Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days counted from ovulation, which works out to roughly 58 to 68 days from a single mating date. Cats are pregnant for about 63 to 65 days on average, with a normal range of roughly 61 to 72 days. Enter the mating date in the calculator below to get an estimated due date, a due window and the key check-up milestones.
The short answer
- Dogs: about 63 days from ovulation. From a single breeding date, expect birth (whelping) between day 58 and day 68. Counting from the first day she accepted the male, the full possible range stretches a little wider, to around day 72.
- Cats: about 63 to 65 days on average. Normal births (queening) happen anywhere from about day 61 to day 72.
- Why a window, not a single date: sperm can survive in a dog's reproductive tract for a week or more, so the day of mating is not always the day of conception. Only hormone-based ovulation timing done by a vet narrows a dog's due date to within a day or two.
- Vet confirmation: ultrasound can confirm pregnancy from about day 25 in dogs and about day 15 to 20 in cats. An X-ray from around day 45 shows the skeletons, and one after day 55 is the best way to count puppies.
Pregnancy due date calculator
Choose dog or cat and enter the mating date to see the estimated due date and what happens when.
Enter the mating date to see the timeline.
A planning aid based on common guidance, not a substitute for your veterinarian.
Dog pregnancy week by week
Days are counted from the mating date. If your dog was mated more than once, count from the first breeding and expect the later end of the window to be more likely.
| Week | Days | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–7 | Eggs are fertilised and travel to the uterus. No visible changes. | Keep her routine normal. No extra food yet. |
| 2 | 8–14 | Embryos are still free-floating in the uterus. | Avoid strenuous exercise and unprescribed medicines. |
| 3 | 15–21 | Embryos implant in the uterine wall, around day 21. Some dogs have mild morning sickness or a dip in appetite. | Book a vet visit for around day 25 to 30. |
| 4 | 22–28 | Heartbeats become visible on ultrasound from about day 25. A vet may feel small swellings by palpation. | Ultrasound or relaxin blood test to confirm pregnancy. |
| 5 | 29–35 | Puppies start to look like puppies. Weight gain and a firmer belly begin. | Start switching gradually to a puppy or growth food over 1–2 weeks. |
| 6 | 36–42 | Belly and nipples enlarge noticeably. Appetite rises. | Feed smaller meals more often as her stomach space shrinks. |
| 7 | 43–49 | Puppy skeletons calcify and show on X-ray from about day 45. Hair forms. | Set up a whelping box in a quiet, warm room and let her get used to it. |
| 8 | 50–56 | Puppies may be seen moving under her skin. Some dogs leak a little milk. | X-ray after day 55 to count puppies. Start taking her rectal temperature twice a day. |
| 9 | 57–63+ | Nesting, restlessness, reduced appetite. Temperature drops 12–24 hours before labour. | Stay close, keep your vet's emergency number handy. |
Cat pregnancy week by week
Cats are induced ovulators, meaning mating itself triggers ovulation, so the mating date is a fairly good starting point. Many cat pregnancies are unplanned, though, and you may only notice the signs at week three or later. In that case a vet can estimate how far along she is.
| Week | Days | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1–7 | Mating triggers ovulation and fertilisation. | Keep her indoors to prevent further matings. |
| 2 | 8–14 | Embryos move to the uterus and implant around day 12 to 14. | Normal diet and routine. |
| 3 | 15–21 | Nipples turn pink and enlarge ("pinking up"). Ultrasound can detect pregnancy from about day 15 to 20. | Book a vet visit to confirm. |
| 4 | 22–28 | A vet can often feel the developing kittens by palpation (about day 17 to 25). Heartbeats visible on ultrasound. | Start moving her to a kitten food gradually. |
| 5–6 | 29–42 | Steady weight gain, rounder belly, bigger appetite. | Feed small, frequent meals. Avoid flea or worm products your vet has not approved. |
| 7 | 43–49 | Kitten skeletons show on X-ray from about day 45. | X-ray if you want a kitten count. Prepare a nesting box. |
| 8 | 50–56 | Kittens can be seen moving. She may start looking for hidden spots. | Show her the nesting box and keep it in a quiet place. |
| 9–10 | 57–65+ | Nesting, restlessness, more affection or more hiding. Labour usually around day 63 to 65. | Stay nearby and keep your vet's number at hand. |
Track the pregnancy in PetVitals. Log vet visits, weight and the due date, and get reminders for each check-up so nothing slips during these nine weeks.
Read nextDiabetes in Cats and Dogs: Symptoms, Early Signs and When to WorrySigns your dog or cat is pregnant
In the first three weeks there is usually little to see. From around week three or four, watch for:
- Enlarged, darker or pinker nipples (very obvious in cats around day 15 to 21)
- Steady weight gain and a rounder, firmer belly
- Increased appetite after a short dip in the early weeks
- Being more tired, more affectionate or more withdrawn than usual
- In dogs, a clear or mucoid vaginal discharge about a month after mating
- Nesting behaviour in the last week: shredding bedding, seeking quiet corners
None of these signs prove pregnancy. Dogs in particular can have a false pregnancy (pseudopregnancy) with nesting, belly changes and even milk, without any puppies. Weight gain can also be fluid or a medical problem, so always confirm with a vet.
How a vet confirms pregnancy
A vet has four main tools, each with a best time window.
| Method | Dogs | Cats | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound | From about day 25 (heartbeats) | From about day 15 to 20 | Confirms pregnancy and that the puppies or kittens are alive |
| Palpation | About day 21 to 35 | About day 17 to 25 | Can suggest pregnancy; less reliable later on |
| Relaxin blood test | From about day 25 to 30 | Available, used less often | Confirms pregnancy, not the number of young |
| X-ray | From about day 45; best after day 55 for counting | From about day 42 to 45 | Litter size, skeleton size, birth planning |
Knowing the litter size is useful: once the count on the X-ray matches the number born, you know labour is over. A pre-birth visit is also a good moment to talk about food, vaccinations and deworming for the mother. If her regular check-ups have slipped, our guide on how often a dog or cat should go to the vet covers the normal schedule.
Feeding during pregnancy
Energy needs barely change in the first half. From around week five, increase food gradually so that by the last weeks she eats roughly 25 to 50 percent more than usual, ideally a complete puppy or kitten food that is higher in energy and calcium. Do not add calcium supplements unless your vet prescribes them, because they can increase the risk of problems around birth. For baseline portions before you scale up, see how much to feed a dog or cat.
Preparing for the birth
About one to two weeks before the due date, set up the birthing area:
- A whelping or nesting box. For dogs, a box big enough for her to stretch out, with low sides she can step over and a rail to stop puppies being crushed. For cats, a cardboard box or covered bed lined with towels in a quiet, warm room.
- Supplies. Clean towels, puppy pads, a heat source that only covers part of the box, a digital thermometer, unwaxed dental floss and clean scissors in case a cord needs tying, and a notebook or app to log birth times.
- Temperature checks (dogs). From about day 56, take her rectal temperature morning and evening. A normal reading is around 38–39°C (100.5–102.5°F). A drop below about 37.8°C (100°F), often to around 37.2°C (99°F), usually means labour within 12 to 24 hours. Cats do not show this drop as reliably.
- Your vet's details. Save the number of your vet and the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic, and know how you would get there at night.
Signs of labour
Labour has three stages.
- Stage one (6 to 12 hours, up to 24): restlessness, panting, shivering, nesting, refusing food, sometimes vomiting. The cervix is opening; contractions are not visible yet.
- Stage two (active delivery): visible straining. Each puppy or kitten usually arrives within 30 to 60 minutes of strong pushing. Many cats and dogs rest between births, sometimes for an hour or more.
- Stage three: the placenta passes after each baby, usually within 15 minutes. Count the placentas if you can.
A whole litter commonly takes 3 to 12 hours to arrive. Cats sometimes pause for many hours mid-litter while calmly nursing, which can be normal if she is relaxed and not straining.
When to call a vet: emergency red flags
Call your vet or an emergency clinic straight away if any of these happen:
- Strong, continuous straining for 30 minutes without a puppy or kitten being born
- Weak, intermittent straining for 2 to 4 hours without a birth
- More than 2 hours between births when you know more are still inside (from the X-ray count), or she seems distressed
- Dark green or foul-smelling discharge before the first baby is born. This can mean a placenta has separated. Green discharge right after a birth is normal in dogs.
- A puppy or kitten visibly stuck in the birth canal for more than 10 to 15 minutes
- Heavy bleeding, collapse, severe weakness, trembling or seizures
- No labour within 24 hours of a dog's temperature drop
- Overdue: a dog past about day 68 to 70 from mating, or a cat past about day 70 to 72, with no signs of labour
When in doubt, call. Dystocia (difficult birth) is time-sensitive, and an early phone call is far better than a late emergency C-section.
After the birth
The first hours and days matter most:
- Make sure every newborn nurses within the first few hours to get colostrum.
- Weigh puppies or kittens daily. They should gain weight every day; a newborn that loses weight or cries constantly needs a vet check.
- Some reddish-brown discharge (lochia) is normal for a few weeks. Fever, foul-smelling discharge, a hard, hot or painful mammary gland, or a mother who stops eating needs a vet.
- In the first weeks of nursing, watch for eclampsia (low blood calcium): restlessness, trembling, stiff walking, panting or seizures. It is an emergency.
- Keep feeding the mother a high-energy puppy or kitten food throughout lactation.
Plan the youngsters' health care early. Puppies start vaccinations at 6 to 8 weeks (see the puppy vaccination schedule by age), kittens follow a similar timeline (see the cat vaccination schedule by age), and both need regular deworming from the first weeks, as explained in how often to deworm a cat.
A note on spaying and responsible breeding
If the pregnancy was unplanned, or you do not intend to breed again, talk to your vet about spaying once the litter is weaned. It prevents future litters and lowers the risk of uterine infection and some mammary tumours. If you do plan to breed, a pre-breeding check, health screening for your breed and ovulation timing make the due date far more predictable and the birth safer.
The calculator gives an estimate. Your vet's ultrasound and X-ray, and your dog's temperature in the final week, are what tell you when birth is really close.