Introduction
It’s a common belief that cats can sense when a woman is pregnant, even before she knows it herself. Many pregnant women report that their cats become more affectionate and attentive when they’re expecting. But is there any scientific evidence to back up this popular notion?
In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why cats may be attracted to and alter their behavior around pregnant women. We’ll look at cats’ extraordinary senses and how they pick up on the physical and emotional changes associated with pregnancy. Understanding cats’ abilities and instincts can shed light on this captivating feline phenomenon.
Scent Changes During Pregnancy
One of the reasons cats may be more drawn to pregnant women is because of changes in their scent. According to the Healthline article “10 Weird Ways Pregnancy Changes the Vagina” https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/vaginal-changes, hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy lead to changes in vaginal discharge and odor that can be detected by cats.
Pregnant women experience major increases in estrogen levels, which can change the chemical composition and scent of vaginal secretions. The smell may become stronger and more noticeable to cats during early pregnancy. Research shows cats have an excellent sense of smell and can detect even subtle changes.
Cats’ Sense of Smell
Cats have an extremely powerful sense of smell that is 14 times better than humans (https://www.pawschicago.org/news-resources/all-about-cats/kitty-basics/cat-senses). Their sensitive noses contain around 200 million olfactory receptors compared to only 5 million in people. This allows cats to detect scents that humans can’t even perceive. A cat’s sense of smell plays an important role in understanding their surroundings, communicating with other cats, identifying friends or foes, and more.
According to animalwellnessmagazine.com, cats rely heavily on their acute sense of smell to gather information about their environment (https://animalwellnessmagazine.com/cats-senses/). Their nose can pick up pheromones and subtle scents that give cats crucial details about other animals or people. Cats use smell to mark territory, identify other cats, locate food, find mates, bond with their humans, and detect threats or danger.
A cat’s powerful nose allows it to pick up odors and aromas undetectable to humans. This super-sensitive sniffing ability helps explain some of cats’ quirky behaviors around pregnant women.
Pheromones
Pregnant women experience hormonal changes that lead to the secretion of different pheromones. Pheromones are chemicals that trigger social responses in members of the same species. As noted in studies like Larsen et al. (2010), pregnant women give off specific pheromones that can elicit certain behaviors in animals.
Research has shown that exposure to pregnant female pheromones causes neurochemical and behavioral changes in mice. The different pheromone signature of pregnant women may be sensed by cats, altering their behavior and social responses. Cats have a powerful sense of smell, so they can detect even subtle changes in human pheromones during pregnancy.
Warmth
Pregnant women tend to feel warmer and give off more body heat due to hormonal changes and increased metabolism. A woman’s basal body temperature increases slightly during pregnancy, typically around 0.2 to 1 degree Fahrenheit higher than pre-pregnancy [1]. This elevated body heat helps support fetal development. Cats, with their keen sense of smell and ability to detect minute temperature changes, can notice this increase in a pregnant woman’s body temperature. The extra warmth given off by a pregnant woman likely makes her more appealing to cats, who enjoy cozying up to warm places and people.
Movement
One reason cats may be attracted to pregnant women is because they can detect the fetal movements happening inside the womb. Cats have a highly developed sense of hearing and can pick up on subtle sounds and movements that humans can’t detect. According to research from Frontiers in Medicine (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1160373), cats are able to hear fetal heartbeats and movements as early as 8 weeks into a pregnancy. As the pregnancy progresses, the fetal movements become stronger and more frequent. Cats seem to be very intrigued by these movements and will often snuggle up close to the pregnant woman’s belly.
Some experts theorize that cats are attracted to the movements because their predatory instincts draw them to motion. Small twitches and kicks against the abdominal wall may stimulate a cat’s natural inclination to hunt. However, cats likely don’t perceive the fetus as prey. Instead, they are simply captivated by the novel sensations of the movements. Expectant mothers will often notice their cat lying on or nudging the belly when the baby is active. The vibrations and sensations appear to fascinate cats and attract their curiosity.
Maternal Instinct
It is quite common for cats to exhibit strong maternal behaviors and protective instincts, whether they have had kittens or not. As one expert describes, “Maternal instincts are not dictated by having children, in humans or cats. Instinct is a natural part of one’s core being” (https://www.quora.com/My-cat-seems-to-have-a-very-strong-maternal-instinct-Is-there-anyway-of-telling-if-she-has-ever-had-a-litter-of-kittens-She-was-a-rescue-aged-about-4-so-I-dont-know-her-background). The mothering instinct emerges as cats mature, and spaying does not eliminate this innate drive.
When around pregnant women, this protective impulse may be aroused in female cats. They may act guarding, attentive, and affectionate as their natural instincts kick in. This maternal caring reflects the sensitive and nurturing side of cats. While the expecting mother is not their own kitten, the cat’s innate drive to protect may direct their behaviors nonetheless.
Personality Changes
During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes many changes as her hormones rapidly fluctuate. According to Pregnancy articles & support, estorgen and progesterone levels rise drastically during the first trimester, which can heighten emotions and moodiness. Mood swings and temperament changes are common during pregnancy due to shifting hormone levels (Bjelica et al, 2018).
These personality and emotional changes are noticeable to cats, who pick up on subtle cues from their owners. Cats are sensitive and attuned to their human companion. When a woman’s hormones fluctuate during pregnancy, a cat may detect associated changes in body chemistry through scent and behavior. The cat responds by being more attentive and affectionate.
Routine Disruption
Cats tend to thrive on routine and can become stressed when their normal schedule is disrupted. According to Preparing Your Cat for a Change in the Family from PAWS Chicago, feeding, cleaning, grooming, playtime and bedtime should happen at consistent times each day. Cats like predictability and can get anxious when their environment changes unexpectedly.
Pregnancy brings many routine disruptions – different sleep schedules, more visitors, changes in household noises and smells. Unless the cat is causing the disruption themselves, like knocking things over or meowing loudly, they are unlikely to appreciate these sudden changes. The expectant mother may also have less time and energy to maintain the cat’s normal routine. All of this can stress out cats who prefer consistency.
While cats generally resist changes to their routine, there are ways to ease the transition. Keeping mealtimes, play sessions and litter box cleaning as close to normal as possible can provide some consistency. Slowly introducing new sounds, smells and people also helps cats adapt. With preparation and patience, cats can learn to accept routine disruptions when necessary.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several main reasons why cats may be attracted to and show affection towards pregnant women. The most significant factors are likely scent changes, warmth, movement, and maternal behaviors exhibited by the cat. Pregnancy causes hormonal changes that alter a woman’s natural scent in ways cats can detect with their excellent sense of smell. Pregnant women also emanate more heat, which cats find comforting. The movements of the fetus may intrigue cats who can hear and feel the baby bump. Finally, some cats exhibit mothering behaviors and become protective of pregnant owners. While the exact reasons aren’t fully proven, the research and anecdotal reports indicate cats often do show a fondness for pregnant women. Their attraction likely stems from a combination of detectable physical changes and natural maternal instincts.