Pregnancy cats: how many kittens can be born?

2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

Attending a birth is always an extraordinary experience, whether it is for humans or animals. In the case of cats it is always good to be prepared and to know not only the duration and the various stages of gestation, but also to know what to expect at the time of delivery. In this article we will talk specifically about how many puppies on average can be born all together and what can affect this number.

Most of the cat gives birth from 3 to 5 kittens in the same litter, but as we have mentioned this number can vary a lot, going from a single kitten to more than 10. So let's see what can determine the size of a litter.

Experts argue that the mother's age and state of health, as well as the family tree of both parents, can be a determining factor. For example, a cat that gets pregnant for the first time tends to have a smaller litter, say 3 kittens maximum.

Also there race it can have a considerable influence: if for example Siamese cats usually have larger litters and the Persians smaller, the Manx unfortunately risk losing a quarter of the litter due to genetic problems.

Cats reproduce in such a way seasonal, in the sense that females come into heat at particular times of the year. For example, outdoor cats tend to go into heat in spring and summer, when the days are longer. There is also another aspect to consider: the more a cat mates, the more kittens it will produce (even from different fathers).

Some feline infections they can also have a weight not only on the number but also on the health of the kittens. For example, FIP can decrease the fertility of the infected cat or alter the chances of survival of the young. And pregnant cats who contract feline panleukopenia may lose kittens or give birth to less than expected depending on when the infection occurs. The virus can also damage the brain development of babies and cause cerebral hypoplasia and walking problems if the infection occurs towards the end of gestation.

Just as it happens for us, even in the case of cats the mother's nutrition it can cause changes in the course of pregnancy and in the health of children. If the cat is undernourished or does not follow a diet appropriate to her condition, this will affect the number of kittens that will survive the birth.

How many kittens can a cat have in a lifetime?

Contrary to what happens in our case, cats do not go through menopause. This means they are potentially able to have puppies for their entire life, even at an older age. Considering that:

• Most domestic cats tend to live between 12 and 15 years;
• Each litter is composed on average of 3-5 kittens;
• A cat can give birth to up to 3 litters a year;

We would go from 108 to 225 kittens born to a single mother in her lifetime! But it must also be said that it reaches sexual maturity only after the first year of life, and it is highly unlikely that they will be able to carry out pregnancies at a very advanced age: the number of actual puppies is therefore decidedly lower than these forecasts. mathematics, which hovers around 180 if a cat mates every time it goes into heat and enjoys good health conditions as well as adequate accommodation and healthy nutrition.