Just like humans, animals go through big bodily changes when they’re pregnant. In fact, oftentimes their bellies get so big, even their coats can’t hide them.
So we at We started digging around the internet to see how it affects their appearance and, oh baby, did we enjoy what we found! From guinea pigs and squirrels to zebras and elephants, these expecting mommas look absolutely adorable no matter what species they represent.
We put together the cutest ones and now that we have this list, we present it for your enjoyment and hope that it’ll make your Monday at least a bit better. Enjoy!
#1 Saw A Pregnant Squirrel For The First Time Today. I’m Not Sure What I Expected But This Exceeds All Of It
As adorable as these moms look, you might want to take away your pet’s possibility of having kids.
Experts say that by spaying or neutering your furry companion, you’ll help control the pet homelessness crisis, as millions of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States each year simply because there aren’t enough homes to go around.
#3 8.5 Weeks Pregnant Mamma Cat
#4 Babies Are Coming
#5 This Pregnant Hairless Cat Is 300% Done, She Can’t Even
But there are medical and behavioral benefits to spaying (female) and neutering (male) pets as well.
Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life. Spaying prevents uterine infections and decreases the incidence of malignant or cancerous breast tumors in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. (Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.)
Neutering your male buddy, on the other hand, prevents testicular cancer and some prostate problems.
#6 Pregnant Leopard Resting At Karnataka Forest
#7 My Friend Caught Her Very Pregnant Cat Sitting Like This
#8 Elephants Have The Longest Pregnancy Period Of Any Living Mammal – They’re Pregnant From 18 To 22 Months
#9 Bloat? Nope, It’s A Baby Bump! One Of Our Eagle Rays Is Pregnant – We Think It’s Super Cute
Next, onto behavioral benefits.
Your spayed female pet won’t go into heat. While cycles can vary, female felines, for instance, usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during the breeding season.
In an effort to advertise for mates, they’ll yowl and urinate more frequently, and sometimes do it all over the house.
#10 Pregnant Potato. I Couldn’t Decide Which Of These Baby Belly Pics To Share, So Here Are All Of Them. This Girl Is Named Latte, And She Is Heavily Pregnant
#11 She Had Her Maternity Photoshoot
#12 Very Pregnant Squirrel Had No Fear – So I Gave Her Some Peanuts
#13 Pregnant Ferret
Your male dog will be less likely to roam away from home. An intact male will go above and beyond to find a mate, including creative escapes from the house, which greatly increase the risk of injury in traffic and fights with other animals.
Additionally, unneutered dogs and cats are more likely to mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Your dog might be less likely to mount other dogs, people, and inanimate objects after he’s neutered too. (Also, some forms of aggression can be avoided by early neutering.)
#14 Portrait Of A Pregnant Goat
#15 Pregnant Lizard On Bathroom Window
#16 Friends Have A Pregnant Raccoon Ready To Give Birth Any Time Soon. Not Their Pet, But A Resident Of Their Deck
#17 Do These Stripes Make Me Look Fat? Pregnant Zebra, Masai Mara, Kenya
However, if you decide to become a pet parent yourself and bring home a new critter, you need preparation to ensure they like it at their new home as much as possible.
Shauna Spooner, who is a vet nurse atthe People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) told We that this begins with creating a calm environment.
“New places can be scary for pets,” Spooner said. “While it can be exciting for us and our families when our pets come home, think how terrified they might feel! Try to create a calm environment at home ready for your new pet. Using acalming plug-in diffusermight help them feel less stressed.”
#18 For Those Who Haven’t Seen A Pregnant Groundhog
#19 I’ve Got A Pregnant Shrimp On My Hands, Folks
#20 Horse’s Maternity Photoshoot
#21 I’m Fostering A Very Pregnant Cat. There Are Five Kittens In There
Give them an area that is theirs. “It’s important to make sure they have somewhere they can go to be alone if they need to,” the vet nurse continued. “Setting up adenwith a familiar blanket or toy can be really comforting for them.”
Also, expect accidents. “Even if a pet has been previously house trained, having a few accidents in their new environment is to be expected. Don’t get angry with them as this will make them feel confused and even more worried.”
#22 My Friend’s Pregnant Goat
#23 She’s Only Days Away From Having Her Calf
#24 A Big-Belly Seahorse Relaxes In The Evening Sun. A Shot Was Taken In 2017 Under A Pier In Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia
#25 My Favorite Lady Lazing Around Until Someone Pets Her Pregnant Belly
Try to limit their roaming at first. According to Spooner, if you plan to give your new pet freedom to explore your home some or all of the time, introduce them to it slowly. “Your pet will need time to relax and settle in, so limit them to one or two rooms at a time. Take it slowly and give them time to get used to everything,” she explained.
Pets love keeping a schedule, so set a routine. “The sooner you do this, the sooner your pet will settle in,” Spooner said. “Try to feed them around the same time every day and keep to a regular exercise regime.”
Lastly, keep them indoors “With cats, for example, you will need to keep them indoors for around six weeks to give them chance to settle in and get used to the house.”
For more helpful resources, visit PDSA’s help and advice page.
#26 Pregnant Stray Followed Me Home. I Guess Now I’ll Have Grandkittens
#27 Maternity Shoot For My Pregnant Foster Dog
#28 Congratulations, It’s A Guinea Piglet
#29 Baby Cheetah On The Way
#30 My Dog Is Pregnant And She’s So Round I’m Losing It
#31 This Lady Is Very Pregnant, I Feed Her Every Morning
#32 Pregnant Goat Units
#33 This Mama Seal Just Cooled Off In The Alsea Bay And Now She’s Warming Up In The Sun
#34 Our Male Weedy Sea Dragon During Pregnancy! You Can See His Eggs Attached To His Tail
#35 “It Was Fun At First But I Need This To End Now”
#36 So My Brother’s Dog Is Pregnant And This Is How She Sleeps
#37 Pregnant Gemini
#38 She’s Over This Pregnancy
#39 Our Firstborn Is All Grown Up And Soon To Become A Mummy Too
Poor thing, I know exactly how she feels, heavy, massive and fed up. (Though she was pretty massive before getting preggers, her belly didn’t however quite drag on the floor a few months back). We could feel the little piglets kicking through her belly. A few more weeks to go! Did you know, that a pig’s normal gestation period is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days?
#40 We’re Gonna Need A Lot More Pickles, Ice Cream, And In-N-Out Burgers. Pupper Patties Will Be Coming Soon
#41 A Pregnant Black Rhino About 20m From Our Car
#42 A Pregnant Zebra At Masai Mara National Park
#43 This Rat Getting An Ultrasound
In the world of animal sheltering, expecting the unexpected is pretty much par for the course. Well, we’re not the only ones “expecting” these days…it turns out that Polly the rat is pregnant! This wouldn’t be quite as much of a surprise if it weren’t for Polly coming to HSCC with her “pal” Tony and both were assumed to be males Thanks to our new on-site ultrasound, our suspicions over Polly’s growing tummy were confirmed. Never a dull moment at HSCC!
#44 We Got To Witness A Giraffe In Labor On The Safari At Animal Kingdom. Something Very Rare That Never Happens
#45 Y’all Ever Seen A Pregnant Chameleon?
#46 We Thought We Had A Couple Of Months, But The Vet Told Us Today That We Will Have A New Baby Donkey In The Next Few Days
#47 Pregnant Meerkat, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
#48 Mojo Is So Done With This Whole Pregnant Thing
#49 My Pregnant Dalmatian Molly
#50 Eating Healthy Is An Essential Part Of Being Pregnant
