Cats - Nature's Hormone Detectors

Is the impatience of the two-week-wait getting to you? Are you wishing you could test just a week after ovulation? Then what you need is Cosmo, a Maine Coon who seems to have an uncanny ability to detect pregnancy quite early. unfortunately all I have to offer in the way of proof is my own anecdotal evidence from my three pregnancies.

By the time Cosmo was released from quarantine, I was already pregnant with Kieran. Cosmo was very affectionate, and took to sitting in my lap, which is rather unusual for him. His usual display of affection is to play with hair. At first, I chalked it up to him just being glad to be out of quarantine (though he'd actually enjoyed it there). However, this continued throughout the pregnancy, even when Kieran kicked him.

Fast forward to when I fell pregnant with Charlotte. Starting around 8dpo, Cosmo started getting in my lap a little, which tipped me off that I was probably pregnant. I got a positive test two days later. With this one, he started doing that at 7 or 8 dpo, and I got a positive test at 13dpo. He seems to have an uncanny ability to detect the hormonal changes. (quick note: this test doesn't work if you're the person who feeds Cosmo, which I'm not)

His abilities are not limited to detecting pregnancy. He can also sense when labour is near. I really didn't pay attention to whether he acted different before Kieran was born, but he started "nesting" about a week before Charlotte was born. Normally his cat bed stayed on the landing, but he moved it every night to the living room, where I was planning to give birth. He would stay there and keep watch. On the night of the birth, he stayed where he could see me. It really amazes me what cats can sense.