Allowing The Cat To Breed And Then Neutering
Owners wondering about the male cat breeding age may be considering letting their tomcats breed once or twice and then neutering them after they’ve fathered some kittens. However, there are a number of reasons why cat owners should consider neutering their male cats from the start.
In male cats more than in females, neutering at an early age can have significant behavioral and even physical impact on the development of the cat. Owners who neuter their male cats before they reach breeding age often have more affectionate and sweet-tempered cats, as unneutered males may be aggressive and territorial. Unneutered males will also be more likely to roam and mark their territory by spraying urine. Male cats that are neutered at a young age will also physically look different, developing into cats that are less muscular and that have less rounded faces.
What Month Is Mating Season For Cats
All of the above terms are correct in describing female cats’ periods of receptiveness to mating, but will be referred to as the more often-used “heat cycles.” The breeding season in cats is practically year-round, running as early as February, and as late as December, but in the western hemisphere, …
What Are The Signs Of A Cat Mating
Mating Position When petted, your cat will assume the mating position, dropping her head, laying her front half low, and raising her hindquarters with her tail pushed aside. Her rear legs will tread up and down as if she’s making biscuits. Spraying Watch out for urine spray on vertical surfaces.
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Helping Your Cat Through The Birth Process
Chances are that you will not need to do anything to help with the birth process except to be with your cat to encourage her as sort of a “cat doula.” Make sure to keep your distance as stress can slow down the birthing process and most cats prefer privacy during delivery. You may even wake one morning to discover that your pregnant cat has given birth during the night, and is comfortably nursing her kittens. However, you should know how to spot potential problems and what action to take, should she need assistance with the birth process.
When Is The Breeding Season For Cats
All of the above terms are correct in describing female cats periods of receptiveness to mating, but will be referred to as the more often-used heat cycles. The breeding season in cats is practically year-round, running as early as February, and as late as December, but in the western hemisphere, March through
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At What Age Can Cats Have Kittens
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Cats are reputed for their ability to produce quickly and at a young age. When it comes to having a cat, knowing your cats sexual cycle is key in understanding your animal better, and taking the necessary measures to avoid unwanted litters.
Keep reading here at AnimalWised for more about cat mating, cat sterilization and at what age can cats have kittens. In addition, well be discussing your cats pregnancy timeline, as well as how many kittens cats can have.
Make The Litter Box More Appealing
Sometimes, cats may choose to urinate in inappropriate places because they prefer those places over the litter box. Cleaning the litter box regularly can make it more appealing for your cat.
If you have more than one cat, make sure you have enough litter boxes in the home. PetMDrecommends one for each cat plus one extra.
While you make the litter box more appealing, you should also make their favorite spots in the house less appealing. Use an enzymatic cleaner like Natures Miracle Odor Eliminator or Rocco and Roxie Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator to neutralize scents.
This will prevent your cat from revisiting and re-marking their favorite spots. After these areas are cleaned, you can also place toys or catnip at their favorite spraying spots to help them associate the areas with playtime instead of spray-time.
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When Do Male Cats Become Fertile Ultimate Guide
A recent study sought to answer the question of when male cats become fertile. The study found that male cats reach peak fertility at around 6 months old, and that their fertility declines gradually after that.
The informations in this article can be helpful for cat owners who are looking to breed their cats.
At What Age Can Kittens Get Pregnant
In order to know at what age can cats have kittens, we need to analyze a cats heat period. Cats are seasonal polyestrous, which means that, in the months with the highest incidence of sunlight, they can experience heat almost permanently. Male cats do not have a set heat period, instead, once they reach sexual maturity, they are able to fertilize any female cat which they can detect is in heat.
Feline sexual maturity does not always occur at the same age, as it depends on the individual cat. The main factor which influences cat heat is sunlight. The average age of heats in cats, however, is 6 months for female cats or 9 months in male cats.
Cats can only begin to have kittens once theyve experienced their first heat.
For more, read everything to know about a cat in heat.
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Breeding At An Older Age
Breeding at an old age should be avoided: a general rule is that cats which are 5-6 years old should not be bred.
For an older cat, it would be more difficult getting pregnant and, if theyre maiden, there could be health complications.
Also, when the mother is too old, the chances of giving birth to unhealthy kittens would increase.
Giving birth at an older age can be dangerous for both the mother and the litter.
She would still have the natural instinct of taking care of her kittens, but she could also have a hard time feeding them.
Does Early Spay/neuter Lead To Undesirable Behavior
A prospective 2014 study evaluated postsurgical behavioral issues in cats.19 Porters et al. randomly divided 800 cats into 2 groups: sterilized at 8 to 12 weeks or at 6 to 9 months of age. Researchers tracked undesirable behaviors from immediately after adoption up to 24 months after adoption and found no evidence that age at the time of sterilization had an effect on the number of or occurrence of undesirable behaviors.
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How Do I Stop Unneutered Males From Coming Near My Female Cat
If your female cat isnt neutered, shell actively look for an unneutered male when shes in heat and any local tom cats will actively look for her. Female cats, even if they are already pregnant will still accept the advances of tom cats. By mating with multiple toms, a female cat can give birth to kittens from different fathers in the same litter, so even if shes already pregnant she may still look for a mate.
The best way to keep tom cats away is to get your cat neutered. This will prevent any unwanted pregnancies and tom cats wont take much interest in her. There are also many other health benefits to getting your cat neutered, whether they are male or female. Read more in our neutering guide.
How Old Are Cats When They Start Spraying
Spraying is a bit annoying for cat owners because most likely than not, your cats pee will be all over your house and personal things. Both male and female cats have this kind of behavior.
However, male cats are more prone to this habit. So, as a cat owner, it is just natural for you to be curious and ask, when do male cats start spraying?
In general, most male cats spray at 6 or 7 months old as they reach their maturity. And, female cats start spraying around 6 months old too, just the same as the male cats.
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Signs Your Cat Is Ready To Mate
Now that you know when your cat can start mating, the next question is: How will you tell if hes ready? Since you cant only base it on time, you will need to know the different ways your cat shows its ready to mate or when its in heat.
Here are the different ways to know your cat is ready to mate:
- When female cats go into heat, its meow will sound like a howl. She will also begin becoming more affectionate towards you and other animals and materials, rubbing against them while purring loudly.
- Another sign of heat would be if your cat holds her tail up and raises her ears when to provocation. Shell spray urine and run outdoors to find a mate as well.
- When male cats are ready to mate, they will cry when they see a female in heat. They might also mount on other cats, as a way to show their affection.
- Male cats who want to mate, or hit puberty and are ready to mate, begin becoming territorial and aggressive. They may also spray urine as a sign to show their territory.
Could The Cat Be Stressed
If no medical cause is found for spraying behaviour in a neutered cat, the most likely reason is stress. Cats are very independent animals and dont readily show signs of weakness causes of stress may also not be easily apparent to us. Common causes include:
- Disruption to the cats territory
- A new cat moving into the area.
Spraying is primarily a territorial marking behaviour and cats are not naturally sociable animals. Unfortunately, this means another common cause of stress is households with more than one cat. Often conflict between individual animals is subtle to spot and doesnt always involve direct fighting.
Ultimately, the best solution for stress-related behaviour is consultation with a specialist veterinary behaviourist. This can be expensive but is often covered by pet insurance. In the meantime, the following tips may help:
- Make sure all resources in the house are spaced apart, and provide one per cat plus one extra to avoid competition
- If stress could be caused by a dog or small children, give the cat a safe area away from them such as using a baby gate
- If your cat can see other strange cats outside though glass doors, consider applying an opaque cover over the lower portion
- Clean sprayed areas with a solution of biological washing powder before spraying with surgical spirit
- If feasible, move a positive item to sprayed areas such as a food bowl or favourite bed
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Do Male Cats Spray More Than Female Cats How Often Do Male Cats Spray
Yes! Generally, male cats have the habit of spraying more often compared to female cats. But this does not mean that female cats are not spraying.
Your female cat can also start spraying around the age of 6 months and is most likely to seek companionship outdoors.
A female kitten has also a possibility of getting pregnant even if it has not reached its maturity. So, if you have a female kitten, it is best to look out for your feline baby and make sure that it is far from unneutered, in heat male cats.
If the male cat has not been neutered before 6 months old, he is most likely to spray more often to attract mates.
Will A Male Cat Try To Mate With A Pregnant Cat
However, most often, if a female cat mates and is pregnant, she is not going to still be in heat up to 21 days later. Your female would had to have been in heat after conceiving with your male cat if she were to mate with him again. That is highly unlikely. … Females are only receptive to mating when they are in heat.
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Is There An Optimal Age For Cat Spay Or Neuter
Philip A. Bushby
DVM, MS, DACVS
Dr. Bushby, a 1972 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, is a board-certified surgeon who has served on the MSU faculty for 42 years. He established the MSU CVM shelter program and is a frequent speaker on efficient spay/neuter techniques. He was a member of the organizing committee for the shelter medicine specialty board, received the ASPCA Henry Berg Award in 2008, the AVMA Animal Welfare Award in 2012, and the Association of Shelter Veterinarians Meritorious Service Award in 2015.
Over the past several decades, the recommended age for spay or neuter of cats has changed. At one time, the recommended age for spay was after the female cat had a litter, then it changed to after the first heat cycle, and eventually the veterinary profession settled on 6 months of age or older. Given that cats reach sexual maturity at about 5 months of age, more and more people are advocating lowering the spay/neuter age to 4 to 5 months and support early spay/neuter in animal shelters. All of these varied recommendations lead one to question: is there an optimal age at which cats should be spayed/neutered?
- Eliminates reproductive emergencies such as pyometra and dystocia
- Prevents unintended pregnancies
- Potentially decreases behavioral problems linked with cat relinquishment
How Many Times Does A Cat Have To Mate To Get Pregnant
Cats are induced ovulators, which means that the act of breeding stimulates the release of eggs from the ovaries. Most females require three to four matings within a 24-hour period for ovulation to occur. It only takes a minute or two for cats to mate, and cats may mate multiple times in a short period of time.
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How Do Domestic Cats Reproduce
Cats reproduce using internal fertilisation. The male knows the female is in heat from her scent she releases certain pheromones that inform him of her condition. You will often see male cats checking if females are in heat using the flehmen reaction a grimace in which the male pulls back his lips, baring his teeth,
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Do Boy Cats Spray If Neutered
Neutering will change the odor, and may reduce the cats motivation for spraying, but approximately 10% of neutered males and 5% of spayed females will continue urine spraying and marking. While cats in multiple cat households are often involved in spraying behaviors, cats that are housed singly may spray as well.
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How Does Spraying Look Then
- Sometimes, cat owners have difficulty determining if their cats are spraying or urinating. Most cats that are spraying tend to have their tail raised and twitching.
- Cats spray only a small amount of urine, and they usually spray in an upright manner. That is why when your cat is spraying, you can notice them spraying on the doorframe or even the wall.
- Urinating, on the other hand, only means your cat excretes its liquid on a horizontal surface like its litter box or on the floor. You can usually see them urinating by squatting.
For Pet Parents Of Male Cats
If you have a male cat, you may not be facing a litter of kittens in your home, but your kitty can still contribute to pet overpopulation if he manages to impregnate another cat. Even if your cat stays indoors, unneutered cats will try and occasionally succeed at escaping their home to find a mate.
So, even as a male cat owner, you have an important responsibility to consider when it comes to neutering your pet.
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How Do I Know If My Cat Is On Heat
The signs of oestrus are mainly behavioural and can include:
- Increase in vocalisation- this is often described as a yowl and is louder than your cats normal meow. It can sometimes be confused with an expression of pain or anxiety.
- Increase in affection- towards people and cats alike. Rubbing against or weaving between your legs and rolling around on the floor. Although contrary to this some female cats can become aggressive towards their owners and other cats.
- Change in mannerisms – when you stroke your cat along her back she will lower her front half, raise her bottom in the air, start to tread up and down and move her tail from side to side.
- Increased attention to the genital region .
- Reduced appetite
When Do Male Cats Become Sexually Active
While you may wish your adorable tiny kitten could stay the same age forever, time waits for no cat and they all must grow up at some point. Growing up brings new complications and considerations to everyone, human or feline. When it comes to your male kitten, one big decision youll need to make as he grows is whether or not to get your little guy neutered.
There are multiple benefits to neutering your cat that well discuss in detail later in this article. If you decide to neuter your male kitten, however, the best time to do so is before he becomes sexually active.
But when do male cats become sexually active? Male cats become sexually active between 4-6 months old, usually closer to 6 months. Keep reading to learn how to tell if your male kitten is reaching that age and what to do about it when he does.
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