Did your pets know you were pregnant?

[SandInMyBootsAgain]

Curious to know!

I am 16 weeks pregnant. My dog seems to be fairly oblivious at the moment, though she’s usually quite observant. Other dogs (in the wider family) seem to be more drawn to me though, and my mum’s dog (who’s usually quite antisocial) was very affectionate and kept putting her paw on my stomach when I visited at Christmas.

So, did your pets cotton on to your pregnancy? And if so how far along were you?

With both my pregnancies my neutered male rabbit used to try to hump my leg. Only whilst I was pregnant, he’s never done it at any other point and I’ve had him 10 years now.

As to how far along I cannot remember exactly but I would say reasonably early on
edit to add i don’t remember having much of a bump when the behaviour started

My cat knew long before I did. Looking back at messages later on, I worked out that he started sitting on my lap every time I sat down about a week after I conceived, having never done so in the previous 9 years.

My now dog always knows when people are pregnant and likes to be as close to them as possible.

My cat who is usually very affectionate hated me when I was pregnant with my first. She kept trying to pounce on me to scratch me. When I brought DS home from the hospital she was raging. When I entered a room she left. She accepted DS2 and DS3 better.

That’s so funny! Maybe a pheromone thing?!

I wonder how they know! It’s amazing how perceptive some animals are.

My sister dog wld come sit by me every time I was in. Even when I wasn’t very far gone no bump etc. Never bothered with me much before that. I’m allergic so I tend to try and stay away from the dog but she wld be up against me, it was quite sweet really.

I suspect they can smell the change in our hormones.

Some did, some didn't.

1st pregnancy we had a Labrador who knew something was different. She was only a puppy herself, and she adored my bump. We have videos of her and dd interacting through the bump with kicks and snuffles. And when dd was born she was devoted to her.

A later pregnancy we had 2 cats. One hadn't a clue, and the other knew. I remember her discovering something was up with my tummy. It was very sweet. She was so curious and shocked! And curled up on the bump became her favourite place to be - just keeping an eye on the kicks and movements. When that baby was born she decamped from the bump to the baby's side. She was a very special cat. Like a little nanny. She used to tell me the children were ill before I knew; she'd suddenly get all fussy about them and not leave their side, and sure enough they'd come down with something within a day. And she'd chirrup at them from the side of the paddling pool, and come and tell me it was time to get them from school. I've had a lot of animals over the years, but I've never known an animal with such clear emotional connection and clever communication as that little cat.

My dog rested his head on my stomach from day dot with my eldest right through until when she was born whenever I sat near him, second time around he couldn’t have been less interested but that’s I suspect because he knew what was coming

My labrador knew i was in labour before I realised. She wouldn't leave my side a whimpered constantly.

Our cat definitely knew from the beginning, he is much more affectionate and has insisted on sitting on my lap throughout both pregnancies. Our dog is a sap regardless so hard to know but definitely seems a bit more protective of me when I’m pregnant. Both wouldn’t leave my side when I was in labour which is very unusual for them.

My dog knows I'm pregnant and is very clingy. She's always wanting to sit on my stomach. She was the same with my first :)

SIL brought teen puppy to ours for Christmas and it kept jumping on me and leaping onto my stomach. Not ideal tbh but I was def a target more than anyone else. I’m not a big dog lover haha. Not unless they’re calm and clever or show affection. Also a (big strong) dog went for me yesterday while its owner talked to me and she had to yank it back. And a random Dalmatian not on lead walked right up to me and bark bark barked 😬 maybe there spooked?

My cat couldn't have cared less but certainly had his nose put out of joint when dd1 came along & suddenly turned into a real lap cat having been very elusive before

Neither of my cats had a clue, and were horrified when I arrived home with a baby. Both them took one look and left the room and refused to be there if the baby was - one for 6 months, the second for 6 years!

So no, they didn't know I was pregnant

My little cat is usually very affectionate and sleeps beside me every night. for the past 3 weeks as soon as I'm in bed he makes biscuits on my tummy and then sleeps on my lap. then he follows me around the house. I'm 6 weeks

one of my cats has always been a furry pregnancy test - he is neutered but any whiff of human pregnancy hormones turns him into a veritable sex pest and he would non stop try and hump me the minute I sat down! The first time it happened - whilst waiting for an IVF referral so not expecting to be pregnant at all - I took him to the vets concerned his neutering had reversed itself - the vet laughed and told me to take a test! You can imagine what the horny little bastard was like on my next pregnancy when i was having twins!

Mine did immediately was quite fascinated with it. She loved the baby’s too.

You will smell different to them once pregnant

I think so! My male Labrador has taken to sleeping upstairs as close as he can to me. If we don’t let him sleep on the floor next to our bed, he sleeps right outside the door.

He loves his dog bed or sleeping on the couch so I think he’s aware something is going on and the pack needs protecting but he’s not really sure what that something is

When I was pregnant with my German shepherd knew before I did.
She stopped jumping up on me when I got home, as soon as I had the babies she’d be back to jumping up to welcome me home.

When pregnant with my last baby absolutely no indication that my clumber spaniel had any idea whatsoever!

Only after I told them.