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Swollen belly, pink nipples, missed heat: Is my cat pregnant?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 5.5 lbs

Hello, I was wondering if my cat Mia was pregnant. Her stomach has grown Significantly. And her nipples have become larger and more pink than normal. My other cat, Molly, keeps hissing and clawing at Mia. She started doing this about a week after Mia got outside. Mia has also missed her heat cycle.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2018

The signs you are describing certainly could be consistent with pregnancy, but Mia could also be suffering from a false pregnancy. This is when a cat shows the signs of being pregnant, but actually is not. The only way to know for sure if she is pregnant or not is to have her seen by a vet. I recommend giving a vet a call today to set up an appointment for her. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on April 13th, 2017
If she is pregnant, yes, she is going to deliver soon.
If not pregnant these signs could be due to the so called ''false pregnancy''. A hormonal imbalance (excess of prolactin hormone) is thought to play a central role in the development of a false pregnancy, or pseudopregnancy, in which a non-pregnant female cat shows such symptoms as lactation or nursing without producing kittens.

Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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