As the new year progresses, thoughts turn to spring, with most people focusing on new beginnings. At this time, life is slowly starting to blossom again, with the first bulbs peeking out, birds busy making nests, and the arrival of spring lambs.
But did you know that longer days trigger a key time for our feline friends? Amorous cats cause a surge in kitten numbers over the spring and summer, which can be a real strain for rescue centres and charities.
We’re going to explore the breeding behaviour of cats in more detail, as well as how you can practice responsible pet ownership. Read on to find out more!
Feline reproduction
Most cats have reached sexual maturity by 6 – 9 months of age, but this will vary depending on the individual. Some cats may even start reproducing earlier, becoming pregnant from 4 months of age.
Sexually mature female cats are referred to as queens, and male cats are known as toms. Once a female has gone through puberty, she will start to show signs that she is in oestrus (on heat) and is receptive to a male. During this time, she may demonstrate behaviours such as:
- Increased vocalisation, e.g. yowling or crying
- Rubbing herself against things more than usual
- Posturing with her rear end in the air and front end on the ground (known as lordosis)
- Attention seeking
- Attempting to escape to find a male
When male cats reach maturity, they may start to territory mark by spraying urine, develop a broader face, have an increased odour, and roam more than usual. Tom cats are more likely to fight with other cats too, which can lead to issues like the spread of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Entire males are also more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents.
As well as their development dictating when cats will start having kittens, the time of year plays a significant role too…
The mating season
Mating season in the UK usually begins in February and extends through to September, with a peak in breeding occurring in the spring and early summer. There are a few factors that influence when mating season begins:
- Photoperiod: Increasing amounts of daylight trigger hormonal changes in female cats.
This causes heat cycles to begin. Most cats will be at peak fertility when the day length is
over 12 hours. - Temperature: The warmer temperatures that we experience in spring and summer lead
to an increase in feline reproductive activity. - Geography: In the UK and other temperate climates, most cats stick to spring and
summer for their mating season, but cats in hotter and more tropical areas may
reproduce through the year.
During the mating season, an unneutered female cat will come into heat every two to three weeks until she has been mated. This means you may experience several periods in the season where your cat is extra noisy, attention-seeking, and restless! Most owners quickly find this antisocial.
Once mated, a female cat will be pregnant for around nine weeks and could become pregnant again as little as two weeks after giving birth. This means just one unneutered female cat could have up to an astonishing 18 kittens a year! Repeated pregnancies will also take their toll on the queen.
The seasonal nature of mating in cats means that kitten numbers start to rise between March and May, with a peak in numbers noted between June and September. This can leave charities struggling during ‘kitten season’.
The problem with population increases
As we’ve discussed, just one unneutered female could produce around 18 kittens a year. If you multiply this by the number of unneutered female cats in the UK and then go on to imagine that 50% of each queen’s kittens will be female (who in turn go on to reproduce themselves), the numbers quickly explode.
The problem is that this is not a sustainable situation. While we are lucky to have some amazing animal charities in this country, their resources and capacity are not infinite.
Bath Cats and Dogs Home estimate that caring for a mum and her kittens costs their charity around £1700. This figure includes food, heating or air-con, veterinary care, cleaning materials, and more. Plus, the amount of time it takes to properly care for pregnant cats and kittens shouldn’t be underestimated. Staff perform regular deep cleaning and monitoring of litters, including regular kitten weight checks. Some litters also need hand rearing, stretching the team’s capacity even further.
The other big issue experienced by charities and shelters is that many older cats, desperate for loving homes, are staying with them longer. People favour cute kittens and these cats get ignored. Older cats will not only take up space and resources at the rescue centre, but they will be missing out on the opportunity to join a loving family due to a constant influx of kittens.
Neutering your pet
The answer to this is neutering. By having your cat neutered before they can reproduce, you will be practicing responsible pet ownership and relieving the population burden.
At Riverport Vets, we can neuter kittens from 5 months of age, and they must be over 1.5kg. This is a routine procedure, and is usually straightforward, with cats being admitted first thing in the morning and going home later the same day.
In females, neutering is also referred to as spaying. During surgery, the ovaries and uterus are removed, meaning that a female cat cannot release any eggs or carry a pregnancy. Signs of oestrus stop, as she will no longer be entering heat cycles. By having your cat neutered, you will also eliminate the risk of her developing other health conditions like pyometra, an uncommon but life-threatening emergency issue where the uterus fills with pus.
In males, the surgery is also known as castration. Both testicles are removed during this short operation, so that your cat is unable to produce sperm. This also reduces testosterone levels so that undesirable behaviours like urine spraying and roaming are minimised or eliminated.
Our team will be able to advise you on your cat’s pre-operative instructions further, as well as how to care for your pet during their recovery from surgery.
But what if I want to breed from my cat?
We understand that some cat owners wish to breed from their cat, but it is important that this is done properly and for the right reasons.
Contrary to popular belief, female cats don’t need to experience a litter to ‘settle them down’ or to fulfil some maternal need. Putting human emotions on cats in this way is usually misguided. Female cats often have no say in whether they get pregnant, plus the first stray Tom cat they meet down the street (or their own adolescent brother…) may not be ideal father material!
If you choose to breed from your cat, then it is important to have the finances to give your pet the best possible care. This means a good quality diet for her and her kittens, routine veterinary care such as worming or flea treatments, and funds in place in case something goes wrong. The cost of an emergency caesarean section or care for a sickly kitten can be a shock if you haven’t budgeted for it. You must also ensure that you have the time to hand-rear the litter should the queen reject them or become unwell. The cost of neutering is much cheaper than caring for a litter of kittens.
If you are breeding a pedigree cat, then you must only mate healthy adults to ensure they are free from infectious diseases and pass on good genes to their kittens. This means performing pre-mating health screens first and avoiding using cats with extreme features, like very squashed faces (e.g., in brachycephalic breeds like Persians) or limb deformities, as seen in Munchkin cats. Your priority should be the health of the breed and of your kittens, not any future financial gains.
Our team is always here to support you and your pet, so please contact us for more advice.
Summary
Neutering your male or female cat is strongly recommended, not only for the health of your pet, but to prevent the feline population from expanding uncontrollably. The cat breeding season means that spring and summer can be a particularly busy time for rehoming centres and charities, so let’s do what we can to help.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on neutering your cat or if you need any more support and advice on responsible breeding.
