Mating a cat and a cat: how to properly mate

Optimal time for first mating: puberty of males and female cats

The first estrus in females is recorded at the age of seven to nine months; in some breeds, puberty occurs a year or later. At this point, the cat’s body has not yet prepared for full bearing of offspring. Therefore, experts do not recommend breeding a young female during her first heat.

Consequences: difficult birth, death of the offspring, further infertility. Puberty occurs after one and a half years; it is at this time that the first mating is recommended.

Males show signs of sexual heat a little earlier; by the age of seven months they begin to actively look for a partner, but by this moment they are still growing and their skeleton is not fully formed. The cat is completely ready for breeding when it reaches one year of age.

How puberty occurs

Sexual maturity is the age at which an animal can participate in the process of reproduction. Hormones are produced in his body, gametes - the first cells of possible embryos - mature. In females, the first estrus occurs at 5–8 months, males come into season a month and a half later. An interesting fact is that kittens that were born at the beginning of the sexual season become sexually mature later than those born in the final period. The timing of puberty is strongly influenced by the general state of health, feeding and housing conditions, and social adaptation.

Most often, the first heat occurs at about six months of age, but some breeds have nuances. Short-haired cats are characterized by an early onset of heat - five months, in exceptional cases - three and a half. This is especially true for Siamese cats - nature has endowed them with a violent temperament.

Siamese cats are especially playful

On the contrary, in color-point and Persian cats, estrus can linger for up to ten to fifteen months. This is completely normal and not worth worrying about.

There are several other patterns noticed while observing cats. So, if the first heat is expected in winter (during the passive sexual period), then, most likely, its onset will be delayed until spring. Late maturation occurs if the animal is kept in a darkened room. A bright room and being surrounded by other mature animals speeds up maturation.

How to understand that heat has begun

In the first days, the cat becomes very affectionate and restless, actively rubs against furniture, rolls on the floor and goes to the litter box more often than usual. She leaves marks around the apartment that contain valeric acid. This is a pheromone that has a stimulating effect not only on cats, but also on cats that have not yet come into heat. The vulva swells slightly and the cat licks itself frequently. There should not be any heavy discharge.

Stroke me, man!

After two or three days, these signs intensify: the cat crawls and rolls on the floor and moans pitifully . The most unbearable and piercing howls are made by Siamese cats. If at this moment you stroke her on the withers, the cat instantly takes a mating position: arches her back, raises her tail and moves it to the side, spreads along the ground and makes kneading, trampling movements with her hind legs. He eats little and may try to escape outside. The signs are enhanced if the scent of an adult male is present in the area, and are more pronounced in short-haired breeds than in long-haired ones. This stage is called estrus and is the most favorable for conception.

“I had a short-haired mongrel cat Kasya. Her heats lasted for several weeks, anti-rut medications did not help, and the screams were terrible and so tiring that you wanted to throw something at the languishing animal. Before sterilizing, I decided to let her give birth once - there was such a misconception before. We tried to set her up with the neighbor's cat. Despite the continuation of her heat, Kasya behaved aggressively and clearly defended the territory, and the cat was in no hurry to get to know each other better and behaved warily. And after some time, the sounds of a fight coming from the visiting room forced me to take out the “groom”, who was pretty shabby. The “bride” nervously licked her lips and sparkled her eyes, clearly not wanting to continue. Alas, my attempt was unsuccessful. The point was that I did not know certain rules that must be followed to successfully breed cats.”

Siamese cats are famous for their fiery temperament

If fertilization has occurred and pregnancy occurs, then activity disappears within a couple of days. If there has been no mating, estrus lasts 10–12 days, then there is a short lull - about two weeks, after which signs of sexual heat appear again. The cycle lasts approximately 21 days. During the year, cats have two or three peaks of sexual activity, which occur in spring and autumn.

There is no interval between periods of arousal in a small percentage of cats, and they experience the urge to mate continuously for 6–10 weeks. This feature is called nymphomania and causes considerable inconvenience to the owners.

In males, the desire to mate is manifested in aggression towards the owner, spraying the apartment with odorous marks and loud screams. There are no specific mating seasons for them - cats are ready to have sexual intercourse all year round. Active behavior in spring and autumn is associated with the presence of many females ready to breed.

A healthy cat needs a cat once every three to four weeks for a few days. If you have no plans to breed kittens, then it is better to castrate the cat. This relieves most behavioral problems. There is no other reliable way to get rid of tags throughout the house. The later you castrate, the greater the risk that the habit of marking corners will take root and he will do it out of old memory, so don’t delay.

Why might a neutered cat beg for a cat?

It happens that sterilized cats continue to organize concerts. There are several reasons for this.

The fact is that there are different types of surgery. There is an operation in which the fallopian tubes are tied. It does not affect the production of hormones in any way - it simply does not allow you to get pregnant. At the same time, the cat’s behavior remains the same - it actively demands the cat and marks its territory.

Another type of surgery is removal of the ovaries. After this, the production of sex hormones stops, and estrus does not resume. It is very important to clarify at the veterinary clinic what kind of surgery you want to perform on your cat.

After operation

It also happens: a cat had surgery to remove her ovaries, everything was fine for a year, and then she came into heat again. This happens if the ovaries were not completely removed due to medical oversight. Even a few cells left in the body are enough for them to regenerate into a fully functioning ovary.

Older neutered cats sometimes develop kidney disease that causes behavior similar to estrus. Fortunately, this is a rare case, but if it happens to your cat, go to the vet as soon as possible.

If a cat was neutered at a young age and has not had sexual intercourse, then it is unlikely that he will want a cat. This is only possible with vigorous activity of the adrenal glands and the presence of a cat in heat nearby. In any case, such copulation will not produce offspring, and the cat will calm down, since sexual intercourse with a castrated cat does not bring her pain. However, you should be careful about empty matings if your cat is genetically predisposed to false pregnancy.

How to determine that a female is ready to mate

In females, the period of full maturation occurs on average at nine months of age. At this time, the cat requires increased attention from the owner. The pet asks for constant affection, begins to cuddle up to the owner, rubs its head against the legs of household members, interior items, and corners of the room.

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A pet on a spree can be easily recognized by the specific pose that the animal takes; you should stroke it: the belly is pressed to the floor, the tail is raised and thrown to the side, the hind legs make rhythmic forward movements. If you pet a cat at such a moment, the pet’s body begins to tremble due to a wave of excitement.

Domestic cats during estrus begin to leave marks on the territory (rubbing their faces against all accessible surfaces) to leave their scent.

On a note! Sexual maturity of the female can begin earlier or later than nine months of age, it all depends on the breed of the animal. The mating period for yard cats lasts longer than for domestic cats.

The need for reproduction is influenced by such factors as: conditions of detention, time of year. In winter, estrus lasts several days; in spring and summer, the process can take several weeks, and here the breed plays an important role.

The cat performs its first mating without much desire. Often she does not allow the male to approach her, attacks the male, and shows aggression. This behavior is characteristic of the Scottish breed, the Sphynx.

The ability to produce offspring is fixed in females for a long time; even an elderly animal that has reached the age of 8-10 years is capable of giving birth to kittens that are in good health.

Games

There are often cases when owners returning from work find their apartment completely destroyed. This often happens when the kitten is small or if there is more than one animal in the house. During the games, the cats themselves do not notice how much trouble they have caused.

There are very active and curious animals that are interested in literally everything. And if a person is not at home, then there is no one to prohibit. That is why owners often expect overturned flower pots, torn wallpaper and scattered papers on the table. There is simply no time to be bored; a day in games flies by unnoticed.

Not everyone likes a messy home, so such animals should be trained from a young age. It’s not difficult to teach a kitten not to spoil things, you just need to be patient:

• if your baby scratches wallpaper and upholstery, you should buy him a scratching post, maybe more than one;
• To prevent your furry pet from making a mess on your desktop, try to put all things and papers on it into drawers;
• buy more toys, various balls and mice with bells, so that the cat can run around and play enough.

Female behavior during estrus

The reproductive instinct is inherent in the female’s body by nature. Hormones entering the animal’s blood regulate the process.

Conventionally, sexual activity can be divided into two phases:

1. Anestrus (passive phase). Duration from 3.5 to 6 months. In domestic animals, the phase is shorter in duration due to the abundance of artificial light in the rooms where the pet lives. Bright light affects the hormonal cycle, therefore, domestic cats are more likely to be sexually active.
2. Estrus (initial phase of sexual activity). Hormones are released into the animal’s blood, and the body is ready for sexual intercourse and fertilization. The female begins to behave in a peculiar way, trying to attract a partner: she meows loudly, invitingly, rolls on the floor on her back, spreading her legs, arches her back, showing off her genitals. As soon as you stroke the female, she gets into a position characteristic of mating.

On a note! The special structure of the body in some cat breeds leads to a protracted phase of sexual activity.

In some cases, estrus ends only during the period of ovulation (during pregnancy). These breeds can bear several litters per year.

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Why do cats scream during mating?

It takes a cat a few seconds to impregnate his partner. At this time, the cat firmly grabs the female by the withers with his teeth, without letting her go. Sexual intercourse often ends tragically for the male.

The embittered female partner screams loudly, tries to wriggle out and bite her lover on the throat, the reason is that during the mating process the female feels severe pain. As a rule, it is the cat who cries during intercourse because of painful intercourse.

The thing is that there are hard scales on the partner’s genitals that are prickly to the touch. The process of fertilization takes place as follows: the male genital organ penetrates the vagina, reaches the uterus, and is fixed there with the help of scales, which cause severe pain.

Mating cats

How to introduce animals to each other? It all depends on the situation. It is best to place the container with the cat in a separate room. To allow her to go out and explore the environment, leave the container door open for her. After she gets used to it, you can introduce the cat to her so that they can get to know each other.

• A concerned cat may give permission for the cat to approach her, bury his face in her, lick her muzzle and examine the genital area. Preliminary flirting increases sexual arousal. This is enough for a mature cat to take a mating position, pressing herself to the ground, she raises her pelvic region and moves her tail to the side. Photos of how cats mate can be found on the Internet.
• It happens that a cat does not show interest in its partner, in which case it will not allow the cat to come near it. And a cat, if he cannot “persuade” the cat to take a mating position, will behave aggressively. In such cases, animals should be isolated from each other. If sexual intercourse is accompanied by pain, it may subsequently discourage mating.
• If everything is normal, then the cat takes the proper pose, the cat comes up to her from behind and clasps the cat’s sides with its front paws. After which he grabs her by the scruff of the neck and pinches her fur with his teeth, while fingering her with his hind paws. Several active thrusts and he inserts the penis into the vagina, ejaculation occurs within 5-15 seconds. At this moment, the cat emits a piercing scream, and the cat purrs not loudly.
• After that, a stormy farewell occurs: the cat jumps to the side, and the cat tries to hit him with its paw. This behavior of the cat is explained by the fact that during insertion of the penis it has numerous roughnesses, which causes possibly painful severe irritation of the vagina. This stimulation is needed to activate ovulation in the cat, which comes after 24 hours from the moment of coating.
• It is best if repeated matings occur. Because Ovulation does not occur after the first mating; at least several matings are necessary. Most often, a cat is left with a visiting cat for three days.
• It is very important that the cat's owner monitors the mating. After all, a fight between animals is not excluded. The owner, if possible, should be nearby to help or separate the animals in a timely manner.

Now you know how everything happens, you can also find videos on the Internet of how cats mate.

The nuances of the first mating of cats at home

During the first mating, a domestic cat shows aggression and is capable of injuring its partner.

Animal owners should take into account a number of nuances in advance so that the mating is successful and the pet is not harmed:

• Mating should be done in the male's territory, this gives more chances for successful conception.
• Initially, the female should be left in a separate room so that the furry predator calms down and masters the new territory.
• You should have a carrier bag on hand in which you can lock an angry cat if the process does not go according to plan.
• For the first mating, animals should be selected so that one of the partners already has experience of intercourse.
• The cat's estrus at the time of mating should be in the most active phase (the first 2-3 days from the beginning of estrus).

Mating rules

How long does pregnancy last in cats: duration

Pet breeders who want offspring, especially for the purpose of selling purebred representatives, need to know all the rules and nuances of how cats mate. To carry out fertilization competently, animal owners should have sufficient knowledge and skills on zoological as well as genetic issues. It is necessary to be aware of all the legal subtleties regarding the registration of newborn babies.

Often, unprofessional owners make a number of mistakes related to choosing suitable partners. The question of how cats intercourse should be approached very carefully. It is better to select several potential males in advance of mating, because the other half may not accept one of the cats. Having backup options, all efforts will not be in vain, and precious time will not be wasted.

Before the process of mating a male or female, all subtleties and nuances must be discussed. If breeding is required, you should stop searching for partners using advertisements. In this case, it is best to deal with this issue in a professional club, where they will not allow the breed to mix due to accidental connections with a non-purebred representative.

The main thing that experts pay attention to first is:

• the animal should not be a relative, up to the third generation;
• healthy appearance and color;
• the estimated color of the kitten's fur, based on cat genetics;
• partners' blood type. Cats have three of them. It is important that the parents of the future offspring have the same blood type, either A and A/B. Blood types B and A/B are also allowed, in addition to A and B. With the latter option, there is a risk of kittens being born with health problems.

Mating and conception: how it happens

The animals get to know each other, if the cat does not show aggression, the male begins to emit an inviting howl, the female meows in response, and takes a specific pose.

The partner jumps on the cat, grabs it by the withers with his teeth, holds it tightly with his front paws, inserts the genitals into the vagina, freezes, begins to make forward movements until the seminal fluid is released, mating time is 1-2 minutes. Repetition of sexual intercourse occurs after 15-25 minutes; cats are able to mate 6-9 times per day.

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The period of conception begins the next day after sexual intercourse.

How to prepare for mating

To prepare for successful mating, you should carefully monitor the condition of your furry pet. At the very beginning of the hunt, it is necessary to deliver the cat to the partner. An unfamiliar place can cause stress in the female, which may cause her to stop estrus.

Signs of a fertilized individual: the cat stops fawning, rolling on the floor, screaming, and calmly bears the offspring.

Frequently asked questions about mating a cat and a male cat

The most suitable time for mating a female cat is the dark time of the day. Cat breeders know that it is necessary to treat this process with great trepidation. The duration of sexual intercourse is several minutes, but the very acquaintance of animals with each other and their adaptation to a new territory can usually last a very long time. Stray cats, unlike domestic cats, find males within a few hours.

Need for mating

Every cat owner faces a dilemma: to sterilize or breed their pet. If you plan to get offspring from a cat, you should not give her pills that suppress the desire to mate. These medications are only suitable for pre-neutered dogs, but should only be taken three or four times. After all, these drugs affect changes in hormonal levels, which will damage the reproductive system. Their long-term use can cause disruption or complete disappearance of estrus in females, a feeling of aggression towards the opposite sex, and also cause severe harm to the health of the animal.

For your information! If you do not bring an animal that has not been sterilized, there is a risk that it will behave aggressively, mark its territory, and refuse to eat.

Frequency

Quite healthy cats can mate several times a week, but this does not lead to good results. If you breed an animal frequently, there will be less sperm, its quality will deteriorate, and the female’s chance of becoming pregnant will decrease.

Veterinarians advise breeding cats once a month for the birth of healthy and beautiful offspring in the future.

At what age can you do it for the first time?

Breeders should not delay breeding. Late mating for cats can cause a variety of problems for them:

• polycystic disease;
• inflammation of the uterus;
• false pregnancy;
• stress;
• exhaustion.

Note! A cat is fully sexually mature at around 7-10 months, when she goes into heat. It lasts from 7 to 12 days.

But it’s too early for an animal to conceive, since the body is not yet ready for these stresses associated with pregnancy. If you fertilize a young cat early, it will have a bad effect on the reproductive organ and pose a threat to her life. The best age for mating females is from one year. Males can be mated from six months of age; from this period they are fully mature for breeding.

Why do cats scream?

How cats make love to a cat is very difficult not to hear. Before mating, representatives of the feline breed experience a change in hormonal levels. At this stage, pathogens are produced that affect the cat’s behavior. In science, this initial phase is called estrus. It is accompanied by a very loud meow in females in order to attract a partner.

Why do cats scream during mating?

During mating, cats experience severe pain as their uterus is irritated by scales located on the male's genitals. This is necessary to stimulate ovulation, which begins within 24 hours after the end of mating. The resulting pain causes her to scream loudly and strongly.

How do street animals reproduce?

In the active phase, the female’s body begins to produce a hormonal secretion with a specific odor; sexually mature males flock to the emitted aroma. The cats begin to fight for the right to mate with the cat, the animals scream loudly, arch their backs, and get into fights.

The female watches the fight, selecting a partner; it can be the cat she likes or the winner of the fight. The cat's tactics boil down to trying to get close to the object of desire. The cat gradually approaches the female, trying not to look at her; when approaching as close as possible, the cat screams angrily; if the female does not show aggression, mating occurs.