Feline Reproductive Physiology

On this page, you will find an overview of feline reproduction with a timeline and fast facts. The management required for reproductive success is also described.

Basic Care & Management for Reproductive Success

Growth of kittens until puberty: Newborn kittens should receive colostrum within the first 24 hours of life. Colostrum is important for passive immunity transfer because it is rich in antibodies that the kittens need in order to fight off disease while their immune systems are developing (8). Kittens should be watched closely to ensure they hit the important benchmarks including doubling birth weight by day 7, opening eyes by day 14 and  being playful by 4 weeks of age (8). Solid food intake should start around 4 weeks of age and the weaning process should be completed by 6 weeks of age (8). Kittens should be vaccinated at 6-8 weeks of age for feline distemper, feline herpes virus 1 and calicivirus and rabies at 12 weeks of age along with any other risk based vaccinations (8). Kittens should be dewormed if it is determined by the vet that the animal has parasites (8).  It is important to ensure proper growth is occurring with weekly weigh ins for every kitten (8). 

Puberty, up until breeding: All cats should be given a breeding soundness exam by a veterinarian before the cat is used for breeding purposes. Any breeding cat should be free of any disease that could potentially be passed down to their offspring, including feline leukemia (2).  Cats should be up to date on vaccinations and dewormers before breeding occurs (2).  Ideally, cats should only be bred once they are full grown (18-24 months) and no longer be bred after they reach the age of 7 (4).

At time of breeding: The queen should be taken to the male for mating. The tom is territorial and may have increased stress if moved to an unfamiliar environment which can decrease reproductive success (2). To ensure successful fertilization, multiple breedings should take place over the course of 2-3 days and the cats should be separated in between matings to avoid fighting (1). 

Gestation, Parturition and Lactation: Ultrasound exams can be performed around 25+ days of gestation to determine viability, potential issues (ex. pyometra) and x rays can be performed around 55+ days to determine litter size (1). During the last 2-3 weeks of pregnancy, the queen should be separated from other cats to reduce stress and prevent disease spread (7; 2). At the time of parturition, the queen should have a safe, clean and warm space for queening (7).  Colostrum must be consumed by the offspring in the first 24 hours of life to give them improtant protective antibodies as previosly described. Colostrum is produced by the queen for the first 24 hours after parturition with peak colostrum production at 8 hours post queening (3). The queen and kittens should be kept in a dry and thoroughly cleaned area to reduce bacteria and avoid infection (2).  

Timeline and Fast Facts

Image (above, left): A timeline of important events in a male (tom) cat's life with fast facts included.

Image (above, right): A timeline of important events in a female (queen) cat's life with fast facts included.

*all information was from source 7

Summary of Reproductive Cycle (Female)

Summary of Reproductive Cycle (Male)