Some cat owners are perplexed when, counting the number of nipples on their pet, they suddenly discover that there are fewer or more of them than “naturally intended.” How many nipples does a cat have - six or ten? Ideally, there should be exactly 8. However, discrepancies also occur - from 5 to 11 nipples. This is not a pathology, but a completely acceptable situation. A cat does not have to have a certain number of mammary glands. Moreover, there is simply no risk to the life or health of the animal.
The anatomy and structure of the glands is normal
The anatomically correct shape of a cat's mammary glands is cone-shaped. The height of the cone is about 1-3 mm; there are no hairs in this part of the body. It can be difficult to find glands in individuals with thick fur, especially in young ones. It's also hard to know whether furry male cats have nipples. This part of the body becomes clearly visible during pregnancy of cats of any breed, then it is obvious how many breasts the cat has. Particular growth and swelling is observed from the third week from the moment the embryos appear.
Mammary glands are needed for feeding offspring
Feeding helps open the milk tubules, so nutritious milk flows through them. Usually there are from 4 to 8 channels. The liquid outlet after feeding is closed with special valves, so the nutritional mixture does not leak out. The number of offspring depends on the number of milk ducts. This factor is regulated by nature. Giving birth to more kittens leads to the death of the offspring.
Important! A larger amount of milk is located at the inguinal glands, so strong kittens try to latch onto this part.
Features of the structure of nipples in cats
How many nipples should a dog really have?
Experts distinguish several main groups of mammary glands, including:
- inguinal;
- abdominal;
- chest
The abdominal mammary glands are most valuable during the lactation period of females. Do cats have mammary glands of this group - obviously not. There are inguinal and pectoral nipples, which are underdeveloped and almost invisible to the human eye. Unpaired glands are also underdeveloped, since there are no milk ducts inside, this is a dummy. During pregnancy in a cat they do not swell, the condition remains normal.
During pregnancy, a cat's nipples are clearly visible
It is impossible to determine the gender of a kitten based on the number and condition of nipples. The sign is absurd, since whether cats have nipples is important only to professional breeders. This part of the body is present in two species, but in boys they remain in their infancy.
How many nipples cats have is not very important, since they have a different internal physiological structure. The presence of these organs in all mammals is mandatory. They are formed in utero, in embryos, when there are no developed sexual characteristics.
For your information! Cats have nipples, but males simply do not have a special hormone that affects the lactation process. Therefore, although a cat has nipples, they lose their original natural functionality.
Does the number of nipples depend on the breed?
Breed variety does not play a significant role in the number of teats. Mixing individuals of different breeds also does not affect the exterior of the animal. This feature is inherited, therefore, how many boobs a cat has can be found out from its relatives, and you can also find out whether cats have tits.
How much does it cost to sterilize a cat and is it free?
Wild cats, for example, tigers or lions, are distinguished by the paired structure of their mammary glands. How many tits a cat has in nature, usually two pairs. Nature provides for the birth of a maximum of four cubs. If there are more individuals in a litter, the animals do not survive due to the small amount of food.
Important! Hairless sphinxes are distinguished by an asymmetrical arrangement of mammary glands. This phenomenon is considered normal.
Big cat family
Number of nipples and feeding
How many papillae do cats have: a double arrangement is considered the norm, usually four pairs:
- next to the front paws;
- next to the hind legs there are two more symmetrical nipples.
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It’s easy to calculate how many boobs a cat has on its belly. The only difficulty in counting is that they can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Important! More or less number of nipples is considered a disease, a deviation from the norm. Boys can have four pairs of nipples, this will be considered normal.
The nutrient produced after lambing is called colostrum. It contains especially many useful components. Colostrum becomes milk gradually during the first days of a kitten's life. The required time to feed a cat's offspring is five weeks. Next, the glands reduce the amount of nutrition produced. Milk production is associated with several factors, the most important of which is hormonal levels.
Even in the first days after giving birth, the cat carefully licks the nipples, thereby achieving:
- High-quality hygiene. The cat prevents the ingress of harmful substances and the development of pathologies.
- Local massage. A cat's rough tongue increases blood circulation in the mammary glands. Without intensive tissue nutrition, mastitis is possible, which leads to severe pain.
Massage helps with feline mastitis
The quality and quantity of feeding depends on the health of the cat, including the condition of the nipples. If the female feels pain or other pathologies, she can stop lactation and abandon the babies. A healthy cat allows even grown-up cubs, who have reached the age of six months, to approach her.
Pregnancy and childbirth are a complex process that is stressful for the cat’s body. Cats, like humans, can experience postpartum depression. In this state, milk does not come to the mother cat, and further developments may be the most unfavorable.
Mastitis
Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary glands that can occur during false pregnancy or after childbirth with excess milk. False pregnancy is a common process in females that is regulated by hormones; in the absence of pregnancy, lactation (milk secretion) can occur and the cat behaves like a mother, makes a nest and can care for other cats or even inanimate objects as kittens. This process most often occurs without complications (the milk burns out), but in some cases mastitis may occur. Mastitis is also quite common in cats that have given birth, which is facilitated by excess milk, for example, at the birth of a dead litter or a small number of kittens, and also facilitated by early weaning of kittens, sometimes developing for no apparent reason. Mastitis is characterized by enlargement of the mammary glands, usually one or more glands are affected, there is an increase in the temperature of the skin around the nipple, redness and severe pain, the cat does not allow you to touch the stomach, and sometimes the body temperature rises. A diseased mammary gland may discharge clear or yellowish fluid along with milk, or there may be an admixture of blood or pus. For kittens, such milk is dangerous, as it contains bacteria, which can cause digestive upset or even death of the kittens. Mastitis often goes away quickly, but in high-milk animals it can recur during subsequent births.
Diseases of the nipples in cats and kittens
Medical intervention is required if this part of the animal’s body enlarges for no apparent reason, becomes transparent, or blood appears. Therapy may include both medication and surgery. In the latter case, the affected areas are removed, but such intervention is aimed at preventing the spread of pathology. Therefore, the answer to the question: how many papillae a cat has can be associated with surgical interventions.
Possible nipple conditions are as follows:
- lactostasis - obstruction of milk;
- mastitis;
- cancer;
- hormonal disbalance;
- deterioration of the lymphatic system.
Symptoms of acne
The following symptoms are typical for this disease:
- Redness of the skin;
- The appearance of swelling in the area where blackheads accumulate;
- Development of ulcers, hair loss;
If left untreated for a long time, these symptoms often cause anxiety, the pet becomes nervous and irritable, and may show aggression. In addition, the cat begins to scratch the damaged area, thereby increasing the risk of a new infection and deterioration in overall health.
An examination by a specialist and taking a scraping will help rule out the presence of diseases with similar symptoms. These include:
- Diseases of the stomach and liver. Caused by poor diet or complications after an illness. Lead to rashes all over the cat's body.
- Demodecosis. Characterized by the presence of subcutaneous mites. It is characterized by the appearance of ulcers, itching and hair loss. Easily transmitted to other animals.
- Allergy. Common causes are a reaction to food, collar, litter. It is characterized by the appearance of pimples or black spots in the cat’s fur, redness of the skin and itching.
- Lichen. The development is provoked by a fungus, as a result of which peeling and rashes appear on the cat’s skin, which lead to itching and baldness.
In addition to the above reasons, a strong argument indicating the need for examination by a veterinarian is a deterioration in the pet’s general health, refusal to eat, vomiting, lethargy and constant drowsiness. After conducting a visual examination, the doctor will prescribe the necessary examination, which may include various tests - skin scraping, fungal exclusion analysis and biopsy.
Anomalies and pathologies
The most common anomalies and pathologies are mastitis and mastopathy. Inflammation can appear not only in individuals who have given birth. The disease affects young cats, and sometimes male cats.
Surgical treatment of cats is indicated for abnormalities
The causes of the anomaly are hormonal imbalance, trauma, bruise. In addition to swelling, cats feel pain, and as the condition develops, purulent discharge appears. Severe cases require surgery.
Mastopathy is manifested by thickening of the tissue adjacent to the nipples. Progesterone is the cause of the abnormality. In addition to the nipples, the animal's paws become swollen. Treatment occurs with antibiotics, but advanced cases require special chemotherapy.
Important! The only preventive measure for mastopathy is considered to be sterilization of cats at a young age, when sexual heat has not yet arrived.
The health of newborn kittens depends on the condition of the cat's nipples. If they are restless, gain little weight, sleep poorly and squeak, it means there is not enough milk. The reasons are as follows:
- low maternal milk production;
- maternal stress;
- diseases and pathologies in cats.
Another anomaly is various tumors, which, like in humans, can be benign or malignant. The development of anomalies is usually slow, they degenerate from one form to another. Rapid progress is observed only with malignancy, but in this case the enlargement of the nipples is visible. The sooner help is provided in this condition, the more successful the outcome can be expected.
Mammary glands are found in both males and females. The normal arrangement is in pairs, but there are deviations from the norm. A different location of the nipples usually does not have a negative impact on the health of the individual. The condition of the skin and the size of the mammary gland must be monitored. This will help avoid a serious incurable disease, and possibly the early death of your beloved pet.
How to distinguish a benign tumor from cancer?
Sometimes benign hyperplasia of the gland occurs, which forms a tumor that is not prone to growth. With such a seal, a cat can live a long life without symptoms or complications. Unlike cancer, these tumors do not metastasize and do not grow into surrounding tissues.
For differential diagnosis, an instrumental examination is prescribed; the main differences can be seen in the images:
- a benign tumor is characterized by strict boundaries, a round or oval shape, “parallel” and symmetrical vascular growth;
- with cancer, the compaction is irregular in shape, the surrounding tissue grows, and the vessels are located chaotically.
Malignant oncology is characterized by destruction - some areas completely die and begin to bleed. If some of the viable cells enter the bloodstream, they can settle in the lymph nodes or lungs, after which they will give rise to the growth of a daughter lesion. This does not happen with a benign tumor.
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