My Cat Knows I'm Pregnant!

[LouisaJF]

No, I haven't taken leave of my senses!

I have two cats, one of which isn't very affectionate, particularly towards me. If I am at home during the day (I work from home quite a bit), I barely even see her. In the last few weeks she spends all her time snuggled up to me, resting her head on my stomach with her ear firmly pressed up to where the bump will be. Sometimes she even licks my stomach.

I've been reading about how cats are capable of picking up on hormonal changes, and so she probably does know what's going on. My other, more affectionate cat is a bit thick, so he hasn't worked it out yet.

Has anyone else experienced this with their pets?

Aren't animals just amazing!

1 cat used to bring me yummy frogs when near the end of my pregnancies

Another cat, actually my big mate, took up residence next door with my pregnant neighbour, who was equally baffled . Was a long time ago and hadn't worked out that a lot of cats are pregnancy/baby/breastfeeding groupies and love the whole thing

Yes its amzing how animals can sense these things, that is so sweet OP

LOL RAlover

Wow what a response! Seems there's a lot of psychic kitties out there! Can't wait to see what she does around the bump when I finally get one!

I woke up in the middle of the night a couple of weeks ago, with my two cats either side of my belly, staring at it with their ears pricked up! I am convinced that they heard the heart beat starting, I am now 8 weeks. They have both been very cuddly and purry lately, but they were never particularly stand offish before. We looked after a toddler for a friend at the weekend, and they were brilliant with him, almost as if showing off that they're going to be good "big sisters"!

My cats became extremely clingey when I fell pregnant, but maybe I just noticed them more because I wasn't working at the time and was more at home... But one of them was constantly following me around, definitively more than it did before.

I assume that this will all stop once the baby is here, I probably won't see them at all

Mine's a dog story. Our working collie has been glued to me since we came back from the 12 week scan. I'm now 17 weeks and when I got a bit upset on sunday night, she sat with me and licked my podge bump.

My cats did this. Pawed, nuzzled and sat on my stomach throughout. They went out when I was in early labour and brought back several mice and laid them next to the birthing pool for me. Only time they ever went hunting.

I read that cats, dogs and horses are all good at knowing when women are pregnant, and usually either become very protective or very aggressive. A friend of mine has two dogs and since I got pregnant they're both all over me - they follow me around, lick any part of me they can get to and want to snuggle up to my stomach and boobs! They are lovely dogs and have always been friendly but there is a marked difference in their behaviour. I wonder if the protectiveness/aggression thing has to do with their personality or where they view you in the 'pack'?

Hi :)
I have been pretty sure that I'm pregnant, my partner and I have been trying for a while and lately I've been getting nauseated at nighttime and very very sleepy at strange times of the day. Anyway, for the past few weeks, I'd noticed a very odd change in my kitty. She's usually very independent and stand-offish, only comes around when she wants food or to remind me to clean all my hair clips out of her water bowl (she put them there!). However, now she's mommy's little girl!! She follows me everywhere I go, and if I disappear when she's not paying attention she meows and searches the house until she finds me! She's about a year old, so she still plays a lot, but now she brings her toys to me and puts them in my bed like she thinks I want to play with them. It was tonight that I thought "hmmm, maybe she has some kind of sixth sense about the possible bun in my oven" so I did some research and now I'm convinced! I've been having some pretty poignant dreams lately, and this kitty behavior has never happened before, so maybe this time our efforts have been met by success!! Hoping so. Anyway thank all of you for your stories :)

Hi ellie, yr cat is probably right!! My 12 yr old cat knows too. He's always been affectionate but fussy about where he sits on us. Now he will sit anywhere just to be close to growing bump and Follows me about much more than usual, very cute x

My cat is much nicer and more cuddly with me when I'm pregnant too.

Mine did too! She used to drape herself over my bump. She is very much not a cuddly cat in general life. In fact, I wonder if it would be worth getting pregnant again, just for her attention...?

My little pooch of an evening is not happy unless he's draped over my bump and has been since the very beginning.

I'm just glad he's a reasonably skinny bedlington terrier and not a great dane! ;)

Yes, my cat is never very cuddly. She likes a good stroke, but not to be all cuddled up. But last time I was pregnant it's like she became a lap cat. And now again with my second pregnancy! She does this thing where she comes and sits on my lap and kind of 'hugs' me (her bum in my lap, with her paws on my shoulders..). It's weird but nice!

We got our cats when I was pregnant so they never knew me un-pregnant iyswim and they were still settling in so not suddenly all loving or anything. BUT the day DD and I came home from hospital girl-cat went out and fetched home a huge mouthful of dry grass which she deposited at DH´s feet just as he was leaving the house to pick us up. We think she knew there would be something needing a "nest"! And both cats have brought so many presents home in the few weeks since - neither of them brought a thing home before DD was born...