Can You Spay A Pregnant Cat
Spaying a pregnant cat works the same way that it would with non-pregnant animals, with a slight difference. It also involves aborting the developing kittens. Abortion is a highly controversial topic, and its the biggest reason that theres so much uncertainty surrounding spaying pregnant cats.
There are two sides to this argument, but its still a gray area to delve into.
First, aborting a cats pregnancy prevents more kittens from entering foster homes, shelters, and rescues that are already overcapacity. This gives cats already in the system more time to find their forever homes instead of being euthanized.
On the other hand, many people dislike taking lives at all even if the kittens arent born yet and believe that its perfectly acceptable to allow the pregnancy to come to term and spay the female cat after shes given birth.
Regardless of the arguments against spaying pregnant cats, the procedure is often successful and considered safe. The only difference from normal spaying surgeries is the presence of fetal kittens.
Spaying or neutering is only one of many vet procedures your pets may need over the course of their lives. All of those vet visits can be pricey, but you can manage the cost with the help of a good pet insurance plan. The customized options from Spot may help you keep your pet healthy at a reasonable price.
How To Tell If Your Cat Is Pregnant
Okay so your cat isnt spayed, it looks like shes been through heat and youre noticing some differences in her. What are some signs that your cat is pregnant?
First, its important if you suspect your cat is pregnant to get her checked by the vet to be sure. The vet can run a few tests and will let you know if your cat is pregnant or not.
The gestation period for a cat is usually around 63 to 67 days. However, for some cats, it may range from 61 to 72 days.
Even so, a pregnant cat normally comes with a few signs that will help you out. A pregnant cat may have:
How Long Does Estrus Last
Each heat generally lasts several days with the average length being seven days, although it can range from 1 to 21 days. If the queen is not mated during estrus, she will go out of heat for a short period of time, usually about seven days, but it can range from 2 to 19 days. Therefore, the complete estrous cycle of a cat can range from anywhere between one to six weeks, with the average cycle length being about three weeks.
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What Happens During A Normal Cat Birth
Just before the birth, the female cat may become restless or meow or purr or pant She will clean around the birth passage and the teats. Its thought that she lays a trail of saliva for the kittens to follow to find a teat after theyre born. She will go through several different stages of labour . Each kitten is born in a sac of amniotic fluid that the mother licks and nibbles to free the kitten. She bites through the umbilical cord and eats the kittens placenta, and using her rough tongue she cleans the kitten and stimulates it to breathe. Most cats , will give birth without a problem and will need no human intervention.
How Far Along Is The Pregnancy
Its not always clear when cats become pregnant, and many owners dont realize it until their cat gives birth. If you manage to catch the pregnancy early enough, its important to consider how far along she is.
Many people believe that theres a point at which spaying a pregnant cat should be avoided. The closer that the cat gets to full term, the more that people disagree with the idea of aborting the unborn kittens. Many shelters and rescues will sometimes let pregnant cats give birth if theyre close to their due date.
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How Old Can A Female Puppy Be To Get Pregnant
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- Summary: As soon as a puppy is sexually mature, shes capable of getting pregnant and producing a litter of her own youngsters. Female puppies can, in some cases, get
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- Summary: On average, puberty is reached at about six months of age, but this can vary by breed. Smaller breeds tend to have their first estrous
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How Many Kittens Can A One
On average, a one-year-old cat may birth a litter of around four to six kittens. However, kitten litters can range from anywhere between one and nine newborn cats!
The largest recorded litter of kittens was 19! In 1970, a Burmese/Siamese cat in the UK pushed out that giant quantity of newborns! Dont worry, though thats very unusual! In fact, generally speaking, a queens first-time litter will be smaller than average so if your one-year-old feline is pregnant for the first time, you likely will only need to prepare for a few tiny kitties.
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How Long Is A Cat Pregnant
Cat pregnancy normally lasts between 63 to 67 days, but it can be tough to know exactly how long a cat is pregnant for. The cat gestation period can vary from as short as 61 days to as long as 72 days.
Your cat often wont show any physical symptoms of pregnancy until she is a few weeks into her term. If you think that your cat is pregnant, take her to the vets for confirmation.
If you would like to know how to tell if a cat is pregnant yourself, there are several physical signs that you should be able to spot after two or three weeks have passed.
Male & Female Cats In Heat What You Need To Know
The term in heat means when a cat is ready to mate, which can be a daunting thought for any pet owner. If youre wondering what to do when your cat is in heat, call Best Friends Vets on 01202 485880 to book an appointment with a nurse. Talk to our team about your cats cycle and discuss neutering.
Our vet Stefan recommends neutering your kitten at four to five months of age to prevent unwanted pregnancies . If your cat is allowed outside at this age without being neutered, theres a good chance that he/she will mate, and kittens will be on their way. When it comes to cats in heat, here is everything you need to know.
How often cats are in heat and at what age
Female cats reach sexual maturity and can breed from about 4 months old. They will then come into heat every year around February to October. Female cats have many short periods roughly 2-3 weeks apart. They do not ovulate until they are mated, so this period of heat cycles can be lengthy. Older queens can still have cycles, albeit fewer, until they are spayed. Longer days can trigger reproductive activity, leading to many kittens being born in March, April, and May.
A male cats critical heat season is usually September to March. However, a tom that has reached full maturity can mate with a female cat whenever she allows it.
How to tell if your cat is in heat symptoms & behaviour:
How to care for a female cat in heat
Benefits of neutering
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When Should You Neuter A Cat
We recommend neutering a cat at the age of around 4-6 months. It is important for you cat to have all the proper vaccinations before he is neutered. 4-6 months is a perfect time to neuter a cat because it is right before the cat will become sexually active. Neutering a cat after one years old is still possible, but it can be more complicated because your cat has already reached sexual maturity. While you can still neuter mature cats, the vet will likely run blood tests beforehand to check your cats kidney and other organs.
Do Cats Get Pregnant On Their First Try
A cat can get pregnant on its first try during its first estrous cycle. Its gestation period usually lasts 60-63 days.
Unfortunately, this aspect increases chances for accidental breeding, the more reason why cat parents should spay or neuter their female feline friends before their first estrous cycle.
But then, it can be hard to predict when the initial heat will happen. For this reason, veterinarians recommend conducting a spay operation or surgical sterilization before the kitty reaches three months of age.
In case your kitty goes into heat before you spay it, youll have to reschedule the operation after she finishes her cycle because of the increased risk of bleeding during surgery.
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How To Tell If A Cat Is Pregnant
It can be very difficult to see the signs that a cat is pregnant. The most definitive ways to confirm pregnancy include a blood test, ultrasound, x-rays or abdominal palpation.
When a cat is pregnant, they are typically referred to as a queen. Usually a queens behavior will not greatly change during pregnancy, but some cats may become either more affectionate or aggressive.
Eventually, the cats abdomen may look rounder or her nipples may become more prominent. However, these signs will sometimes not occur until later in the pregnancy.
Cats can also suffer from false pregnancy, or pseudopregnancy. Its believed to be caused by hormonal imbalances that allow non-pregnant queens to show symptoms such as lactation and behavioral changes. These changes usually occur one to two months after her heat is over and can last for up to a month.
Pregnant cats have different nutritional needs. Heres what you need to know about providing the right food for a pregnant cat.
Top Tips To Care For Your Pregnant Cat
- Take her to the vet early on in the pregnancy
- Feed her kitten food throughout the pregnancy
- Increase the amount of food you provide during pregnancy she will probably need to eat one and a half times more than usual your vet will be able to advise on the best diet and quantities
- Examine your cat for fleas, ticks and other parasites, as these can harm her unborn kittens
- Pregnancy can be tiring for your cat, so its normal for her to be less active, and to need more rest than usual
- A pregnant cat should be wormed but you should discuss with your vet which product to use as some wormers can be harmful to the kittens
- Keep her inside as her due date approaches so that you can keep a close eye on her
- When she is in labour although it is important to monitor her for signs of complications try to give her some privacy and keep the environment calm and stress free. Try not to interfere unless you are concerned that there may be a problem. In this instance it would be sensible to contact your vet for advice.
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How Many Months Is A Cat Pregnant
If youre a cat lover, you already know that female cats have this amazing ability to reproduce. If a female cat is sexually active, she will most likely give birth to an adorable kitten after a few months. Female cats can actually begin to get pregnant at about 6-7 months old, but they typically give birth at about 8-12 months old. A female cat can get pregnant at any time, but its recommended that she waits until she is approximately 6 months old.
Can Cats Have Kittens By Multiple Partners
Yes, female cats can get pregnant by multiple partners. In fact, the number of fathers isn’t limited to just two males. Queens can have as many partners as there are kittens. For example, if your cat has 3 kittens, each kitten could have a different father. The process by which cats have kittens by multiple partners is called superfecundation.
That said, kittens with the same father can look completely different. Toms carry dominant and recessive genes, changing everything from a kitten’s eye color to the length of their fur.
Female cats are usually sexually mature by around 4 months old and can have kittens as soon as they enter heat. You’ll be pleased to hear that male cats won’t care if a litter has kittens from multiple fathers, as tomcats rarely stick around for parenthood.
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Keep The Nest Area Warm
Kittens are unable to regulate their own body temperature until they are 3 to 4 weeks old. So for the first four weeks of their lives, you should provide a warm, clean box or bedding for the mother and kittens to share.
Use a heating pad below the nesting box or a heating lamp above it to keep the kittens warm. But make sure there are accessible unheated areas, as kittens will need to be able to move away from the heat source if they become too warm.
The warm area should be about 97°F.
How Often Does A Female Cat Mate
A female cat mates 10 to 20 times in just one day in order to get pregnant.
A female cat will mate far more frequently than you may think. Over the course of a single day, the cat may mate 10 to 20 times.
She may mate with several male cats at the same time over the course of a few days.
When female cats go into heat, they dont just do it one time or a few times in a year.
Cats are whats known as seasonally polyestrous, which means they experience many brief heat cycles during the breeding season.
It is, however, very reliant on the temperature.
For example, cats in tropical locations, or even cats who spend most of their time indoors, can breed all year until they meet a tomcat and become pregnant.
When you allow your female cat out when shes in heat, there are three things that can happen:
- Theyre going to get pregnant. Around their eighth week after giving birth, theyll go into heat again.
- They will undergo a fake pregnancy in which they will show signs of pregnancy but will not give birth to kittens. After 4-6 weeks, theyll be in heat again.
- They dont mate and will come into heat again in 1 to 2 weeks unless the breeding season is over.
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Start The Weaning Process At 3 To 4 Weeks
Once the kittens are 3 to 4 weeks old, you can begin the weaning process by giving them access to kitten food.
You can mix dry kibble with water or canned kitten food to make it easier for them to eat. They should still have constant access to the queen, who will continue to nurse them.
Over the next few weeks, they will rely more and more on kitten food rather than nursing. Most queens will wean their kittens by 5 to 6 weeks of age.
At this age, you also can put out a small litter pan with a thin layer of litter. Most kittens will naturally scratch in the litter and learn to relieve themselves in the litter box.
1. Pet statistics. Animal homelessness, shelter intake and surrender. ASPCA. .
2. Nelson RW, Couto CG. Small Animal Internal Medicine. 5th edition. St. Louis, Mo. Elsevier. 2014.
3. Reducing the risk of cancer. Special pet topics. Cancer and tumors. Merck Veterinary Manual. .
4. Brooks Wendy. Giving birth to kittens. Veterinary Information Network.
5. Williams Krista. Pregnancy and parturition in cats. VCA Hospitals.
Do Cats Mate With Their Siblings
Felines are indiscriminate and have no concept of relatives or family. Therefore, unspayed cats can mate with their family members once they are sexually mature, making it usual for siblings to mate.
Similarly, litter kittens are not off-limits to parents, and they often breed with their offspring. Unfortunately, inbreeding causes higher rates of genetically-related issues among cats.
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Warning Signs In A Pregnant Cat
Always contact your vet if you notice any of the following signs that your cat may be struggling with pregnancy:
- Loss of appetite for more than 24 hours
- Persistent vomiting
- Dark or unusual vaginal discharge
- Active straining for longer than 60 minutes without a kitten being born
- A kitten visible in the birth canal for longer than ten minutes
Additionally, after the labour you should contact your vet if the kittens are not suckling from their mum or seem weak, agitated or distressed. You should also contact your vet if your cat has any swollen, red or painful nipples.
How Old Is Your Cat
The age of your cat is one of the biggest health concerns regarding pregnancy. You might want to keep the kittens for moral reasons, but if your cat isnt healthy enough to carry them to full term, youll be risking the unborn kittens lives and that of the mother. For cats that are too young or elderly to give birth, the safest thing to do is terminate the pregnancy.
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How Long After Neutering Is Sperm Gone In Cats
A cats sperm is not gone until 8 weeks after neutering.
Although a cats behavior can change significantly after neutering, not all aspects of the cats behavior, such as humping or sporadic constant yowling, are definitely affected.
Neutering your cat may help to reduce the behavior if it has grown to be a fairly ungainly and persistent habit of mounting.
The removal of the testicles during neutering surgery significantly lowers a tomcats testosterone levels. Simply said, a male cat will not be driven by raging hormones in the same way as before, with much-reduced levels of testosterone.
This treatment is done primarily because giving anesthesia to a cat at this developing time carries a lower level of risk.
Male cat neutering may now take place early and is frequently done at around three months of age thanks to advancements in anesthetic techniques.
Cats are typically released from the veterinary hospital the same day following outpatient surgery.
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