Cats still have a significant amount of control over choosing their partners, unlike our canine friends. If your queen isn't spayed, she'll probably go missing one night when she's in heat and return pregnant without your knowledge. You might be surprised to learn that kittens have very diverse personalities and colorations when they are born. In fact, fatherhood is not limited to just two men. The Queen is allowed to have an unlimited number of partners. For example, if your cat has three kittens, each of them can have a different father. Superfecundation is the term used to describe the mechanism by which cats give birth to different kittens. Let's read how cats get pregnant.
How do cats have kittens with multiple partners?
However, even kittens from the same father might have very diverse appearances. Both dominant & recessive genes, which affect everything from brown eyes to coat length, are present in male cats.
At around 4 months of age, female cats typically reach sexual maturity and are capable of giving birth to kittens so soon when they're in heat. Since male cats don't tend to stick to parenting, you'll be relieved to learn that they don't mind if a litter contains kittens from numerous fathers.
Despite the possibility, multiple parent pregnancy in cats is not common. A female cat can become pregnant when she mates with such a male cat because the male cat's sperm becomes stuck in the female creature's reproductive system. Many animals, including humans, ovulate differently than cats do. For the purpose of fertilization, cats need not lay eggs. In contrast, ovulation is triggered by mating. An ovulation stimulant is what this is.
Queen bees during heat might spend many days mating with various males as they search for the ideal partner. A cat can have many matings because it takes two days for just an egg to reach the uterus and because two eggs can be implanted by various sperm that are linked to the cat's endocrine cycle.
Preventing cats from getting pregnant by multiple partners
Spaying a cat is the simplest way to prevent male cats from becoming pregnant. It is very difficult to prevent cats from sleeping with multiple mates if you do not neuter them. Thankfully, repeatedly feeding cats has no real negative effects.
If you are a purebred cat, you can keep it indoors when it is hot to prevent it from mating with wandering males. Keep cats indoors as soon as they are in heat and make sure they mate with a cat of the desired breed.
You'll notice cats meowing, rolling around on the ground, and appearing when it's hot. Consider keeping cats indoors if they show signs of heat.
Interesting information on feline pregnancy
Cats have intricate menstrual cycles, making them intriguing creatures. Here are some interesting tidbits regarding pregnant cats.
- In winter, cats are less likely to overheat. Longer days can induce menstruation, which indicates more favorable conditions for childbirth. According to studies, cats in the Southern Hemisphere are in heat more often when the seasons are in reverse order.
- The average gestation period for cats is 63 to 67 days, however it can last up to 72 days.
- There are usually four kittens in a litter, but cats can also have up to eight.
- Siblings and parents of a cat will mate. If you keep cats until they are adults, you need to take precautions to avoid accidentally having multiple litters.
- Similar to humans, cats can also experience morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy.
Signs of a pregnant cat
1. The female cat stops calling for a mate, which is the most obvious sign that the estrous cycle is over.
2. A cat's nipples can be round, pink and dark red, and grow larger about two weeks after conception. They may also begin to produce milk.
3. This time, cats are hungrier and eat more just because they need to provide nutrients for both themselves and their babies. To meet the needs of the pregnant cat, the frequency of the pet's demands will increase. Normally we can feed the cat 2-3 meals a day, but during pregnancy, the mother cat meows incessantly. Ask for more food. Therefore, you should feed your cat more than usual but not too much, especially if the food is greasy.
4. Depending on the number of kittens, the weight of the cat can increase rapidly, and can reach 1-2 kg, this is a significant number for cats.
5. Cats prefer to sleep in private areas with less noise and sleep for longer periods of time.
6. At three to five weeks pregnant, it's not uncommon for cats to experience nausea and vomiting comparable to morning sickness in humans. If this happens, you should know and call the vet. You should also make sure your cat's space is kept clean.
7. When the fetus grows after a month, the cat's belly will inevitably enlarge and the two abdominal walls will be firmer. Milk cakes will also appear under the nipples.
8. Seen from the back, pregnant cats often have a curved back, rounded shoulders, and a protruding belly.
9. Because the cat is very attached to the owner at this time, giving a lot of attention and cuddling to the cat will make you pay attention to the owner..
10. This stage of labor occurs when the cat is nearly two months pregnant. About two weeks before birth, the mother cat will seek out a nest with the request that it be a quiet, isolated location and begin to remove linens, clothing, blankets, etc. to make a nest screen. Therefore, prepare a litter box for the cat.
11. The cat can lie inside the nest more when the pregnant is almost two months old. As long as the cat is at ease, the nest could be a sizable, cozy paper box lined with cloth for the mum and kittens that is placed in a warm, private place away from outsiders, kids, and other animals.
12. Attention-grabbing displays: Because pregnancy involves significant physical changes, the mother cat will display a variety of attention-grabbing behaviors during this time, such as wandering around and purring frequently to get the owner's attention.
How to take care of the mother cat during pregnancy and prepare for birth
- Insufficient nutrition during pregnancy puts your cat at risk of developing depression, intrauterine growth retardation, a frail fetus, and a more hazardous miscarriage. You must give your cat special foods designed for pregnant cats, including reputable brands, in order to ensure a balanced diet.
- To ensure the cat's health, please take care to keep it warm, take it in for routine checkups, refrain from injecting it at this time, and avoid giving it stimulants.
- To aid breastfeeding and to maintain the cleanliness of the cat's nest, keep the area where the cat lives clean and clip the hair all around mother's milk and in the vulva area.
- To aid in the better development of the kittens, feed the mother kitten once the pregnancy is complete. Give the cat a lot more starch, avoid eating tough foods, and switch up the cat's food frequently.
Conclusion
Unlike dogs, especially small companion dogs, which often go through an extremely stressful birth process, cats are strong enough to conceive and give birth on their own without the help of their owners. Cats can be an example for owners and medical professionals because they are much more wild and self-controlled, and because their protective instincts are strong enough for kittens to be born and survive. However, that is not why the owner leaves the mother cat alone, instead, we must pay attention to the warning signs listed above, if there are any unusual signs such as discharge. Heavy vaginal discharge or bleeding should take our pet cat to the vet's office immediately.
