Yes, it's possible that cats can sense pregnancy even before you have early pregnancy signs. This is due to their excellent and refined sense of smell.
Your Cat Could Become More Affectionate
As if you couldn't love your cat enough, they could become even more affectionate than usual once they sense you're pregnant. You'll notice them spending more time rubbing against you and staying close to you.
Why Is My Cat Avoiding Me Now That I'm Pregnant? Some cats turn into little lovebugs when a human companion is pregnant, while others rebel by becoming aloof or attaching themselves to someone else. If you're getting the cold shoulder from your cat, it could be a sign that she is stressed by the changes in her routine.
Dr. Barrack points out that changes at home will always have an effect on a dog. “Your dog is smart enough to pick up on these changes during pregnancy, both in a physical way — which is how your body will be changing, your stomach, your smell — and in an emotional way, such as your feelings and your mood,” she says.
“Some become overly affectionate and more drawn to the pregnant person. Others become more curious and alert around the person. Some may even become anxious or upset because they sense a change in their routine coming on.”
Stressful environment
New family members are stressful enough for cats, but lots of other things could stress your cat out, too. Clinginess could be a sign that your cat trusts you but not others. Pay close attention to your cat's behavior when certain people or pets walk into the room.
It's not uncommon for a cat to act jealous when a new baby is brought into the family. If your cat starts misbehaving seriously during pregnancy, then you may want to seek help from a veterinarian or a professional trainer.
Pregnant women may be unaware of the bacteria or parasites that are present within a cat's intestines called toxoplasmosis, or as it's more commonly known, cat feces disease. Toxoplasmosis can enter the pregnant woman's body after coming into contact with cat feces and then not properly washing the hands.
These changes in hormonal levels can affect your normal scent and since cats have a superpower sense of smell, they can pick up on these scents. Your British Shorthair cat will cling on you during pregnancy because she's probably wondering why you smell differently all of a sudden.
How Soon Can Cats Sense Pregnancy? Since cats are thought to detect pregnancy by detecting changes in your odour due to hormones, body temperature and body language- they are able to detect pregnancy fairly early! Cats are said to detect pregnancy in humans as early as 3 to 4 weeks pregnant.
"Cats and dogs likely perceive hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy due to their amazing sense of smell," says Dr Mornement. "Their acute sense of hearing also means they probably hear the baby's heartbeat in the later stages of pregnancy."
During pregnancy, a woman experiences profound hormonal changes, producing much more estrogen, progesterone, and chorionic gonadotropin than normal. Cats and dogs have very refined senses of smell, and may pick up on these changes—even before a pregnancy test does.
Because it can detect your stress and wants to make you feel better. Cats know that cuddling makes humans happy: they can "decipher" changes in their owner's body when it happens.
As the big day nears, your cat will become more affectionate and clingy. Young cats are often specifically anxious, especially during their first pregnancy. Don't leave them alone too much.
You can keep, and continue to cuddle with, your friendly feline — just don't change your cat's litter box. An infection called toxoplasmosis can be spread through soiled litter boxes and can cause miscarriage and serious problems in a fetus, including seizures and severe eye and brain damage.
In order to protect their own health and that of their unborn child, women who are, or who may be, pregnant should be advised to avoid close contact with livestock animals. This is because infectious organisms may be present in birth fluids of animals, particularly sheep, cattle and goats.
Dogs can most likely sense miscarriage as well as pregnancy. There are many changes in a pregnant person's body, including hormones, scents, and the way someone looks and moves while pregnant. Of course, their body also changes after a miscarriage in these same ways.
They Are Protective of Their Kittens
Mother cats may hiss at someone who comes too close to her kittens. Even cats that have been well socialized may hiss at you if you come too close to their babies. Sometimes mother cats will hiss at her kittens to teach them how to respond in situations where they feel threatened.
Will my cat's behavior change during pregnancy? During pregnancy, the cat's behavior alters very little, although some cats become more loving, and a few become aggressive. During the final week, the queen may search for a suitable kittening bed or nest.
Burmese are often considered to be the most affectionate cat breed. They love being with people at all times and crave close physical contact, making them the ultimate companion cat for a devoted family. They will follow their owner from room to room and prefer to cuddle up on the sofa or sleep in bed with them.
Like dogs, cats also have an uncanny ability to detect ailments and diseases as well. Cats also have an acute sense of smell and have the ability to sniff out a chemical change in the body caused by a disease. And both dogs and cats can also sense the change in mood, behavior and pattern that affect a daily routine.