Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Do Pets Know?

16 replies

Sayuri · 04/03/2008 15:17

Ok this is an odd questions but do you think cats can pick up that you are pregnant?

The reason I ask is because of the ENORMOUS change in my little boy, Charlie.

In the past few weeks he has gone from being Mr Antisocial to slowly becoming the little cat I always wanted him to be. It all began 3 weeks ago when I got back to my other halfs house after not seeing the cats for 2 weeks. He began following me more and sleeping on the bed which I put down to having not seen me for so long. Then this advanced and now we have come back to my flat he is being such an affectionate and loving little pussy cat. He is currently asleep on the bed, he plays happily, he purrs constantly AND ... drum roll please... he COMES FOR FUSS AND CUDDLES!! - This is wonderful, except when he wakes me up biteing my ear LOL. He has also become very protective of me and when Im not feeling well he will position himself near me and then if either of the other cats come to bother me he chases them off!

Has anyone else experienced major changes in their pets behaviour during pregnancy or is all this stuff with Charlie just a coincidence?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

suzywong · 04/03/2008 15:18

coincidence

do make sure you don't handle his litter tray anymore as there is a big risk of toxicplasmosis

Mum2b2BabyRoo · 04/03/2008 15:24

I wondered this as well as my cats have all of a sudden become much more affectionate! The one has take to lying next to my bump and purring when I'm in bed! Maybe coincidence but it is strange!

ComeOVeneer · 04/03/2008 15:27

I knew second time around I had fallen pregnant by the change in my cats behaviour (he acted the same way first time around). But oddly he went from affectionate to not wanting to be near me, rather than the other way around!?!?!

finallypregnant · 04/03/2008 15:30

I firmly believe they can sense. My dog has come out in a big false pregnancy - milk and all!

theyoungvisiter · 04/03/2008 15:34

Sayuri, I definitely noticed this with my cat - he went from sleeping on DH's side of the bed to sleeping on mine, and trampling on me at any and every opportunity. He was always an affectionate animal but he definitely switched his focus from DH to me.

But I'm not a big believer in pets "sensing" stuff and I eventually decided it was because I was so much warmer in pregnancy - normally DH is the hot-water-bottle in our relationship but when I was pregnant I literally radiated heat, DH had to move to the other side of the bed to get away from me! I think the cat just loved the warmth - they are deeply selfish creatures!

Be warned though - the really major change for us came after the baby's birth - our previously fairly well behaved cat started up a persistant dirty protest of pooing and peeing EVERYWHERE which only got worse when DS started walking. So invest in a large pack of rubber gloves...

Original poster

Sayuri · 04/03/2008 15:55

Oh we are WELL experienced with that experience and are bracing ourselves for it to happen again.

I am wondering what changes the animals are going to go through - I think the worst one is going to be my youngest cat Hetty. She conciders herself to not only be a baby but to also be human and she is demanding now so who knows what she is going to be like when she is going to have to compete.

I am aware of the risks of toxmoplasmosis. I am most likely to have a very good amunity to it due to having had cats since I was a tiny baby and having had 3 house cats for 2 and a half years. I am waiting for the results to come back from my blood tests and then if that shows that I still need to be concerned then my cats are also going to have a blood test to see if they have been exposed to it - they cant tell if they have it but they can tell if they have been in contact with it at some point. - If any of them have been then those cats are going to go and stay with my boyfriend. At the moment I dont have any choice but to take care of my cats so I make sure that I wear gloves and still wash my hands afterwards and then I also wear a dust mask. At the end of the day I know the risks of dealing with my cats litter trays and for 4 weeks after I found out I was pregnant my other half was able to do it for me but now he isnt here and cant and I just have to get on with it and take precautions.

OP posts:

jammi · 04/03/2008 15:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

walkingwomb · 04/03/2008 16:47

i expected a change in my cats, but there wasn't much. The only difference is that they are pretty considerate abotu the bump and sit on my chest with their arse in my face.

aiti72 · 04/03/2008 17:09

Don't believe it's a coincidence, they absolutely can sense it! I think this has been researched as well, but we also have a lot of experience of this. Our extented family has always had dogs -and pregnant women- and there has been almost without an exception change in dogs' behaviour when their owner is pregnant. Funnily, we have noticed this change in behaviour is much more noticeable in male dogs. My sister has two young, big male dogs who started guarding her and fighting with each other in her presence soon after she fell pregnant. She was joking they were fighting about the bitch . I am pregnant now and my (male) dog follows me like a shadow looking worried, exactly the same behaviour he had when I was pregnant with my dd1.

ernest · 04/03/2008 21:18

I am amzed to read this, cos my cat has also become much more affectionate to me! Am rather & to hear I'm likely to be clearing up he doings as well as returning to nappy changes. Great. Still, forewarned is forearmed

NotQuiteCockney · 04/03/2008 21:20

My senior cat only brings me dead/dying birds when I'm pregnant. Gah.

WriggleJiggle · 04/03/2008 21:26

First time pg my dog wouldn't have anything to do with me. Before she had been very affectionate, enjoying cuddles in bed etc. All was fine once baby arrived.
Second time both dogs became very protective and affectionate.
For the last few days before dd2 was born, one of them refused to leave my side at all.

cheerfulvicky · 05/03/2008 12:05

I have two cats, and noticed a change in them after I became pregnant. The boy became very nice and considerate, and would sit looking at me as if he was 'minding' me. The girl went a bit snotty and wouldn't come near me at first, but she's better now

ThePFJ · 05/03/2008 15:06

I have two rescue cats, that have taken quite some time to settle down. I have had them over a year now. However just lately little Smokey.. the antisocial feed me now cat has decided I am the beesxknees and is all over me. The little black one, Scribble is even more all over me, and sits protectively near me at night now. They are both little girl cats. I really do think they are picking up on the hormones coming off me. These things do happen and I have heard of it before. To me, its wonderful
Good Luck and Congrats Suyuri!
I love my cats and I know I'll love my first little baby.. you must be so excited and happy
Big hugs!
xxx

Schatzi · 10/03/2008 22:14

My dog - who is my total baby anyway and literally gets up on my lap and lies there for a cudle on his back! became really clingy when I found out I was pregnant. He would not leave me alone and continually insisted on getting on my lap - He is not quite as bad now i'm 23 weeks, unless I've just got used to it!
I think the baby enjoys the warmth of him next to him too.
Definately something in it!

Pinchypants · 11/03/2008 11:50

My big old antisocial cat has been exactly the same during both of my pregnancies from very early on - much more affectionate, wanting to sit on me, lick me etc the whole time. I didn't think it had anything to do with 'sensing', although I'm sure animals can pick up emotional stuff - I just assumed that because of the hormone changes I smelled nice to him. Sometimes I have 6kg cat and 25kg toddler both sitting on my 17 week bump.

Flip