How to understand that a cat is ready for mating: signs and symptoms

What will you learn from the article?

1. When cats are ready to breed
2. Mating
3. How to prepare a male cat for mating Mating of purebred cats
4. How to choose the right mating partner
5. What should owners prepare before mating?

Mating cats is a natural physiological process that requires a responsible attitude on the part of the owner. Before you mate your cat, think about whether you are willing to spend time and money on the cat’s pregnancy, childbirth, and where you will then place the born kittens.

Are you prepared for the difficulties that may arise during the mating process, and subsequently during pregnancy and childbirth?

In our material, we have collected all the information about mating cats and tried to answer all the questions that concern owners.

First mating for males and females

Mating of purebred animals involves a number of conditions that the owner of each pet must fulfill.

Animals are not allowed for breeding in the following cases:

• the pet has chronic diseases;
• there is no passport and necessary vaccinations;
• the animal is not purebred, but is only a crossbreed of a specific species.

The owner should pay attention that for the sake of the purity of the breed and safety, only pets are bred that have in hand all the necessary documents that confirm the status of the parent.

Onset of puberty and estrus

Animals can only mate once they reach sexual maturity. The age of sexual maturity in males and females is somewhat different.

It should be remembered that sexual and physiological maturity are two different states and they should absolutely not be confused.

In cats, puberty occurs at 6 months. This figure may vary slightly from 4 to 7 months. Owners and inexperienced breeders need to remember that the first heat is not a reason to immediately kill an animal, as this can lead to irreparable consequences, namely:

• the birth of a weak offspring;
• risk of difficult birth;
• risk of making the cat infertile.

In cats, the age of sexual maturity occurs at 8 months. However, you cannot breed a pet, as this affects the future state of health and reproductive function, namely:

• slows down the normal development of the animal;
• causes impotence;
• worsens the pet's appearance.

Thus, the ideal age for the first mating is 10-15 months. During this time, the genitals are already fully formed, and the cats are physiologically ready to reproduce.

Carrying out the first mating

Before mating a cat with a male for the first time, you should remember that mating takes place on the third or fifth day of estrus. This time is the most favorable for fertilization of the egg. Although a lot depends on the breed of cat. For some, ovulation occurs much later - on the ninth or tenth day. Since the female is being brought into a new environment, it is necessary to minimize the stress of the animal. To do this, the owner must take the following set of things from the house:

• bowls for water and food;
• a tray with the usual filler;
• plastic carrier with a napkin at the bottom.

A responsible owner should know everything about how to mix a cat with a cat for the first time. This knowledge will help him not only find healthy kittens, but also make the process of mating animals as comfortable as possible from a psychological point of view. You cannot force mating or immediately pit cats against each other. The animals themselves will express their readiness for the process. In case of successful mating, fertilization will occur the next day. However, both pets should be kept in the same room for two to three days.

Preparation

Before breeding “sponsored” animals, it is necessary to undergo mandatory preliminary training. Without it, no self-respecting breeder will agree to cooperate with you.

What do these rules include? They look like this:

1. All vaccinations against infectious and viral diseases must be included in the animal’s passport.
2. Treatment for external and internal parasites is carried out approximately a week before the expected mating.
3. Providing documentation confirming the breed (passport from the club) - this measure is necessary when it comes to professional pet clubs.

Process

When the main day has arrived, the main thing is not to rush and not to rush the animals. A little control on the part of one of the owners does not help, but remember that pets do not need an instructor and an assistant, they know perfectly well what to do.

It is best to leave the animals in a separate large room with food and water. To ensure that none of the pets are afraid, try to keep the room quiet - turn off the TV or tape recorder.

Remember, when cats are not in their territory, they experience enormous stress.

Do not try to force the cat to be with the cat - there is no need to bring animals closer to each other, or force them to be placed next to each other. This will only lead to the fact that it may not be possible to get pets at all. Don’t be surprised if in the first hours of meeting the bride punches the groom and gives him a real thrashing.

Make sure your pet doesn't cause serious injury.

Once everyone has calmed down a bit, the cat's owner can leave. The cat owner reports further results. How do you know if the cats have been brought together?

This is evidenced by the following signs:

• the cat intensively licks the genitals;
• pets behave peacefully, sit and lie calmly nearby;
• the cat loses interest in the cat and begins to mind its own business.

Animal Meeting

In order for it to go as smoothly as possible, you do not need to wash your cat with shampoo before mating. This will remove the animal's natural odor, which affects their sexuality in front of the opposite sex. Also, cat owners bear a huge responsibility for the success of mating. The male must be more prepared than the cat. Therefore, before mating a cat with a cat for the first time, you need to find an untied cat. If both animals mate with each other for the first time, it may cause them psychological trauma.

What do you need to know before mating?

Breeding breeding animals is extremely painstaking and complex work. Having acquired a purebred animal, you should know that you are now directly responsible for all the offspring that were born thanks to your help.

If you do not have the goal of breeding, then it is better to sterilize or castrate the cat, so as not to complicate life for yourself and your pet.

However, if you still decide to get into this business, then the owners need to learn the following set of rules:

1. The animal must eat properly and fully. You have two solutions to this issue - feeding natural food (meat, vegetables, sea fish), super-premium dry food.
2. Regular visits to the veterinarian. Breeding animals should undergo preventive examinations twice as often and be observed by a doctor in order to exclude the possibility of any illness that could negatively affect the condition of future offspring.
3. Avoid potential partners with dubious reputations. This includes cases of unsuccessful pregnancies, difficult births, and frequent mortality of kittens.
4. The pet should get proper rest. Do not limit your pet in games. Provide him with enough toys. Sometimes you can organize walks with harnesses if the pet is not very shy.
5. Males should not be overtired by frequent matings. This deteriorates not only the health of the breeding cat, but also the quality of the sperm. You can reconcile with a minimum gap of 1 week.
6. Before you untie a cat , be sure to consult with experienced breeders. Physiological maturity occurs in animals purely individually.

Do you need it?

Now let's abstract a little from the issue of reproduction and ask ourselves: does your cat and you specifically need it? The fact is that if the cat is a mestizo or her breed characteristics are expressed so-so, it is better to think about sterilization. What is the point of breeding low-quality offspring, which will also be difficult to sell?

But even if the cat is of high quality and you would like to get offspring from it, desire alone is not enough. To officially breed kittens, you need to have a pedigree. Otherwise, you will not be able to confirm the breed to buyers. If there is a pedigree, the cat must be shown at an exhibition so that it receives expert assessments. Only after this can she be allowed to become a mother.

In addition, if you understand that fussing with kittens is not your thing, and you decided to have a cat only because it’s the norm, you should think about another option. By another option, we mean sterilization, rather than enduring concerts or taking hormonal medications. Both are very harmful to health, because... unproduced hormones accumulate in the body and lead to terrible diseases. And a cat, deprived of ovaries that produce sex hormones, stops suffering and begins to live a quiet life.

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What can go wrong during mating and how to solve the problems that arise?

Sometimes having two mature cats is not so easy. Such a simple, at first glance, matter can cause a number of difficulties.

Most often, breeders are faced with the following force majeure situations:

1. Stress - often when there is a sudden change in environment, the cat goes into heat. Usually, ovulation resumes as soon as the pet gets used to the new room. In such cases, they wait several days until everything happens.
2. There is a big difference in size - in some cases, female pedigree cats are significantly larger in size than males. In such moments, you cannot do without additional help. The cat is specially guided using the hand.
3. A cat falls on its side - this situation is not a deviation from the norm, it is simply considered an individual feature of the cat. To resolve problems, the cat can be given special support. However, if the cat is an experienced lover, then he can cope with this.
4. Aggression - most often it is cats who demonstrate rejection towards the cat. Such meetings usually end in fights, bites and torn out tufts of fur. If there is no progress in the relationship within 24 hours, then it is better to start looking for another partner.

Inexperienced breeders do not know many of the nuances that must be taken into account if they intend to breed their animal for the first time. You should absolutely not engage in “underground” breeding with representatives of half-bred crosses.

Very often such matings end in the birth of sick kittens with a bunch of chronic and congenital diseases. If you intend to seriously engage in the issue of breeding breeding animals, then get a preliminary consultation from the pet club where your kitten was purchased.

How to prepare for an event

Reproduction of purebred cats is a responsible activity that requires certain safety measures. That is why the search for a mate for a pet should occur in advance, so that both “newlyweds” can be prepared for the moment the female is in heat.

Pets must undergo the following procedures:

• vaccination;
• treatment against ecto- and endoparasites;
• complete cure in the presence of diseases;
• cutting and treatment of claws.

All health measures must be carried out at least 14 days before direct contact of four-legged animals. It is also not recommended to bathe them, so as not to wash away the scent that attracts the opposite sex.

Before breeding animals, owners must settle documentary issues - draw up an agreement and a mating act, which will indicate the cost of the cat’s services or how many maintenance kittens the owner wants to receive as payment. This must be done, since trust in words that are not legally supported often results in deception by one of the parties.