Research overview: ultrasonography for monitoring felid pregnancy

Ultrasonography is a noninvasive imaging tool used to detect pregnancy, estimate fetal age, count and monitor fetuses, and assess viability in cats. This overview surveys how ultrasound is applied across domestic and nondomestic felids to confirm conception, track fetal development, and detect complications. It discusses how gestational structures appear at successive stages and how measurements estimate due dates, as well as the practical constraints of imaging large or dangerous animals that require training or sedation. The review highlights ultrasound's role in managing pregnant cats in conservation breeding, where confirming and timing pregnancy guides husbandry and parturition preparation. As a repeatable, safe method, ultrasonography complements hormone monitoring in felid reproductive management.