Since they’re born, kittens move a lot compared to babies.
On average, they’ll begin to show symptoms of teething around 8 weeks. By the time they’re 10 to 12 weeks old, they’re likely to be running around mostly on their own.
So, do kittens move a lot before birth? Some kittens are born stillborn or with birth defects.
Unfortunately, this is often due to genetics or the mother’s health. However, some birth defects are due to the mother moving too much during her pregnancy.
For example, if a mother cats moves around a lot, this can make her kittens’ joints too loose. This makes their bones fragile and increases the risk of birth defects.
Most kittens are born between 9 and 12 weeks gestation. However, some are born earlier or later than this.
It’s rare for kittens to be born outside of this range. It’s also rare for kittens to be born stillborn or with birth defects.
Contents
Do Kittens Move A Lot Before Birth?
Kittens will begin to move within their mother’s womb from approximately the twentieth day of pregnancy onwards.
The movements will become more frequent as the kitten develops inside the womb and will continue until birth occurs.
As this occurs within all pregnancies, it is difficult to say with certainty whether a particular pregnancy will experience significant fetal movement.
Many factors can influence the degree of fetal movement during any particular pregnancy, including the mother’s general health and any medications she may be taking, as well as her emotional state and the stress level experienced by both mother and fetus during the pregnancy.
This lasts until the baby is old enough to move its head and shoulders within the womb.
Depending on its position, the umbilical cord can be compressed by the baby’s head or legs, causing the mother to feel strong contractions in the uterus that mimic labor pains.
How Does A Kitten Move In The Womb?
Kicking
After day 50, it is usual for kittens to kick with their hind legs in a rhythmic motion every few minutes or so as the muscles develop further in preparation for life outside the mother’s body.
Stretching
In the same way as kittens in their mothers’ stomachs stretch their legs out before them in preparation for crawling once born, so will fetuses inside their mothers’ uteruses stretch their legs out before them as they prepare for entering the world outside the uterus once they are born.
This stretching will occur more frequently after the twentieth day of pregnancy and will gradually cease once the cat has given birth to its young.
The placement within the womb of the cat’s reproductive organs changes throughout pregnancy, and these changes also affect the movements of the unborn kitten.
Turning and Tossing
Turning or tossing is a normal part of fetal development that occurs naturally as the embryo grows inside the uterus.
When the fetus is still relatively small, it will turn from side to side in a clockwise direction as it develops.
Once it has grown large enough to move around freely inside the mother’s uterus, it will then begin turning in a counter-clockwise direction as it continues to grow and develop further.
Some fetuses will occasionally turn upside down when this happens; this is perfectly normal and will not harm the developing fetus in any way.
Where Can You Feel Kittens For Cat?
By palpating multiple bumps on your cat’s abdomen you can feel for the heartbeat of a pregnant cat and the movements of a fetus inside her uterus.
Place one hand flat against your cat’s belly with the palm facing down toward your leg and the other on top, fingers pointing toward her spine. Feel for the abdominal bump closest to your hand.
This is the area where you can feel for the heartbeat of a pregnant cat and the movements of a fetus inside her uterus.
When Can You Feel Kittens Move In Pregnant Cat?
Around day 55 or 60 of a pregnant cat’s gestation period, you can start to feel the first movements of a fetus inside her uterus.
This usually occurs only once every several minutes but will increase gradually as the time approaches when the fetus is about to be born.
When Do Kittens Begin to Move in the Womb?
Kittens move before birth, and however it may occur, the movements are gentle and soft in nature.
As the kitten grows inside the mother’s uterus, its movements become more noticeable and frequent.
The kitten is alive inside the mother’s womb before birth.
At 28 to 32 days, a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The kitten starts moving about in the mother’s uterus at around the 6th week.
By 9 weeks, the kitten’s eyes begin to open, and at 10 to 12 weeks it can see and breathe on its own. At around 16 to 18 weeks, the kitten’s bones start to form.
Finally, by around 26 weeks, the kitten reaches the legal size limit to allow it to leave the mother’s uterus.
Do Unborn Kittens Kick?
Yes, unborn kittens kick before they are born.
Some mothers may sense their unborn babies kicking as early as the tenth week of gestation, but the majority of them can first feel their babies kick at the seventeenth week of pregnancy.
Also Read: Do Kittens Get Cold?
Conclusion
If you’ve learned that your cat is pregnant, the chances are that she will give birth to one or more healthy offspring in due course.
You’ll also need to understand what to be on the lookout for during pregnancy in terms of signs to watch for that might indicate a problem or illness.
