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Pet's info: Cat | Maine Coon | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 6 months old | 11.7 lbs
What could cause a apparently healthy breeding queen to go through a full "false pregnancy" -- with all the signs of being pregnant (enlarged pink nipples, modest weight gain and actual dripping of milk from the mammaries on day 63) -- but no kittens! Also, we rebred the female but she is not settling. Any advice?
2 Answers

Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH
Veterinarian
Published on July 28th, 2017
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on March 17th, 2018
If this kitty has been at the shelter for months, the vet will likely know she isn't pregnant because she wouldn't have had opportunity to mate with a male cat. Females and males will be kept separately to prevent them from mating and producing more kittens that need a home. Because a cat's pregnancy lasts 58-68 days, if she has been in the shelter longer than that, she won't be pregnant unless she had contact with a male cat. It could be she is experiencing a false pregnancy, which is when a cat appears pregnant but doesn't actually have kittens. It's thought that hormonal imbalance plays a role in this occurring. Good luck, I hope this helps!
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