly the whole pregnancy and as soon as my boys were born she was fine! Better not tell her we're TTC!!

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Jan 20th, 2012, 06:39 AM	8
x Helen x Pregnant (Expecting) BnB Addict Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,934	I say YES!!! My parents have a particularly old, grumpy cat which barely ever comes near anyone, and now every time we go round to their house he comes and sits on my lap and wont budge. Even if I push him off he jumps straight back on. I have three cats and although they are always quite loving anyway, I had some bad nausea yesterday and decided to lie on the bed stomach down and all THREE cats came and sat on my body. I had two on my back and one on my legs hahaha! Hubby thought it was hilarious. I wouldn't take it as a definite sign, but yes I do think cats (or at least some) "know" when you are pregnant and act differently around you. After all, animals have a sixth sense! Good luck!

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Jan 25th, 2012, 10:21 AM	10
Cupcake1980 Trying to conceive (TTC) New BnB Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 5	How funny...my cat has for the last week or so has done exactly this. He's such an independent fellow and all of a sudden he'll want to snuggle on my stomach, sleep on me, sit on me....if I walk out of the room, he'll follow me. I've even found that when I'm in the kitchen cooking, he'll come and sit on the counter watching me! It's adorable, but at the moment I'm hoping that I could be pg so I'm thinking that my little furry friend is telling me that I am! xx

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