How Does Tnr Solve Common Complaints Associated With Feral Cats
- When feral cats are trapped, neutered and returned to their territory, they no longer reproduce.
- The cessation of sexual activity eliminates the noise associated with mating behavior and dramatically reduces fighting and the noise it causes.
- Neutered feral cats also roam much less and become less visible and less prone to injury from cars.
- Foul odors are greatly reduced as well because neutered male cats no longer produce testosterone which, when they are unaltered, mixes with their urine and causes the strong, pungent smell of their spraying.
- When the colony is then monitored by a caretaker who removes and/or TNRs any newly arrived cats, the population stabilizes and gradually declines over time.
What Factors Affect Litter Size
How many kittens a feline will produce depends on many environmental, genetic, and health factors. Genetics and breed play a major role in determining litter size. For example, Siamese, Mane Coons, Ragdolls, and Ragamuffins are notorious for having huge litters, whereas Persians tend to have fewer kittens.
Litter size can be difficult to predict in mixed breeds. But if a feline’s mother had large litters, that feline will likely have large litters as well. Like most mammals, larger felines tend to carry more offspring than smaller felines.
Age can also influence the number of offspring a cat produces, with middle-aged felines producing more kittens on average than their younger or much older counterparts.
A cat’s health and nutrition can impact not only how many fetuses develop but how many kittens are carried to term. Malnutrition and conditions like feline distemper can increase the risk of fetal reabsorption and miscarriage.
How Many Kittens Can A Cat Have Over A Lifetime
Unlike human females, cats dont exactly go through menopause. What does this mean? It means that if you want to , your cat will give you a lifetime of babies literally! Senior cats keep getting pregnant too, so basically cats can give birth to new kittens throughout their entire lifetime.
But how many kittens will your cat have over a lifetime?
Most domestic cats tend to live around 12-15 years. If you do simple math with the average statistics of kittens per litter, youll get the following result: 4 kittens per litter, 3 times per year for 15 years makes a total of 180 kittens over a lifetime. However, females reach reproductive maturity only around the end of their first year and they probably wont be able to bear kittens in their last couple of years. Besides, you wouldnt be able to keep up with new kittens every few months!
In other words, these numbers are probably going to be lower than the average. On the other hand, feral cats residing outdoors mate with numerous stray males each time they go into heat. If theyre lucky enough to have good health, proper shelter and lots of nutrition, they can have more than 180 kittens throughout their lifetime.
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Determining Your Cats Litter Size
To find out how many kittens your cat is carrying, taking her in to the veterinarian is your best method. During gestation, with lasts an average of 63 to 66 days, there are three commonly-used methods that veterinarians use to find out how many kittens will be in a litter.
Sometimes you can palpate the pregnant uterus and feel the amniotic sacs and get a rough idea, Sadek says. .
Ultrasounds also can be used to confirm pregnancy and estimate the litter size, but Sadek warns that both ultrasounds and palpation can give a general idea but can be off by a kitten or two. For a more accurate count, experts recommend an X-ray in later pregnancy.
We did not get Fluffy X-rayed to find out how many kittens she was carrying, but it turns out this is important information. Sadek says that delivery can be difficult if there are only one or two kittens, especially for a first-time mama because the babies can be quite large and might not pass through the birth canal easily. In some cases, a C-section might be required to save the life of the cat and/or her kittens.
Also, when the mama is queening, sometimes they will birth some but not all the kittens, Sadek added. If the kitten stays in the uterus, it will die and can cause a life-threatening uterine infection and peritonitis to the queen.
How Many Kittens Can My Cat Have
As mentioned above, the average litter size is between three and five kittens. However, that number can vary wildly between different animals. The largest litter recorded was 19 kittens, born in the UK in 1970, and some litters may be as small as one or two kittens.
If your cat is pregnant, a veterinarian can generally give you a good idea of how many kittens both you and your mama cat should expect. Because cats gestation periods are so short, a vet can confirm pregnancy as early as 16 days. However, if youre looking for an estimation of your cats litter size, you may want to consider getting an x-ray instead.
Your cats size, breed, and health can also play a major role in how large a litter shell be able to have. In general, smaller cats tend to have smaller litters. This is just a simple matter of how much room a full litter has to grow inside a very small cat, as opposed to inside a larger animal.
In regards to breed, certain breeds of cats tend to produce larger litters. Persian cats and similar breeds tend to have smaller litters. Siamese cats and other breeds that develop along the same lines tend to have larger litters, generally in the five and up range.
Health can also greatly impact both the size and strength of your cats litter. Healthier cats produce larger, healthier litters. If your cat is a recent rescue, or if shes been having some health issues, you run the risk of having a smaller or even a partially still born litter.
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What Should I Do When She Finishes Delivering Her Kittens
Once delivery is completed, the soiled newspapers should be removed from the queening box. The cleaned box should be lined with soft bedding prior to the kittens’ return. The mother should accept the kittens readily and roll over on her side for nursing.
Your veterinarian should examine the mother and her litter within twenty-four hours after the delivery. This visit is to ensure that there are no undelivered kittens, and to determine if milk production is adequate. The mother may receive an injection of the hormone oxytocin to contract the uterus and stimulate milk production.
The mother will have a bloody vaginal discharge for several days following delivery. If it continues for longer than one week, your veterinarian should examine her, since she might be experiencing postpartum complications such as a retained placenta.
How Often Do Cats Lose Kittens When Giving Birth
In the breeding process, it is commonly perceived that a low level of kitten loss should be expected. A study has shown that pedigree cats have higher kitten loss percentage than non-pedigree cats. In the case of pedigree cats, around 7% of kittens are stillborn, which means, they die at birth, and another 9 % of the remaining kittens died within the first eight weeks after their birth, especially during the first, second, and third week.
The same study has also shown that the kittens which survived after 8 weeks were of 85% of different breeds , and the highest death toll among these kittens was the kittens of the Persian breed.
The highest death rate of kittens is usually during the first week. The kittens who survive past the first few weeks of birth have lower risks of dying since the death rate decreases remarkably after the first week. Newborn kittens usually receive natural protection from their mother within the first few weeks of their birth, and it is called maternally derived immunity.
And the kittens who die within that period, from birth till a few weeks later, are called fading kittens since they fade slowly during those first few weeks of their birth.
Several reasons could lead to the fading, or sudden death of newly born kittens. Here is a brief list of the most common ones:
- Hypothermia
- Hypoglycemia
- Physical defect
- Inappropriate environment
- Mastitis
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Watch For Vaginal Bleeding
Vaginal bleeding is abnormal during any feline pregnancy and should be a cause for concern.
If the bleeding is noted during the early or middle stages of gestation, its likely that the queen has had a miscarriage or aborted the babies.
If the bleeding is noted at the end of the pregnancy, the mother may be going into labor early, and immediate veterinary intervention is necessary.
How Many Kittens Do Cats Have
You will agree that coming home to a litter of fluffy looking kitties is the best thing ever.
But what if that litter turns into a horde of 10 to 12 kittens?
Feeding those many kitties is hard enough let alone finding a deserving cat-lover to adopt them.
You only want enough kittens playing around your home and not a legion that will overwhelm you.
If that is you, then you have come to the right place.
You only need to answer one fundamental question.
How many kittens can my cat have?
Sit tight as we unravel this mystery for you in this blog post.
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How Many Kittens Can A Cat Have Per Litter And Over A Lifetime
Kittens are so adorable, playful and huggable that even people who arent big cat fans have wished they could get a kitten at least once in their life. I mean come on, how can you not want so much cuteness around you?
It comes natural to many cat owners to want to breed their female kitty and to experience the joys of having an entire litter of kittens. And female cats can easily make that dream come true.
They go into heat often and can actively reproduce for up to 3 times a year! Whats more, a female cats pregnancy lasts only around 2 months before she gives birth to an adorable litter of baby kittens. And its only a matter of a few months before these kitties reach reproductive maturity and are able to have kittens of their own.
But how many kittens will a feline furball have? Will the litter be small? How about the total number of kittens a cat will have throughout her entire lifetime? You can find the statistics below.
Keep Up The Nutrition
Otherwise, feed your queen the same food she has always enjoyed, but start mixing protein into the meals. Later in the pregnancy, you may want to switch her to a kitten food that is formulated for growing cats. You can continue that diet while she is nursing and until she has weaned her kittens, supplementing it with a quality canned food or sardines. Because of the space being taken up inside, there will not be much room left for food, so your cat will need to eat smaller and more frequent meals. Make sure that there is always food available for when she is hungry, and, most importantly, that there is always water available to her.
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Does Birth Control For Cats Exist
There are products out there that interfere with a cats hormonal cycle, but because of the associated health risks, most vets dont recommend them unless absolutely necessary.
A far better option is to spay your kitty.
Spaying alleviates discomfort and stress from frequent estrus, minimizes hormonally-induced behaviors such as urine marking, and helps to prevent some serious health problems like certain cancers and potentially fatal infections of the uterus.
Of course, every pet is an individual. So, when you make an appointment, your veterinarian can answer all of your questions and help you make a kind, informed decision for your furry BFF.
How Can You Tell How Many Kittens A Cat Is Going To Have
Finding out that your cat is expecting kittens is an exciting time, and youll probably want to find out just how many tiny furballs youll be welcoming into your home. Unfortunately, taking an accurate headcount isnt as easy as you might expect. A well-trained vet will be able to gently palpate your cats abdomen and guesstimate the number of kittens in her belly, but you wont be able to know for certain until your cats pregnancy is almost over. While ultrasounds can confirm pregnancy, only an X-ray can give you an accurate number of how many grand-kittens youre expecting. Kittens bones form and become visible on X-ray around the 54th day of your cats pregnancy. Up to that point, your vet will be able to give you only a rough estimate based on average litter size and whether this is your cats first pregnancy.
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When Do Cats Become Able To Reproduce
The quick answer to when cats become able to reproduce is six months of age. Now with that being said, there is much variation between individuals as well as between different breeds. Some breeds, like the Siamese, will reach reproductive maturity at four months while the Persian might wait until 10 months. Females tend to be a month or two sooner than males. Reproductive maturity may be reached sooner if the kitten is in the presence of other intact cats. Just because a kitten is able to reproduce doesnt mean they should. If cats are being intentionally bred, its best to wait until theyre at least one year old to ensure they are big enough to handle having a litter of kittens.
Discuss Medical Care With Your Veterinarian
You should also contact your veterinarian to ask when the kittens should first be examined.
They may want to see them right away to evaluate for cleft palates, umbilical hernias, and other health concerns, or they may advise you to wait until they are a bit older.
Many veterinarians recommend deworming at regular intervals, starting at 2 to 4 weeks of age, and vaccinating at 6 weeks of age.
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Keep Pregnant Cats On Safe Flea Preventatives
During pregnancy, its even more important to keep your cat on a safe, vet-approved flea preventative. Always check with your veterinarian to ensure that a specific flea preventative is safe for use in pregnant cats.
Keeping your cat flea-free isnt just for their safety, but for the safety of their kittens. Flea anemia is one of the most common causes of death in young kittens.
What Happens During A Normal Labor And Delivery
The signs of impending labor generally include nervousness, overgrooming, and panting sometimes the queen will stop eating during the final day of pregnancy. In most cases, a drop in rectal temperature, to less than 100°F , occurs in the last 24 hours and signals impending labor. Milk will often appear in the mammary glands 24-48 hours before labor begins. Many cats will prefer to be secluded during the birthing process.
Once labor starts, most cats experience delivery without complications however, if this is your cat’s first litter, you should closely monitor her until at least one or two kittens are born. If these first kittens are born quickly and without complication, further attendance may not be necessary, although it is ideal to be available if an emergency should arise. However, if you leave the room, it is possible that she will try to follow you, leaving her kittens and potentially interrupting the labor.
“If the delivery proceeds normally, the kitten will emerge after a few contractions.”
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Adding Up The New Additions: How Many Kittens Do Cats Have
While cat litter sizes can vary between cats, on average, most cats have about three to five kittens per litter. Because a cat can technically get pregnant every three months or so, a single female cat can give birth to more than two hundred kittens in her lifetime!
There are various factors that can influence your cats litter size, but in general, a pregnant cat means your family is about to grow by anywhere between three and nineteen new kittens! Spaying and neutering your pets is the only real way to prevent cat pregnancies, but if raising kittens is something youre excited about, it can be a great way to expand your family by several adorable new faces.
Everything You Need To Know About Kitten Season
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Did you know spring kicks off a phenomenon known as kitten season? Thats right, there is a season just for kittens and it is upon us! Depending on how you feel about cats, kitten season can sound like the best season of the year. Sounds like cuteness in abundance, round kitten bellies and playtime all day long! Unfortunately, kitten season isnt quite that, especially for the kittens and the people who opt to take care of them. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about kitten season:
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How Fertile Are Cats
One of the characteristic aspects of cats is their fast sexual maturity. Factors such as the breed of the animal, the weather where they live, the hours of daylight and ambient temperature – all of these factors influence a cat’s heat period. Most cats, though, reach sexual maturity at between 5 and 10 months of life.
This means their first heat is very soon upon us and thus the possibility of being pregnant and having the first litter of cats. Felines may go into heat throughout the year if they live in an open environment in which males may come into contact with them, and if you have a male and a female cat at home, you can have up to 3 pregnancies per year, which means heaps and heaps of kittens!
This is why responsible owners should take a very important decision: neuter the cats if you do not want or cannot keep many kittens at home, or if you don’t want the responsibility of finding them a good home.