Notions about breeding the cat

Last days, a friend wrote to me on Facebook. He has 4 kittens from his cat. He is a great cat lover. His cat rescued her from a park, where she lay wounded. He took it and took care of it.




Talking to him, I realized that he didn’t know how to care for a mother cat. She now has special needs. I guided him, but I decided to write this post for all cat lovers. I titled this article “Notions about breeding the cat“. But he wants to be more comprehensive. I will give some notions about breeding the cat, the cat-gestant and the cat-mother.

Cat Breeding considerations

Cats are animals with several reproductive cycles per year (February and September). Living at home ensures thermal comfort. It erases the effect of the seasons. As a consequence, the cat enters the heat throughout the year.

The heat period, usually lasts 1-3 weeks. It can extend up to 5 weeks to some hyperestrogenic specimens. This period manifests itself in different races. A special feature is that ovulation in cats caused by sexual intercourse. This causes the heat to stop. The heat period is shorter if it followed by the mountain.

If you do not want to get followers, I recommend sterilizing the cat in the meantime. In no way do I recommend the administration of inhibitors. These have serious side effects and can lead to infections of the uterus-pyometra. Lumps form in the womb. It is a serious pathological situation.

Males don’t have a pronounced warmth seasonality. They are suitable for mounting all year round. If it desired to mount it, it must shower to the female.

The gestation

in the cat lasts on average 63 days. It can vary between 61 and 69 days. In the first month of gestation the cat will eat the same as before. At the end of this period the fetuses have 2-3 cm.

In the second part of gestation the cat consumes twice the need for cat physically rested.

The moment of the facade marked by the installation of a state of agitation. The temperature drops by more than one degree Celsius (more than 24 hours before the facade).The cat, even at the first baby, takes care of the kittens and has no problems with breastfeeding. Over 6-12 hours are not successful, the veterinarian should reached. He usually decides Cesarean section.

A nursing cat consumes 2-3 times more food than another cat. The food must be of good quality. Water must be available at all times. Starting with the 3-4 week spill, the kittens can receive lean beef or poultry, minced. The quantities administered If repeated facade efforts.

After weaning the kittens, the female can enter the heat again. A new mount is not recommended. This exhausts the animal. No quality kittens will obtain.

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Before the birth

Cats always look for a more discreet place to give birth in peace. In the female nature, it looks for very difficult places to reach, where the nest protected. In breed cats, this is different.

Often, the cat is not born alone. Sometimes problems arise. And for non-breed house cats it is valid. Usually the female owner arranges a quiet and secluded place. There the cat can give birth without disturbed. I recommend you to be home when you are born and to attend.

If you are in very close relationships with the cat, chances are that she will come and “tell you” that she is ready. Don’t surprised if in the middle of the night you wake up with a tender paw on your ear. It is the signal: “the little ones arrive”.

A few days before the event you can see how his behavior changes. The future mother is looking through the discrete corners of the house a good place for the nest. Boxes, drawers, cabinets, places you have little access to. You can wake up with the cat trying to nest in other kittens or even adult cats. Then there is very little time left until birth.

This behavior is due to the action of hormones that stimulate the maternal instinct. When the birth begins or when the cat catches other cats in the nest, you must attend. When he feels that he is starting, he might become agitated. It happens at the first birth.

One of my cats, before giving birth, beat all the other cats I had. She was very stressed.

You will need to put it several times in the place you have prepared for the event.

He will accept it.

Sometimes, the future mother is in very good relationships with another cat in the house. This second cat behaves towards the mother and kittens like everyone would be her. He washes and cares for them. You are lucky if you have this irreplaceable help. It is advisable to leave the cats together. The cat will appreciate and give birth faster and easier.

I had two examples of this kind.

Birth itself

A few days before birth, a reddish-brown discharge could eliminate. There is no cause for concern in a healthy cat. It is the time when you can inform the “family” veterinarian that the kittens are on the way.

If the cat behaves and the kittens feel like moving in the belly, you only have to wait. Depending on the behavior of the cat and if the birth did not occur after 68 days. It should examined by the veterinarian. If there are no problems, the cat gives birth around the 65th day.

The first contractions are minor, “preparatory”. Something later the true ones appear, at regular intervals of 1-3 minutes. You can help the cat by talking gently and caress. The room temperature must be at least 21-23 degrees Celsius. When the cat has the final contractions, in less than an hour the first kitten must appear. When all is well, the kittens appear alone. Some appear with the legs, others with the head forward. The mother knows from the instinct what to do. First, it will smell like a cat, then it will open the membrane and cut the umbilical cord with the teeth.

Some cats eat the placenta, which is very nutritious. Others eat only the cord. Cat does not remove the membrane, you will have to do this. Put the kittens in the towel and begin to remove membrane towards the tail. Clean the cat’s mouth of fluid fluids with a syringe. If they have respiratory problems, put a piece of sterile dressing over your mouth and blow in a little air. Then remove the umbilical cord. Use a thin, strong and sterile cutting edge. Proceed meticulously, to prevent umbilical hernia. Any work done with disinfected hands.

After you cut the cord, disinfect the place with an iodine solution.

The next kitten comes after 15 minutes to an hour and a half. Assuming you’ve been to a cat ultrasound, you know exactly how many will be. If more time elapses, call your veterinarian.

My daughter has a cat that was born. He knew there had to be twokittens. But after making the first kitten the cat relaxed and took care of it. After a few hours he took the cat to the vet, who made him a Cesarean. Now there are two beautiful and loving bikers.

As it born, put the kittens in the cotton, to be warm. Make a barrier from the towel so that the cat does not lie on the newborns.

You need to check if the placenta comes out with the kitten. If the mother did not eat the placenta immediately, you must remove it. It is not obligatory to eat it. After all the kittens have been born, place them near the mother and see how she react. Carefully, one by one the kitten cubs at the sucking. This will help to express maternal instincts. If the mother starts to wash her kittens, everything is fine.

With a little patience and gentle words, even the most stressed cat will accept the kittens. In the beginning, the kittens need maternal warmth (on their own, the physical one). Otherwise, they will not survive.

Mom hugs her kittens


During breastfeeding, the cat must fed with quality food. It is even advisable to give them food for the junior. Kittens should fed after weaning, also with junior food.

After the age of one month you can gradually introduce lean beef or poultry, minced.

I recently had a nest from which a cat highlighted: it was the first of all. And he ate dry food, but went to adult food, refused the junior.

In general, after weaning, cats do not drink milk anymore. Some may is allergic to lactose. It is a myth that cats drink milk.

Instead of conclusions

Cats are fascinating and interesting animals. They are pregnant too. Then they change their behavior, they become more affectionate.

Cats are the best mothers in the world. In 3 months they teach their kittens everything they need for life. After the age of three months, the kittens can be given for adoption.

I have a cat that no family can handle. The veterinarian told us from the beginning that this is a rare case. She had an unpleasant experience with people who hurt their mother or brother. She fell in our yard when he was about two months old. I couldn’t even sterilize it. As a result, at the age of 8, she became pregnant.

During that time and as long as she raised her kittens, she became affectionate and let us caress her. She left us caress the kittens. But after this period he returned to his previous behavior. We didn’t stress her, We understood her. Instead, she has a boyfriend, and he’s always after him. He loves her.

Cats do good for our health. See my previous post.

Please leave a comment on your experience on this topic. Or tell me your impressions about this article. I would be glad to find out your opinion.


You can now learn to communicate directly with your cat.


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22 Replies to “Notions about breeding the cat”

  1. Wow what a great story and equally great information on cat breeding. Good to know that inhibitors can have serious side effects including infection. Pretty amazing to think that the cat consumes twice the need for cat physically rested in the second part of gestation. That will give the cat owner good guidance as far as food intake goes. Also it’s good to know to leave the cats together and to put the kittens in cotton upon birth. Minced meat like poultry and beef sound like just the right diet for the newborns. I know some folks who have been thinking about getting into cat breeding actually and I will definitely share this post with them. There is so much useful information here that I’m sure they will find it as helpful as I have. Great post and keep up the good work!

    1. Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you found this post useful. I hope that those with whom you share it will find new information about the reproduction of the cat.

  2. Hello Carmen!

    Thanks for sharing all this info with us! It is a very educative exposure about cats’ lives and about how their existence begins. I remember having had a female cat around 15 years ago, it got pregnant (or maybe we should say gestant?) at the age of around 13 months, and its gestation period lasted just about two months and a few days approximately, fitting very well into the time frame you described. And on a Sunday in the afternoon/evening our cat gave birth to five blackish kittens!

    Speaking of reproductive cycles over the year, the heat period during which our cat mounted was towards the end of July in that year. And then the birth took place in the first Sunday from October!

    Best regards, Peter

    1. Thanks for the comment, Peter. Also, thank you for the experience shared. The whole life of the cat is fascinating. I said in the post that for home cats is not a season for mating.

      All the best to 

  3. This was quite an interesting article you did. I have cats of my own, three of them so learning more about them is quite good for me. I also loves cats, they are always very chill and relaxed. I will definitely share this post to my social media and I will see more posts from your site. Bye

    1. Thanks for the comment, Barbara. Thanks also for sharing it on social networks and for reading my posts. I am happy to help cat lovers with information about them.

      All the best to 

  4. Wow, I have never seen such a comprehensive article about breeding cats, from inception to birth, you have it all. I also love that you have made it such a personal article, and I can see that you really love cats.

    I will forward this to a friend that I have who has just lost a litter of kittens. They were all born dead and we are not quite sure why. this is the second time that this cat has given birth. The first time only one out of four survived. Do you think that maybe she shouldn’t be breeding with this cat?

    1. Thanks for the comment, Michele. It also occurred to me that a cat was born a dead kitten, but only once. The cat should be taken to the veterinarian and he can tell you if he has problems and cannot do kitten. Maybe he has problems that can be solved. If not, the veterinarian will propose sterilization.

      All the best to you and to your friend’s cat

  5. Well Carmen, I am not much of a lover of cat 🐈

    I am not familiar with them but the process you described in this article are very interesting. The cat seems like a clever animal, it actually tells you about its birth? This is fabulous. I’m kinda getting interested in cat stuffs but I’m actually scared of cats LOL

    1. Thank you for your comment. You don’t have to be afraid of cats. They are very intelligent and gentle animals, if you behave properly with them. I recommend you to adopt one. It will change your life and you will save she.

  6. Thank you Carmen for this important information. I learned a lot about how and where cats prefer to give birth and how to take care of the mother and kittens afterwards. Having a male cat I have never had to experience my cat giving birth. 

    My friend on the other hand was just given two cats from a litter of another friend. She needs to read your post to help care for her new kittens. I am going to share this post with her. Thanks for your guidance.

    1. Thanks for the comment, Robert. I am always happy to help less experienced cat lovers with information about cats. My information is correct, because in addition to my personal experience, I read a lot about these fascinating animals.

  7. Hello Carmen,this is a very interesting atricle i am a big fan of cats and their life style,but breeding is a new venture and I think it is very interesting and Its worth trying.thanks to your article I now understand cat more like their life cycle and their reproductive system

    1. Thanks for the comment, David. I am glad to find out that you are a fan of cats. They are intelligent and fascinating animals. I can say that it is a wonderful time when the cat breeds. She is the best mother in the world.

  8. Thank you very much for this article. One of my neighbors likes cats very much. She often gives food to some stray cats. Recently, she insisted that the wild cats that had been fed for a year became a member of their family. I also hope to adopt a cat, but it is a pity that my daughter is allergic to this type of animal.

    1. Thanks for the comment, Jax. For allergic people there are hairless cats, the Sphinx breed. If your little girl likes cats, you can try to catch one of this breed. It is great for a child to have a pet. It will be more responsible and empathetic.

  9. We’ve always had cats, but not really as close pets, more like smoething that wandered freely around the house. 

    I’ve always been told that baby cats born in spring are stronger than those born in atumumn. The latter were understand too weak to keep.

    Is this only a myth or is there some truth in it?

    1. Thanks for the comment. I do not think it depends on the season in which the kittens were born, that they are healthy. It depends on how healthy the cat is and the care you take care of. After birth, it depends on how you take care of the kittens.

  10. WOW, thanks a lot for such extensively covered article. I love cats and I didn`t know half of the information you gave on cats cycle. 

    I remember once my male cat started to try to break the security net of our windows coz there was a female cat inviting cats for some ‘action’. 

    We had to sterilize him so he doesnt run away after the first kitty that goes easy on him again! 

    Bless you and all the cats! Read you again soon! 

    1. Thanks for the comment, Luiz. It is very good that you have neutered the tomcat

      I’m glad you found new information in my article. I am also glad that you will read my posts again.

      All the best to 

  11. Your article is amazing and very informative about our favorite animals. We all love cats in the neighborhood. The information you give about birth is very useful especially as our kittens gave birth very often and we would not want their lives at risk. Thank you for the useful and helpful topic.

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