Last Updated on January 9, 2021
If you ever asked a question concerning your cat’s nipples, you will find the answers here. You may be wondering… “Who the heck would be talking about cat nipples!?”. Well, I guess I am and plenty of people are curious! I know it is a funny subject but you may learn something new. So here are the most common questions asked on Google about feline nipples! Woo!
Do Male Cats Have Nipples?
Yes! Like other male mammals, male cats have nipples too! It is believed that the nipples are developed in the womb of mammals before the sex is determined. This is why males have nipples, even though they don’t really have any purpose.
How Many Nipples Do CATS HAVE?
There isn’t one set answer for this. Cats almost always have an even amount but cats have been known to have odd amounts as well. As for the number, cats can have as little as 4, but as many as 10! The average number being 6. Yes, this includes male cats as well! Some kittens from the same litter may have different amounts. You can have 2 kittens with 6 nipples and 4 kittens with 8 nipples. Sex doesn’t change the number, but purely genetics.
Is Nipple Size a Sign of Pregnancy?
Sure is! When a female cat is pregnant, much like other mammals, her nipples will change. Around 35 days, her nipples will become bright pink and larger. This is because the breasts are preparing to feed the kittens. Everything swells up and becomes sensitive.
Think your cat is pregnant? Check out Is My Cat Pregnant? for information on what to do next!
Where Are Cat Nipples Located?
When looking for a cat’s nipples, you have to look on the belly. Unlike humans, cats have nipples below the chest area. You will find them in even rows an inch or two away from the pelvis. Because of fur, it may be hard to find all of them but two can be found on the fine fur lining of the lower belly.
Some cats do have balding around the nipples making them very visible but this is completely normal and nothing to worry about. If you notice the bald spots are getting larger and they are becoming uneven in shape (often caused by excessive licking), it could be a sign of an infection or skin irritation on the nipple. If you notice any swelling or discharge and your cat is not pregnant, take them into a vet ASAP.
Shaved cat belly showing the nipples
Photo Credit: The Mad Cat Lady
Do Cats Leak Milk? Is It Normal?
Just like pregnant women, pregnant cats can leak milk just the same! This is actually quite common and normal. You may see her licking it off but do not worry, it is perfectly fine. She likely doesn’t like her fur being wet. Leaking nipples doesn’t necessarily mean your cat is close to giving birth. It can happen anytime throughout the pregnancy but it is more likely to happen the closer to birthing she is.
Did My Cat’s Nipple Fall Off?
The short answer to this is no. To learn more, please read our article Did My Cat’s Nipple Fall Off?
My senior, fixed, female cat has one balding nipple. All her other nipples look normal and it is not swollen, bruised or painful. It looks totally normal, just bald. She recently went to the vet and was deemed a healthy and happy kitty. Any ideas as to why her one nipple is balding?
Thanks for your comment Leila. As cats age, their fur becomes thinner just like human hair thins out with age. It could be starting to thin out on her belly by her nipples and you are noticing it just in the one spot. She could have also over-cleaned the area which can cause fur to fall out but it should grow back after a short period of time. If there is any scaring she could have had a rash or scab there as well which the fur may not grow back over.
Hi there. I have a 5year old chinchilla cat. I recently noticed that there is a purple color around his on nipple. Could you tell me if I need to be worried?
Thanks for your comment, Antoinette. Purple is usually a sign of a bruise or loss of circulation. It is best to have him looked over by a vet to make sure it is nothing to worry about.
The same thing happened to my cat
Hi! Lately my male orange tabby has been really licking one of his lower nipples. He makes a little
sound that I can’t compare it to . Harley’s mouth kind of goes around in a circular motion, seemingly the same as a man would do with a woman except he’s smoothing the fur as far away from the actual nub (?) as possible . He’s got to be making it raw with that rough tongue ?Any advice would be greatly appreciated by both of us ? He would have sent this himself but he’s just had his nails done??Okay, not really. My quirky humor!!
Thanks for your comment Ann. Has he been to a vet about this? He may have a rash or an infection. You can put virgin coconut oil on the area to help sooth it. It is safe for cats to lick and actually good for their gut flora so it won’t harm him if he licks it.
Hi and thanks for your advice! He let me have a look and fortunately, it doesn’t look angry or inflamed or anything ??As for the coconut oil, I’ll put some on anyway . I’m going to call his pediatrition tomorrow bc something is obviously going on with my poor baby!!??
How old are cats when they get their nipples usually?
Thanks for your comment Tyler. Kittens develop their nipples prior to birth. They are very tiny with newborns and may not be noticeable until 4 to 6 weeks of age.
Is there a way to find out how many kittens our cat has had based on how many nipples are full of milk
Thanks for your comment Amber, unfortunately no there is not. Did she have them outside? By your question, it would seem she has had the kittens and you want to make sure you have them all or know where they all are.
Yes she we have found 2 alive and 1 dead. It’s her first litter and she is inside
If she is younger and smaller in size, there is a good chance she only had the 3. That is a common litter number. There is realistically no way to verify it though unless she had them within your house.
My cat lost all but one of her nipples while nursing her kittens. The kittens are now 5 months old and she is pregnant again. Will her nipples grow back again in time to nurse her new kittens?
Thanks for your comment Barbara. I am not sure what you mean by “lost her nipples”. That is not normal and no, they do not grow back. She should be seen by a vet asap, especially because she is pregnant again.
I know what Barbara is saying. My female is fostering 2 kittens, must be producing milk cause they are well. )She wasn’t pregnant that I know of. Unless she miscarried. All my males are neutered and all my cats stay inside). Anyway, one of her nipples actually fell off. Doesnt act like it hurts. Why did this happen?
Ok so my cat just had some kittens now there about 7 months and I think she is pregnant again. The other day after I feed my cats I found that one threw up all of the food they ate (not sure which because I have multiple) Also i walked in on my kittens trying to drink milk from thier mother and they usually dont do that especially not 3 at the same time and i pulled them off if her and it was wet around her nipples and they look very pink and bigger than usual. My other femalw cats have white or very light pink nipples …could she be pregnant.
Thanks for your comment Nia. Female cats can produce milk after having a litter and not be pregnant. Since the kittens are much older, there is a chance they could sense her hormones changing and she may be pregnant. Swollen nipples tend to happen closer to birth for most cats but they may just be irritated since, at 7 months, kittens will have much sharper and larger teeth. You will need to take her to a vet to know for sure. I have no way of telling you if she is or if she isn’t.
Spay and neuter your darn cats!! You want to increase the amount of cats in the world, not to mention, inbreed animals?
Hi there,
I have a very spoiled 2 yr old that has always been indoors. Today I noticed that one of her nipples was a dark brown, the others are pink. The surrounding are is a dark brown as well. About the size of a penny. I don’t believe it was like this before, but has recently just occurred. She was spayed when she was 3 – 4 months old. I tried cleaning it and it’s not coming off, it really just looks like a mole. I don’t think it painful because she doesn’t react when I touch it.
Any ideas on what this could be?
Thanks for your comment Mochi. This can be a number of things. It might not be getting the proper blood supply, there may be a mammary cyst, or she could have caught it on something and it bruised it. The color of her skin factors into all this as well. Just to be sure, it is best she be looked over by a veterinarian to make sure it is nothing serious.
My cat gave birth 2 days ago and one of the kittens is really sick and won’t suckle the other 4 are fine. Her nipple are really red and gummie.I took the 4 kittens out and put the sickly one in but I realised her nipples are white and dry what does that mean?
Thanks for your comment Leah. It can mean a few different things. First, I would use a warm damp washcloth and gently clean her nipples off. She may have dried milk that has crusted on them or she may just have very dry nipples. After that, take a small amount of pure virgin coconut oil and rub it onto her nipples to help moisturize them. Do this after the kittens had fed from her as coconut oil can cause bowel issues in kittens. You can wipe off any excess after allowing her skin to absorb it for at least 5 minutes. As for the kitten, try encouraging it to latch on to a nipple by massaging one so it secretes some milk and gently put the kitten’s nose up to it. You mention that this kitten is very sick so it will need to be taken to a vet but you want to start it on formula if it is not nursing. Kittens can’t survive long without any nutrition.
So I adopted 2 male kittens. One of them (Robbie) sucks on the other’s (Roscoe) nipples. Robbie is growing and putting on weight better and faster than Roscoe. Why is that? Could it be because Robbie is getting milk from Roscoe? Could that stunt Roscoe’s growth?
Thanks for your comment Kathleen. Depending on Robbie’s age, he may have been taken from his mother too soon. Male cats do not produce “milk”, so he is either doing this for comfort or he is lacking in nutrition. Since he is not putting on weight the same as Roscoe, I recommend putting him on kitten formula if he is still very young. You want to give this to him with his regular diet. It should help him put on weight. I recommend the KMR brand formula if you can get that in your area. There are also kitten bottles you can use that he may enjoy seeing as he still wants to suckle.
Thank you. They are both 2 months old. Robbie (the one who’s suckling) weighs more than Roscoe. That’s why I was wondering if this had anything to do with it… I read a few websites that said male cats can produce milk if the nipple is stimulated…?
Also Robbie (one who’s suckling) is not fixed yet, because his testicles haven’t dropped but roscoe is fixed. Idk if that makes a difference.
With Roscoe I think you are referring to galactorrhea. He is not able to produce “milk” at his age. While male cats can lactate, it is not the same kind of milk that females produce and only adult males can produce this. Lactation in male mammals is almost always down to how the hormones are being metabolized in the liver. If the liver isn’t properly sorting them out, this can result in a release of lactate acid from the nipples. It is very rare though. It seems like Robbie just wants to continue the action of suckling for comfort. It is not unheard of that sibling kittens (or kittens in general) do this to each other after being taken away from their mother. If Roscoe is okay with this and Robbie is not hurting him, it is nothing to worry about. If Robbie’s weight is not considered healthy (your vet can weigh him and let you know) just supplement with the formula for 3 to 6 weeks.
Okay thank you so much for the information 🙂
My cat one 3 yrs old not fixed was laying in her belly I noticed some bruising around a couple of her nipples. She never has been around. A male cat. Should I be concerned
Thanks for your comment Michelle. Are they swollen and bruised or just bruised? Seeing as she is not fixed, on the younger side, and I am assuming she has never carried a litter it is best to take her to a vet to rule out the possibility of a breast tissue inflection or mammary gland enlargement.
Not sure if this has been asked before. But I have a 3 year old female cat who is not fixed but has never been pregnant. We have recently taken in a small male kitty at 4 weeks old and is now 16 weeks. He has been feeding on our females nipples since day one and nothing as has occurred to her nipples. We are now noticing that that they are discharging white fluid and unsure if we should be concerned. Any ideas if this is normal or if we should get her checked?
Thanks for your comment Caroline. Female cats who have never given birth and are not spayed can still produce milk when around a kitten. This is something that can happen in almost all breastfeeding/nursing mammal species. If you believe it to be milk, supplementing her diet is a good idea to be sure she isn’t being depleted of any vitamins or minerals. If you do not believe it is milk, she can have an infection which would need to be looked at by a vet ASAP.
Hi I just took in a beautiful pregnant Cat now known as Frida. She has nursed for 2 weeks now but her nipples look red is that the way they should look? I pet her and she doesnt look like it hurts. Pls help 1st time cat owner. I have 2 dogs but they are spayed so im totally lost. Thanx
Thanks for your comment Frida’s mommy. Do they feel warm to the touch or look swollen? If so it could be mastitis. This basically means she is producing milk faster than her kittens are eating it. She will need to see a vet to have them drained. You can apply a warm compress to help with the swelling and pain if there is any. If they just appear to be irritated, you can apply a small amount of coconut oil to her nipples to help soothe them. This should be done after the kittens have nursed and can be applied a few times a day. Coconut oil is safe so if she licks it off, that is fine. It can cause diarrhea in kittens which is why it is best to do this after feeds.
my cat just gave birth to 7 kittens but she only has 6 nipples, its her first litter. Should I be concerned?
Thanks for your comment Alora. This is very common with cats. Just take the weight of the kittens weekly and make sure they are all gaining weight. If you suspect any of the kittens to be underweight, supplement them with KMR (kitten formula).
Perfect love’s advice is mostly sound, but I would check kitten weights daily. One foster mom who checked weights a few times in a day on their first day found one kitten who had lost weight. It turned out the kitten had a cleft palate, and could not suckle and needed to be tube fed! This kitten, one of 13 born to 3 feral moms, has now passed 200+ tube feedings and if she can survive to 4-6 months can have the surgery to correct the issue. Had she not been checking a few times on the first day, this would not have been caught and the kitten would have died! 4 of the 13 kittens have passed away from fading kitten syndrome, despite everything that the fosterer, vet assistant and Vet did. Once a week is not enough though.
Thanks for your comment Denis. Daily weighing can be done by simply lifting the kittens and checking comparisons. Most people do not own a scale that will detect the change in ounces daily. This is why I suggested weekly weighing. On average, kittens gain about half an ounce a day. By about 2 months, they should weigh 2 pounds or more. It is always best to monitor newborns as closely as possible to ensure you see each of them eating. This is easily done as they tend to eat (breastfeed) once every 2 to 4 hours depending on the individual kitten and how much they eat in one helping.
Did the cat discern the number of his kitties
I think my cat is pregnant but im not sure her nipples are red and they got bigger but is it because she got older
Thanks for your comment Roneisha. How old is she and has she had any litters in the past?
This can be a sign of mammary cancer morning just a sign of pregnancy and the sooner it is caught by the Vet the better so you should bring her in for a checkup and possible ultrasound.
My cat had kittens and I can’t find them. I want to know they are alive so what should I look for on the mama cats nipples to show that they are alive
Thanks for your comment Amanda. Where did she give birth to the kittens? They usually keep them in one nesting area unless they sense danger and they do not like to be away from their kittens very long.
Hi my cat just had kittens they are not feeding yet. should i be concerned its been about 2 hrs already not sure what to do.
Thanks for your comment Ty. If they are still not eating, they will need to be put on formula. You will want to encourage them to feed from her by helping attach the kittens to her nipples. It can take time but it should always be tried before fully switching them to formula.
All the kittens died. A sad day. I did put them on formulat but they were just to small and weak.
I’m sorry to hear that 🙁
My cat is nursing she had a litter of 6 and she’s in pain whenever they nurse do they have something for cats like they do humans to rub on them and help soothe her?
Thanks for your comment Danielle. You can use virgin coconut oil to help soothe her nipples. Most nipple creams or oils for women contain this as it helps to moisturize, disinfect, and heal the skin. It is 100% safe for cats as well. Be sure to apply it after she has fed her kittens. It can cause diarrhea if the kittens were to eat any. Clean her belly with a warm damp washcloth and then apply a small amount of the oil to her nipples. She will likely lick it off after you are done so rub her nipples and tummy area with it for a minute or two to make sure enough gets absorbed.
My 2 kittens have not nursed in 11 days. We are letting momma dry up to spay her. Is it safe to leave her alone with kittens now?
Thanks for your comment Melissa. Yes, it should be fine. They may try to suckle on her still but it should not affect anything with her spay. After she has been spayed is when you will have to keep an eye on her.
Specifically why? Sutures? Pain? She loves them suckleing. I’m hoping she will not let them at that point. They are 8 weeks old today
They can irritate the area or loosen the sutures by kneading. It takes female cats about 14 days to completely heal from a spay. They should be fine to be around her after 3 or 4 days. Just be cautious.