Are you here because your Russian Blue has recently gained weight within a few weeks? Are you worried about what you will need to do and how long your Russian Blue will be pregnant for if your Russian Blue is in fact pregnant?
If your female Russian Blue has recently mated and has gained anywhere from 2-4 pounds within the last few weeks, then chances are that your Blue is pregnant. On average, your Russian Blue’s pregnancy or gestation period will last from 63-65 days.
However, the first step to take is to confirm your suspicions about your cat’s pregnancy. To do so there are some signs that you can look for. Additionally, this article will also help you prepare for your Russian Blue’s pregnancy and for when the litter of kittens is born!
How to Tell if Your Russian Blue Cat is Pregnant?
Let us begin by first looking for the signs that show that your Russian Blue is pregnant. However, if you want a definite answer or are new to this process, then you can always pay a visit to the vet’s clinic (more details on this are given below). The vet will be able to inform you of your Russian Blue’s pregnancy as soon as 15 days into her pregnancy!
Five Signs that Your Russian Blue is Pregnant
The following are the signs that you can look for to figure out whether your Russian Blue is pregnant.
1. Morning Sickness
As with humans, your pregnant Russian Blue is likely to have morning sickness if she is pregnant. However, keep in mind that not all pregnant Russian Blues get morning sickness, and not all vomiting is a sign of pregnancy. Hence, if you do see your Russian Blue vomiting then it is always a good idea to pay a quick visit to the vet’s clinic to ensure that your cat’s health is in good condition.
2. Swollen Belly and Weight Gain
A swollen belly and weight gain, of around 2 to 4 pounds, is a sure-fire way of confirming your Russian Blue’s pregnancy. However, the swollen belly is usually visible only about 30 days into the gestation period. Additionally, the swollen belly is not as easy to spot, as it may seem, especially if your Russian Blue is already overweight.
Hence, it is best to keep your Russian Blue, male or female, in good shape all the same. This will help not only for you to figure out whether your female Russian Blue is pregnant, but also reduce chances of other more dire health issues from arising.
3. Darkened and Swollen Nipples
Veterinarians call the process of your cat’s nipples turning darker in color and swelling up as “pinking up”. This usually occurs around the 21-day mark of your Russian Blue’s pregnancy.
Furthermore, you may also see some milky discharge from your Blue’s nipples. This is considered normal during your cat’s pregnancy. Hence, there is no need for alarm if you see this after your Blue’s nipples have darkened in color.
4. Nesting
After around 50 days into your Russian Blue’s pregnancy, she might start displaying some maternal behavior, such as being affectionate towards you and your family or purring sweetly. However, she might also become a little hostile around other pets. Hence, make sure to keep an eye out for this type of behavior.
Nonetheless, it is also around this time that she will start “nesting”, which mainly consists of her lazing around but also looking for quiet and comfortable places to give birth.
5. Ultrasound or X-Ray
As mentioned earlier, the best route to take to confirm that your Russian Blue is pregnant is to take her to your veterinarian and get an ultrasound or X-ray.
Here, it is important to note that an ultrasound will show that your Russian Blue is pregnant as early as 15 days into her pregnancy. On the other hand, X-rays will show the skeletons of the kittens only at around 40-45 days. Furthermore, experts have said that putting your pregnant cat under the X-ray machine is not harmful because the radiation is a negligible amount in this case.
How Long are Russian Blue Cats Pregnant For?
Now, to answer your main question. Russian Blues are pregnant for about 63-65 days on average. However, sometimes some cats can carry a litter of kittens within the range of 58 to 70 days too. This is normal and is not a sign of worry for you.
However, it is also helpful to remember that your Russian Blue’s behavior will not change noticeably throughout her pregnancy. The only time she might start acting unusual will be during her final few weeks of pregnancy when she enters the “nesting” phase. Hence, if she starts acting unusually, then it will be best to consult with your veterinarian.
The Five Stages of Cat Pregnancy
The five stages of your Russian Blue’s pregnancy will help you understand if you are taking care of your pregnant cat properly. So, let us look at the five stages of cat pregnancy, and in the meantime, you can figure out which stage your Russian Blue is at currently!
1. Reaching Sexual Maturity
The first stage of a cat pregnancy begins when your female cat and male cat mate. However, it is of key importance to note that cats usually reach sexual maturity at 6 months of age, or even five months in most Oriental breeds.
Hence, if you are not looking to have kittens running around your house in a couple of months, then once your Russian Blue reaches the age of 5-6 months, you may want to consider getting your cat spayed.
2. Early Stage
This early-stage will consist of your Russian Blue getting morning sickness (although, not all cats get morning sickness). It may also consist of a slight loss of appetite for the first two weeks of her pregnancy. However, she should be back to normal by her third week of pregnancy and eating as much as she used to.
3. Middle Stage
This stage essentially consists of your Russian Blue gaining weight. You will also be able to get your Blue X-rayed during this stage to figure out how many kittens she is carrying.
4. Pre-labor/”Nesting” Stage
This is the stage when her nipples will darken and you may notice some milky discharge from her nipples. She will also enter the “nesting” phase at this stage and will start to look for cozy places, where she can give birth.
At this stage, it will be best for you to provide your Blue with cozy blankets and allow her to take them to whichever spot she prefers.
Finally, it is important to note that your Blue will stop eating approximately two days before she goes into labor.
5. Labor
When your Russian Blue goes into labor, you will know due to her making noises of uneasiness, licking her genitals, or even pacing about nervously.
At this stage, all you need to do is leave your Russian Blue to be but still keep an eye on her.
It is normal for your Russian Blue to be in labor for about an hour before she gives birth to her first kitten. Then, the rest of the kittens should follow one after another every 15 to 20 minutes.
How Many Kittens Are Usually in a Litter?
There are usually 3 kittens in a Russian Blue’s litter. Furthermore, the kittens are usually between 2 to 3 ounces or 55 to 85 grams.
What is Next After the Kittens are Here?
In most cases, your newly turned mother Russian Blue will take care of her kittens on her own. She will lick them and even eat the placenta, as this gives her the extra dose of nutrition that she requires. Although this may seem very unappealing to you, placentas have been scientifically proven to have very important nutrients, especially for new mothers.
However, do remember that the kittens will need to be with your Russian Blue for at least 2 months. Although, leaving them with their mothers to be properly weaned for up to 3 months is even better.
After this, you can look for people who may want to adopt the kittens or simply raise them alongside their mother!
Final Words
Hence, with a pregnancy or gestation period of only 63 to 65 days on average, it will be important for you to provide your pregnant Russian Blue with extra special care during this time. This simply means that you will need to let some of your cat’s behavior be even though it may be inconvenient for you at times. After all, pregnancy can be challenging for any living organism.
So, let your pregnant Russian Blue take care of itself, and soon you will have some cute kittens running around your house!
