Why aren't my pregnant cat's nipples swollen or enlarged yet?

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.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, swelling or enlargement of the mammary glands is commonly observed when they are in heat so this is likely normal in Sarabi. No need to be concerned. Good luck and have a good night!

Yuki's nipples and mammary glands look like those of a pregnant cat. I see that she has not been spayed, so if she got out of the house or has been around ANY intact male cats, I think it's most likely that she's pregnant. If there is absolutely no chance that she's been around any intact male cats, then there is a chance that her body is going through a pseudopregnancy. These false pregnancies can occur due to hormonal imbalances after being in heat and usually last a little over a month. It would be best to have Yuki examined by her vet to determine if she is or is not actually pregnant in order to help you plan for her care. I hope that everything goes well!

It could be those nipples are used more often than the others, leading to the different appearance. The size of the kittens could be due to genetics, or it could be these kittens are not getting enough milk. You can have them all checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. I hope this helps!

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.

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.