How many nipples should a cat have: structural features, normal indicators and deviations from the norm

The anatomy and structure of the glands is normal

The anatomically correct shape of a cat's mammary glands is cone-shaped. The height of the cone is about 1-3 mm; there are no hairs in this part of the body. It can be difficult to find glands in individuals with thick fur, especially in young ones. It's also hard to know whether furry male cats have nipples. This part of the body becomes clearly visible during pregnancy of cats of any breed, then it is obvious how many breasts the cat has. Particular growth and swelling is observed from the third week from the moment the embryos appear.

Mammary glands are needed for feeding offspring

Feeding helps open the milk tubules, so nutritious milk flows through them. Usually there are from 4 to 8 channels. The liquid outlet after feeding is closed with special valves, so the nutritional mixture does not leak out. The number of offspring depends on the number of milk ducts. This factor is regulated by nature. Giving birth to more kittens leads to the death of the offspring.

Important! A larger amount of milk is located at the inguinal glands, so strong kittens try to latch onto this part.

Mastitis

Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary glands that can occur during false pregnancy or after childbirth with excess milk. False pregnancy is a common process in females that is regulated by hormones; in the absence of pregnancy, lactation (milk secretion) can occur and the cat behaves like a mother, makes a nest and can care for other cats or even inanimate objects as kittens. This process most often occurs without complications (the milk burns out), but in some cases mastitis may occur. Mastitis is also quite common in cats that have given birth, which is facilitated by excess milk, for example, at the birth of a dead litter or a small number of kittens, and also facilitated by early weaning of kittens, sometimes developing for no apparent reason. Mastitis is characterized by enlargement of the mammary glands, usually one or more glands are affected, there is an increase in the temperature of the skin around the nipple, redness and severe pain, the cat does not allow you to touch the stomach, and sometimes the body temperature rises. A diseased mammary gland may discharge clear or yellowish fluid along with milk, or there may be an admixture of blood or pus. For kittens, such milk is dangerous, as it contains bacteria, which can cause digestive upset or even death of the kittens. Mastitis often goes away quickly, but in high-milk animals it can recur during subsequent births.

Features of the structure of nipples in cats

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Experts distinguish several main groups of mammary glands, including:

inguinal;
abdominal;
chest

The abdominal mammary glands are most valuable during the lactation period of females. Do cats have mammary glands of this group - obviously not. There are inguinal and pectoral nipples, which are underdeveloped and almost invisible to the human eye. Unpaired glands are also underdeveloped, since there are no milk ducts inside, this is a dummy. During pregnancy in a cat they do not swell, the condition remains normal.

During pregnancy, a cat's nipples are clearly visible

It is impossible to determine the gender of a kitten based on the number and condition of nipples. The sign is absurd, since whether cats have nipples is important only to professional breeders. This part of the body is present in two species, but in boys they remain in their infancy.

How many nipples cats have is not very important, since they have a different internal physiological structure. The presence of these organs in all mammals is mandatory. They are formed in utero, in embryos, when there are no developed sexual characteristics.

For your information! Cats have nipples, but males simply do not have a special hormone that affects the lactation process.
Therefore, although a cat has nipples, they lose their original natural functionality.

Types of breast tumors

Most tumors (and there are 4 pairs in total) develop from glandular epithelium and are divided into three large groups:

Adenoma and fibroadenoma (in the case of a benign course), it is quite rare.
Carcinoma or adenocarcinoma (in the case of a malignant course) of the mammary gland in a cat, it is much more common. Most of it comes from the epithelium of the ducts and alveoli of the mammary glands. Inflammatory carcinoma of the mammary glands is especially dangerous. It is accompanied by an inflammatory process and therefore has a particularly unfavorable prognosis.
Mixed tumors affect both ductal and epithelial tissues of the mammary glands. They are characterized by a more favorable course.

Breast carcinoma is a mobile nodular formation. In later stages, it often breaks open and may ulcerate or bleed. The mammary glands are most often affected on one side, less often on both sides. The disease is accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes, especially in the groin and axillary areas.

It is not always possible to determine the type of tumor (benign or malignant), especially if it has burst. In this case, the treatment regimen is based on the method of treating a potentially malignant neoplasm.

Does the number of nipples depend on the breed?

Breed variety does not play a significant role in the number of teats. Mixing individuals of different breeds also does not affect the exterior of the animal. This feature is inherited, therefore, how many boobs a cat has can be found out from its relatives, and you can also find out whether cats have tits.

How many nipples should a dog really have?

Wild cats, for example, tigers or lions, are distinguished by the paired structure of their mammary glands. How many tits a cat has in nature, usually two pairs. Nature provides for the birth of a maximum of four cubs. If there are more individuals in a litter, the animals do not survive due to the small amount of food.

Important! Hairless sphinxes are distinguished by an asymmetrical arrangement of mammary glands. This phenomenon is considered normal.

Big cat family

Standard options

There is no need to panic if your cat has more or less nipples: this does not mean that the animal is sick and needs help. In addition to changes in quantity, the following differences from the norm may be observed:

asymmetry of arrangement in vertical rows or in pairs;
partial or complete absence of certain pairs;
placement along the midline of the abdomen;
different size of nipples in one cat;
different skin pigmentation on these organs.

All these factors are not related to the breed, the only difference is that in hairless breeds the nipples are immediately visible due to the lack of hair. The difference in the number of nipples does not affect the level of exterior characteristics and cannot serve as a sufficient basis for culling a kitten.

Number of nipples and feeding

How many papillae do cats have: a double arrangement is considered the norm, usually four pairs:

next to the front paws;
next to the hind legs there are two more symmetrical nipples.

How many teeth does a cat have: diagram of the jaw of an adult cat

It’s easy to calculate how many boobs a cat has on its belly. The only difficulty in counting is that they can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Important! More or less number of nipples is considered a disease, a deviation from the norm. Boys can have four pairs of nipples, this will be considered normal.

The nutrient produced after lambing is called colostrum. It contains especially many useful components. Colostrum becomes milk gradually during the first days of a kitten's life. The required time to feed a cat's offspring is five weeks. Next, the glands reduce the amount of nutrition produced. Milk production is associated with several factors, the most important of which is hormonal levels.

Even in the first days after giving birth, the cat carefully licks the nipples, thereby achieving:

High-quality hygiene. The cat prevents the ingress of harmful substances and the development of pathologies.
Local massage. A cat's rough tongue increases blood circulation in the mammary glands. Without intensive tissue nutrition, mastitis is possible, which leads to severe pain.

Massage helps with feline mastitis

The quality and quantity of feeding depends on the health of the cat, including the condition of the nipples. If the female feels pain or other pathologies, she can stop lactation and abandon the babies. A healthy cat allows even grown-up cubs, who have reached the age of six months, to approach her.

Pregnancy and childbirth are a complex process that is stressful for the cat’s body. Cats, like humans, can experience postpartum depression. In this state, milk does not come to the mother cat, and further developments may be the most unfavorable.

Anomalies and possible pathologies

It is important that owners know at least the basics of the pet's structure. There are cases when, due to a lack of knowledge and excessive care, having discovered a “patch” on a cat’s stomach, the owners begin independent treatment - lubricate the papilla with ointment. If you are unsure of the nature of the find, you should consult your veterinarian.

The anomaly is the wrong number of nipples. There is no need to worry if the following features are observed:

additional pair in the groin area;
papillae are not parallel to each other;
there are one fewer pair of mammary glands than should be normal;
the number of papillae is odd.

Additional single formations are usually underdeveloped. They are not full-fledged glands, they are just a skin phenomenon. They do not change during pregnancy and lactation. The causes of such phenomena are associated with disturbances during intrauterine development. This usually happens when the cat experiences a pathogenic effect. But the anomaly can also be the result of a chromosome malfunction or a genetic disease.

In newborn kittens, the development of glands is influenced by the following factors:

infectious lesion;
injuries;
diseases of the endocrine system.

If the existing anomaly does not interfere with the pet and does not affect its condition and behavior, it is considered safe and does not require attention.

You need to take your pet to the clinic as soon as possible if the following symptoms are detected:

the glands are enlarged and swollen, although the cat is not pregnant and is not nursing kittens;
clear or bloody discharge is observed from the papillae;
the skin around the gland has turned black - this is a symptom of a fungal disease, infestation by fleas or ticks.

In addition, there are a number of diseases that provoke enlargement of the glands:

lactostasis (stagnation of milk, for example, if kittens are taken from their mother prematurely);
mastitis, mastopathy;
cancer;
hormonal disorder;
damage to the lymphatic system.

At the first signs of pathology, you should consult a doctor. The true cause of the disease can only be identified through diagnosis.

Malignant neoplasm Lactostasis Mastitis

The presence of underdeveloped nipples or fewer of them is not considered dangerous for the pet. But it is important to monitor the condition of healthy mammary glands in order to prevent the development of serious diseases.

Diseases of the nipples in cats and kittens

Medical intervention is required if this part of the animal’s body enlarges for no apparent reason, becomes transparent, or blood appears. Therapy may include both medication and surgery. In the latter case, the affected areas are removed, but such intervention is aimed at preventing the spread of pathology. Therefore, the answer to the question: how many papillae a cat has can be associated with surgical interventions.

Possible nipple conditions are as follows:

lactostasis - obstruction of milk;
mastitis;
cancer;
hormonal disbalance;
deterioration of the lymphatic system.