Cats are very interesting and charming animals although they are very delicate as well. Breeding your cat makes them even more interesting as you get to see beautiful new breeds like the pretty pointed eared Abyssinian, the soft fur Birman also known as “the Sacred Cat of Burma” or the tiger looking Toyger.
Breeding your cat simply means preparing them for mating and conception. You must be equipped with experience because a cat in heat is not an easy animal to control. She will meow and growl in search of a mate. The males in your neighborhood might start camping out at your home to get a chance to hook up with the newly turned adult cat.
And when they finally make a choice of who their baby daddy will be, they won’t have just one kitten, they can deliver up to three litters per year. This is no easy task for you and your family.
So, to get ready for the pairing, here are some very important things you should know before breeding your cat:
You need to watch her heating phase carefully
The primary stage of heating lasts for 7 days. Here your cat might start acting crazy, running around the house and even making escape attempts. You will realize that she becomes shy towards the male and will start to desire him. At this stage, it is important that you note the male she is most interested in and bring him closer to your cat to bond. Cats are like humans. They don’t like to share a partner.
When the cat is ready to mate, she will signal to the male by raising her tail and standing in an unsettled manner.
Observe the temperament and mood
Cats in heat tend to shy away. Even though they love you, they might want some privacy. It is important that you respect their decision and allow them some time alone. If the male they like lives next door or in the neighborhood, you might want to speak to his owner to allow the two to mate. This way you will be able to take your cat to them or bring the male cat to your home.
But before you bring over a male you need to have checked whether your female is ready in terms of age, weight and body size. Even though your cat is in heat, if she has a low body weight, don’t allow her to mate because your cat might be at risk of a problematic pregnancy, retardation or failure to nurture kittens as a result of premature delivery.
The right age for breeding your cat is between 18 and 24 months for a female and 18 months for a male. A male has to have reached puberty and be ready to breed as well.
During mating, your cat will scream and try to run off. This is because cat sex is painful. The male cat has a barbed penis with hook-like features, these are what cause pain to the female. In order to finish the mating successfully, the male might grab the female’s neck until he is done.
Don’t be faint hearted as this will come to an end real fast. The only worry is that one sexual encounter may not hit the target so the mating may need to be repeated.
You will realize that your cat has conceived after about 3 or 4 weeks because her gestation period takes 65 days. So, during this time, you should know that the cat is delicate and a little bit shy. Just know that she needs some space and she will automatically prefer an isolated-safe corner with less disruption. Just leave her alone and make her a safe home in a very good corner in your house so that she can enjoy as much rest as possible.
Give her nutritious foods, water, and other drinks on a timely basis. Do not give them dry food. Dry food is not good for cats as it makes them dehydrated and causes obesity and diabetes.
Do thorough health Check-ups
The same way you would rush to a Doctor when you are pregnant is the same way you should take your cat to frequent your vet for check-ups.
You will need to check their blood pressure, diabetes and other health issues that can easily be passed on to the kittens. You should keep good health records of your cats. Your cat will also need vaccinations so that she gives birth to healthy kittens. If you are planning to breed as a business, vaccinating while the cat is pregnant helps you to prevent disease transfer from mother to kitten before birth so that you are able to sell healthy kittens to your customers.
Exercise her
If you didn’t have one, start an exercise routine. Exercises that involve moderate running and jumping, walking and playing are great for their pregnancy. Exercises will also help prevent complications during delivery.
Create a conducive indoor environment.
So now that you and your cat are expecting, your cat will need to have a cleaner, wider and more creative environment to live as they carry their pregnancy. Choose a quiet, calm, cool corner where they will be resting. Remember cats sleep for 16 hours a day and so they need to have a comfortable place to sleep. Cats also like darker places so go for a corner where light doesn’t easily reach.
If you don’t provide a cozy resting place, you will most likely find them sleeping in your bed because they love tidy places.
Keep caring
As labor approaches, your cat will continue to isolate herself further from you. Still, don’t bother her, she is feeling contractions and wants space to alleviate the pain. Keep feeding her and providing water and then monitor her from afar. Her labor may take 20 minutes to numerous hours and she will take small breaks in between the contractions.
During delivery, stay close but non-distractive. Alert your vet so that in case of emergency they can easily rush to the scene or for you to quickly drive them to the hospital in case of any complications.
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