Cat Reproduction 101

The Mating Game: Mating and Conception in Cats

You may have adopted or been given a female kitten, and now that she is a few months older, her behavior has suddenly become suspiciously "amorous." You are wondering could she possibly be in heat already? Yes, you've read about spaying, but haven't yet gotten around to it. Perhaps you're secretly thinking how nice it might be to have a litter of kittens - just one.

You love her though, and you're also wondering if she should become pregnant at her age. What exactly would happen, should she someday slip out the door and encounter a frisky male cat with only one thing on his mind. Read further to learn all about cats' mating and reproduction.

If you think you've learned well, take this short javascript quiz on Mating and Conception in cats.

How To Tell if Your Female Cat is in Heat

Female cats that are not spayed will eventually come into heat (technically called oestrus), and the signs are unambiguous, once you know what to look for. Here are some behavioral symptoms to watch for if you suspect your diva is in heat.

HELP! She's in Heat!

A reader is fostering a 9-month-old unspayed female cat for a coworker, and the kitten is experiencing its first estrus cycle with the accompanying symptoms, including continual yowling. What can she do to bring relief to the kitten and herself?

Signs Your Cat is Pregnant

Cats in heat will go to any length to find male cats to mate with, and male cats have sometimes been known to tear down screens to get to a female in heat. If your cat was in heat and had access to a tom (un-neutered male) cat, the likelihood that she is pregnant is very strong.

A pregnant queen will show both physical and personality changes which will first become more evident around three weeks after breeding.

So Your Cat is Pregnant

So you were a little slow in having her spayed and your cat turned up pregnant, or perhaps a pregnant stray adopted you. Maybe you are working with a rescue group and this is your first fostering experience with a pregnant cat. Where do you go from here? Your first major decision is whether or not to allow the condition to continue.

Yes, pregnant cats can be spayed, but the earlier in the pregnancy, the better. However, this is a decision you'll need to discuss with your family and your veterinarian. . .read more.

When will my cat's kittens be born?

If you know the date of your cat's last estrus (heat) cycle, you can calculate fairly closely to the right date. The broadest range of gestation in cats that I can determine by combining the range of gestation given by various experts, is as short as 58 days, and as long as 71, but the average is somewhere between 60 and 65 days. For our purposes, let's use 63 days. Why? Because I find that number to lie somewhere in the middle, and because it's easy to remember by equating nine weeks of a cat's pregnancy to nine months in humans. . .read more

Fetal Development of Kittens

The entire development of the embryo is a fascinating study with scientific names for each stage, but for brevity and better understanding, we'll concentrate here on the basics. Note: the process of development is more important to understand, rather than the names given along the way.

After fertilization, the zygote (formed by the uniting of the sperm and the ovum) begins to form a somewhat ball-shaped mass of cells, known as the cell mass. Once the cell mass passes 16 cells, it is called the morula. The morula enters the uterus and plants itself in the uterine wall by secreting an enzyme which dissolves a pocket of tissue in the. . .learn more

What Happens During Birth?

The "trigger" of the induction of the birth process is still unknown, but factors include the size and weight of the uterus, size and weight of the fetus(es), and hormonal balances of both the fetus and the queen.

During the birth process, rhythmical uterine contractions gradually increase to push the fetus out of the uterus and into the birth canal. The placentas may be expelled at the same time as the kittens, or within 24 hours after birth. The kittens are born within their amniotic sacs, which the queen will remove. . .learn more

YouTube Video: Cat Giving Birth

One of the common excuses for allowing a pet cat to give birth is "I want my children to experience the miracle of birth." If you are tempted to subscribe to this notion, spay your cat and have your children watch this video first. It might be best to preview it first, though and protect impressionable children from the final scene. The ending is heartbreaking, however, as the sympathetic producer of this video explains, it is about life and death. Irresponsible people who allow their cats to breed indiscriminately are not only contributing to the overwhelming cat overpopulation problem, they are often without resources to if a cat or its kitten run into problems during birth.

Helping With the Birthing Process

The big day has arrived when your pregnant cat is ready to give birth to her kittens. This process is technically called "queening." 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.

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.