Origin, physiology and reproduction of the domestic cat

Growing up in rural Idaho when spaying and neutering barn cats was unheard of, I received one of my most notable vocal lessons. My earliest feline sex education came from barn cats mating outside my bedroom window.

Duke was a large black long-haired cat who lived in the shade of our farm. His lover that evening was Punkin, an orange tabby cat.

Looking and sounding more like a fight than mating - with fur flowing, vocal cords taut like piano strings and teeth clenched - the actual copulation took only a few seconds. The courtship between Duke and Punkin was certainly more leisurely, taking place in a complex behavioral ballet that lasted several hours.

When to start?

A young cat matures by six months, and after two months it can even give birth. Unfortunately, before the age of one year, pregnancy is not always easy. Often the first litter consists of only one or two kittens with poor health, and sometimes the first kitten is stillborn. Therefore, you should not allow a cat to breed before she is one year old, but it is better to do this at the age of two years, so as not to risk the mother’s health.

Puberty in cats also occurs at the age of four to six months, after which the cat is constantly ready to reproduce. If you decide to castrate a cat, it is better to do it some time after puberty, but before one and a half years, otherwise the cat may retain the habit of marking its territory. For the full physical development of an animal, a healthy hormonal background is necessary, which is why it is worth waiting until the cat finally matures. In addition, the later you castrate a cat, the more masculine traits will remain in his character, and vice versa.

When sterilizing a cat, you should proceed from the same considerations, but age is less critical.

The best time for mating

So, cat owners should remember the basic rule: the optimal age for a cat’s first birth is 12 months (accordingly, mating can take place starting from 10 months), the critical period after which prolongation becomes dangerous for the cat’s health is four heats (maximum on the fifth successful mating must occur).

Important! Often, cat owners, unable to withstand the endless hysterical screams of their current pet, give her various drugs that suppress sexual activity. Despite the assurances of pet store sellers and even professional veterinarians about the complete safety of such medications, this should not be done under any circumstances, since in fact such an intervention can affect both the reproductive function of the animal and its general health, and may manifest itself pathology may not be immediate

A cat is not suitable for breeding until a full 12 months, but it is also not worth delaying for more than two years, this is harmful to the health of the animal and the nervous system of its owners.

Is it worth it?

Unfortunately, our world is overflowing with unwanted cats and kittens who lead very unsweetened lives. Therefore, before you allow your cat to breed, think about whether you are ready to be responsible for her children. Even purebred animals with an excellent pedigree can give birth to sick or “rejected” kittens, let alone outbred cats. Maybe it’s better to give the foundlings from the orphanage a chance?

If you do decide to match your cat with a cat, be prepared for the fact that she may not let him near her simply because she does not consider him attractive enough. Mating occurs on the initiative of the cat, and therefore it is better to conduct dates on the cat’s territory so that the cat is not too aggressive and “intractable” towards him. Sometimes the animals immediately converge, sniff each other and begin the courtship ritual - the cat follows the cat, makes a voice, and the cat teases him, runs away and returns again. In some cases, you should leave them to their own devices for several hours so that the cat gets used to the room, and the cat gets used to the cat. It is better if the cat has a house in which she can hide from too intrusive courtship.

Caring for a young mother and kittens

In the first days, it is not advisable to get too close to the nest, much less pick up the babies. A mother will almost always act aggressively in an attempt to protect her children, even if she previously trusted the person. During this time, you need to provide food, water and a tray nearby, since cats do not go far from the nest.

A cat that has given birth constantly feeds its babies, so it still needs extra nutrition. In the first days, kittens are completely dependent on mother's milk, but after a month it is necessary to introduce complementary foods in the form of a special diet for babies. The need for breast milk decreases, almost disappearing by three months.

Romantic meeting

The best time for mating is the second or third day after the cat starts estrus. Even with successful mating, ovulation and conception do not occur immediately, but after a day or two. Therefore, if during this time the cat had contact with several cats, any of them can become the father.

To increase the likelihood of conception, the cat and male cat should be allowed to be together for at least a day - during this time they will mate several times. At such moments, the cat screams loudly - this is in the order of things. At the same time, the cat behaves calmly but persistently, not paying attention to imaginary threats from the cat. If a cat shows aggression towards a cat, they may not be the best match and should be bred.

Animals are usually not interested in food at this time, but they must have clean water and access to a tray.

If conception has occurred, then the next day the cat calms down and becomes peaceful, which sharply contrasts with her behavior during estrus. Otherwise, estrus continues more or less vigorously for about another week. In unsterilized cats that do not have contact with males, echoes of estrus may appear for a long time until the next one begins. That is why it is better to sterilize cats prone to “nymphomania”.

Mating rules

Pet breeders who want offspring, especially for the purpose of selling purebred representatives, need to know all the rules and nuances of how cats mate. To carry out fertilization competently, animal owners should have sufficient knowledge and skills on zoological as well as genetic issues. It is necessary to be aware of all the legal subtleties regarding the registration of newborn babies.

Often, unprofessional owners make a number of mistakes related to choosing suitable partners. The question of how cats intercourse should be approached very carefully. It is better to select several potential males in advance of mating, because the other half may not accept one of the cats. Having backup options, all efforts will not be in vain, and precious time will not be wasted.

Before the process of mating a male or female, all subtleties and nuances must be discussed. If breeding is required, you should stop searching for partners using advertisements. In this case, it is best to deal with this issue in a professional club, where they will not allow the breed to mix due to accidental connections with a non-purebred representative.

The main thing that experts pay attention to first is:

the animal should not be a relative, up to the third generation; healthy appearance and color; the estimated color of the kitten's fur, based on cat genetics; partners' blood type. Cats have three

It is important that the parents of the future offspring have the same blood type, either A and A/B. Blood types B and A/B are also allowed, except for A and B

With the latter option, there is a risk of kittens being born with health problems.

Cat "in position"

Pregnancy in cats lasts from 58 to 78 days, depending on the size of the animal and breed, for example, Siamese cats bear kittens faster, large breeds longer. After about three weeks, the cat's nipples swell, and the fetus can be carefully felt in the enlarged tummy. At this time, the cat needs to be provided with plenty of nutritious food - it is better if it is special food for pregnant cats.

When there is one or two days left before giving birth, the cat becomes restless, looks for a secluded corner, clings to the owner and seems to be expecting something from him. Cats that are emotionally attached to their owner prefer to give birth next to him and can even do this in your bed, which you are unlikely to be happy about. Cats that tend to wander on their own may leave the house at this time in search of what they consider a safe place to give birth. It is better to prevent both of these extremes by providing the cat with a cozy house or box where she will make a “nest”.

Advice for owners of expectant mothers and fathers

Rules for keeping males before mating

Before getting a breeding kitten, a future reproducer, answer the following questions:

Do you need exhibitions and why? are you ready to visit them and attract the attention of potential brides; Do you have conditions for adopting a cat? how will you attract owners of the opposite sex and advertise the groom; Can you monitor the health and proper nutrition of the reproducer?

If most of the answers are negative, then it is better to immediately castrate the cat and close the topic of breeding once and for all.

If the answer is yes, you will have to adhere to the rules:

Do not associate with cats of dubious reputation: those that give birth to sick kittens, defective coloration, suffer from sexually transmitted infections or are involved in inbreeding. All the trouble will fall on the groom, even if he had nothing to do with it.
Do not overwork the cat: there should be a break of at least a week between matings; periodically they are allowed to rest for a longer period of time. Long downtime is also not welcome. In both cases, the quality of sperm deteriorates, and therefore the quality of the offspring.
Periodically check and improve the health of the male.
A few days before planting, introduce B vitamins into the diet, which have a positive effect on sexual function.

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There are three stages of childbirth. The developing fetuses, protected by the amniotic membrane, are attached to the wall of the uterus by the placenta, and are located in the horns of the uterus, which in a cat is bicornuate. The horns, at the point of their connection, pass into the uterine canal, which passes through the cervix into the vagina, and it, through the vestibule of the vagina, into the vulva. All these structures together are the cat’s birth canal. During the course of labor, three periods can be roughly distinguished. In the first period, the cervix dilates and the birth canal opens, in the second, kittens are born, and in the third, the placenta comes out.

The first stage of labor can last from 12 to 24 hours and in the initial stage it can be almost unnoticeable. And it all begins with chaotic, voluntary contractions of the uterus (pushing), during which the cat’s breathing quickens and she purrs to the beat. These contractions are at first rare and weak, looking like peristaltic waves from the top of the uterine horn to its body. The uterine horns contract alternately, gradually pushing the fetuses into the uterus.

The vagina swells a little a few hours before contractions, and a thick sticky discharge of a transparent, yellowish or bloody color appears from it. At this time, the cat becomes restless, licks the vulva (loop), strains as if during defecation, meows pitifully, and rakes up the bedding.

As the labor process progresses, contractions become more frequent and their duration increases, while the pain intensifies. During contractions (i.e. contractions of the uterus), the fetus is pushed further towards the cervix, and it dilates. And when the abdominal muscles begin to contract and the fetus moves into the vagina, the birth process is in full swing. At this time, a cat giving birth for the first time can be extremely frightened, and then she screams pitifully and seeks help from the owner, who must constantly reassure her by talking to her and caressing her.

During contractions, intrauterine pressure increases and the vascular membrane (chorion) ruptures. The amnion (water membrane) and allantois (urinary membrane), filled with fluid, are introduced into the cervix, expanding its canal like a hydraulic wedge. From this moment on, the cervix, uterus and vagina form one wide birth canal. During the formation of the birth canal, the presentation and articulation of the fetus is established for its exit from the uterine horn.

Gradually, pushing joins the contractions. They are caused reflexively, as a result of irritation of the nervous elements in the tissues of the cervix and pelvic walls by the presenting parts of the fetus. If you put your hand on the female's belly while pushing, you can feel it hardening. The pain continues to intensify, causing the cat to meow more and more pitifully and breathe frequently (like dogs in the heat). In between attempts she relaxes. Under the influence of contractions, supported by pushing, the fetus passes deeper and deeper through the birth canal. Gradually moving forward, the kitten comes out into the pelvis, and then is forcefully pushed further towards the exit from the vagina, passing part of the way with a strong contraction.

Second stage of labor

Usually on this section of the path the strength of the contractions is greatest. The water sac (amnion) surrounding the fetus appears between the labia of the vulva, ruptures, and a straw-colored fluid flows out. This is the release of amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid lubricates the passage, facilitating the advancement of the fetus. Finally, part of the kitten (paw, head, tail) appears from the loop, appearing and then disappearing again.

As a rule, at this moment the cat relaxes and rests to gather strength. In classic cases, the cat makes two strong attempts at once and expels the kitten, connected by the umbilical cord to the afterbirth. The kitten is born with or without the membrane. About 70% of kittens are born in the "diver" position - with their forelimbs and nose first. The cat independently processes the baby, gnawing the membranes (if any), intensively licking the kitten's face, cleaning its nose, mouth and body, thereby stimulating its breathing and blood circulation, causes the first separation of feces, after which it gnaws the umbilical cord. The kitten takes a sharp breath, its lungs expand, and it begins to breathe.

Maternal instinct is a very important connection. The cat understands that this is her “baby” and she is obliged to take care of him. Sometimes from the outside it seems that she does everything rudely, but in fact she stimulates the cub’s breathing and blood circulation. The cat rests for some time after the birth of a kitten, then contractions and pushing resume, and the next kittens are born. Most cats kitten at intervals of 15 minutes to an hour. Two or three kittens may be born one after the other, but the next ones can be expected within another 3-4 hours, and sometimes longer. If a cat who is handling another kitten forgets to remove the amniotic sac, you must do it for her very quickly, otherwise the kitten will suffocate.

Third stage of labor

The separation of the placenta (baby place) is noted, which comes out a few minutes after the birth of each kitten. The mother will try to eat some or all of the placentas. This is a purely instinctive reaction, which may have been preserved from those ancient times when the animal had to strengthen its strength and destroy all traces of childbirth in order to save its offspring. However, she may not do this. Eating afterbirth leads to a laxative effect, that is, diarrhea. You can limit the amount of afterbirth she eats or let her eat them all.

Cats chew the umbilical cord, grinding it (in this case, the blood vessels are twisted and overstretched, and bleeding does not occur). If it is crossed too smoothly or too close to the navel, bleeding occurs. The umbilical cord should be compressed, tied with thread and cauterized with iodine or some other suitable antiseptic. It is important not to tighten the umbilical cord too much, so as not to provoke a hernia. Once some or all of the kittens have been born, the cat lies on her side and pushes them towards her nipples. Sucking kittens stimulates uterine contractions and the secretion of colostrum (mother's first milk), which contains all the necessary maternal antibodies.

Sometimes childbirth seems to stop, the Cat calms down and takes care of the kittens. Then, after 12-24 hours, labor resumes and the cat gives birth to the rest of her kittens. This is absolutely normal and there is no need to worry unnecessarily. There are no identical births; all cases are individual. It is quite difficult for a breeder with no experience to determine the boundary between the norm and the anomaly. It happens that a cat that has given birth to 3-4 litters without any problems suddenly develops complications during subsequent births and has to undergo a caesarean section. And vice versa.

Assistance during childbirth

Of course, a doctor should help in difficult cases. But this does not mean that an experienced pet owner is not able to help, especially when delay is fraught with consequences. If contractions are insufficient, you can induce them by stroking your stomach and back with your hand. This measure is good when after the birth of several kittens the intensity of contractions weakens. You should not use medications that provoke contractions.

Help with stagnation of the baby in the birth canal

Depending on whether we are talking about the rear or front position of the kitten, the hind legs and parts of the pelvis or the head and front legs appear. In both cases, you can try to speed up labor by gently pulling. Especially with posterior presentation, there is a danger of compression of the umbilical cord and, as a consequence, the kitten inhaling amniotic fluid. With an anterior presentation, there is less danger of inhalation because the membranes are open and air can pass into the lungs during breathing movements. Under no circumstances should you pull on the head, as this will lead to the kitten’s death due to a fracture of the cervical vertebrae. They usually pull by the legs, a little to the left, a little to the right - alternately. It is best to pull the folds of skin on the animal’s neck or body, forming them with three fingers. If amniotic fluid has leaked and the birth canal is dry, your fingers should be soaked in Vaseline oil.

If the kitten is pulled out with force, this can lead to severe trauma and injury to the birth canal. You can’t drag it perpendicular to the cat’s body position! Only along the cat's body!

Postpartum period

For him, there is usually a slight increase in temperature. The general condition of the animal during this period does not show any significant deviations. Newborn kittens look for nipples when the mother is still giving birth to the rest, and begin to suck. At this time, they still cannot hear or see. The reason for this is that the eyelids are closed at birth, opening between 8 and 11 days (the ability to see appears in the next 5-10 days). The development of the outer ear is not complete at the time of birth, so the auditory opening is not distinguishable in kittens. It develops only between 9 and 11 days of age.

But at the same time, cats can pick up odors from the moment they are born. When breeding wild puppies and kittens in zoological gardens, it was found that after 48 hours they were able to recognize even different people by smell.

Additionally, they may exhibit temperature sensitivity and have tactile skills. Immediately after birth they are able to make sounds. All these manifestations serve for the joint life of mother and children at an early age.

Babies are only able to crawl on their stomachs and use their head movements to look for milk nipples. Temperature and contact perception are necessary so that the kitten does not lose communication with the mass of its peers and the mother cat herself. If this does happen, then the mother notifies about this in a complaining tone and places the fugitive in his place, in the “nest”. Because of these characteristics of newborn kittens, they are classified as nesting species of animals, because in the first moments of life they are not able to move independently. These species include dogs, rabbits, rats, mice, etc. The opposite is, for example, ungulates (horse, cattle, sheep and goat), which escape from the cradle. This also includes the brown hare and guinea pig and many other mammals.

Diagnosis of pregnancy

To prepare for an important event, you need to understand your pet's gestation period. The period is determined by the external signs that the cat’s body shows. On days 16-18, the nipples become a bright coral color. Also, due to decreased activity and frequent feeding, the cat’s weight increases. But you need to make sure that this is really pregnancy, and not a consequence of the development of parasites in the body.

Therefore, you should definitely undergo a veterinary examination:

Palpation. An experienced veterinarian can feel the embryos as early as the third week and determine the cat’s gestational age, and closer to the sixth week he can tell how many kittens there will be.
X-ray. This method is used extremely rarely, as it can harm the embryos, but sometimes you can’t do without it.
Ultrasound. The simplest method, which is used everywhere and helps to track whether there are any developmental disorders in kittens.