When Cats Are Pregnant Do They Eat Everything They See?

For most of a cat pregnancy, the mama-to-be is hungrier than usual. You may find her cutely begging for a second helping a lot more than she normally would. Although your cat may not exactly eat everything she sees, she may eat food that would normally make her turn her nose -- say, store-brand dry food that she usually ignores for days! Remember, when a cat is pregnant, she's eating for two, three, four, five or more fetuses at a time.

During some early points in a queen's gestation, not only will she not want to eat everything in sight, but she won't really want to eat anything at all. Dramatic loss of appetite is very common in cats around week 3 of pregnancy. In general, this appetite is no cause for alarm. However, if you notice that your cat's appetite doesn't improve in a couple of days, speak to your veterinarian about it as soon as possible.

In the couple of weeks or so before your cat is about to give birth, you may notice her appetite skyrocket! At this point, she may indeed want to gobble up everything but the kitchen sink. Voracious appetites are very typical when cats are getting ready to pop. However, you may also notice that at the very, very end of pregnancy, her appetite might die down again as she prepares to nest and find a quiet sanctuary in which to give birth. This appetite drop usually happens about two days before she is ready.

While your cat is pregnant, it's up to you to make sure she eats as nutritiously as possible. By no means allow her to eat everything she sees, as that simply isn't healthy. Similarly to wee kittens, pregnant cats need ample energy, and understandably so. Because of the need for increased energy, it is important to feed your cat a diet full of protein. Look for food that is made specifically for kittens, as it should properly nourish both the mother-to-be and her upcoming litter of precious fluff balls.