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False Pregnancy
[ Looking
After Kittens ] [ Sexing
a Kitten ]
A
false pregnancy (Pseudocyesis)
is a condition in which the animal displays physical and emotional signs of
pregnancy but is not carrying kittens. The cat's breasts swell and produce milk,
her abdomen is distended, she gains weight. The cat need not have mated to have
a false Pregnancy.
The
symptoms usually appear when she has gone off heat and may persist for several
months. You will have to wait a month or so before you can determine whether the
cat is pregnant or having a false pregnancy. After a month you can check for
signs of kittens by gently feeling her abdominal wall for lumps. As a true
pregnancy progresses and the kittens increase in size, the lumps will become
larger. The cat with a false pregnancy will not have any lumps, although she
will manifest most other signs of pregnancy.
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