Cats have quite different reproductive behaviour to dogs. A female cat (Queen) can start coming into season as early as 4 months of age. They are ‘seasonal breeders’ with a breeding season from February to October – an advantage that allows them to have young kittens in the warmer months. They are what we call ‘induced ovulators’, which means they only release an egg from the ovary if mated. This greatly increases the chance of conception when they are mated. Multiple conceptions from different male cats can happen at the same time allowing a litter to have multiple fathers. A short pregnancy and large litter sizes means one queen can have large numbers of kittens in a year which is why we struggle to control feral cat populations. When a queen is in heat she shows quite characteristic behaviours, rolling, rubbing, kneading her back feet, and yowling loudly – signs that are commonly mistaken for severe pain.
We do recommend neutering all cats. Un-neutered cats are at increased risk of straying away from home and are more commonly involved in road accidents. Mature entire male cats also produced quite a distinct scented urine!
Remember all cat owners must have their cat microchipped by 10th June this year.
Lucy Travers BVSc CertAVP MRCVS
Highfields Vets