My cat's nipples are pink and long. Is my year-old cat pregnant?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Her belly and mammary glands do not look distended enough to be pregnant unless she is early pregnant (2-4 weeks). I think she might be in heat. I would try to keep her inside as it doesn't take cats very long to get the deed done! Cats are pregnant for 60 days, so if her belly and mammary glands continue to get larger then she is likely pregnant and you'd have kittens 4-6 weeks from now. Good luck!

You are correct about the reasons for your observations. The skin color around the nipples and other places on the body can vary. Areas of dark fur often have darker, more pigmented skin. The kittens may have tried to nurse her making the nipples larger and pinker. Since she’s not spayed being around the kittens may have brought her into heat and the change in hormones can effect the size of the nipples too. I’m not overly concerned about this, I think what you are describing sounds fairly normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

Yes, it is likely she is pregnant. The gestation time for cats is 58 days. Most cats have kittens without problems and nurse and raise them fine. Once she is done nursing you should have her spayed as she could get pregnant again right away. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

If Tasha miscarried her kittens, there would have been a bloody discharge. A cat's nipples will become pink when she is in heat and will turning to normal when she is out of heat. You wouldn't see nipple changes due to pregnancy right after mating, that takes time. It's likely that the color change and swelling you noted were due to her being in heat. In a few weeks, I would take Tasha into the vet to confirm if she is pregnant or not.

The nipples will turn pink a few weeks before delivery, so if they only turned pink now there is no reason to panik yet. She now is approximately three weeks pregnant. A cat's gestation period is 63 -65 days, so she will have her kittens in about 42 to 45 days from now.

Ok. It is likely she has some milk letdown and it dried around her nipples. I wouldn't worry about this, unless there is obvious irritation/redness around her nipples. She will clean herself. Most cats don't need assistance from a vet when they go into labor, and do quite well on their own. Just keep an eye on her for now and if possible try to trace back to when she was in heat, to get a better idea of how far along she is. Cats typically have a gestation period of around 65 days. Here is more information on things to watch out for and to help prepare you for Piper's kittens --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952101 In the meantime, I would recommend setting a little money aside just in case Piper does need to see the vet at some point down the road. You should also look into Carecredit.com for any emergency situations that may arise. I hope that things go smoothly with Piper and her soon to be kittens! : ) Best wishes and take care.

While some people notice a change in the nipples when a cat is pregnant it is not a very accurate predictor. I think you should see a veterinarian to confirm the pregnancy and make sure the kittens are okay and not in distress. Occasionally cats will need help with labor either through medical management or a c-section and if she is 63 days today it would be a good idea to check for signs of fetal distress.