How to know how many kittens a cat will have

Even a healthy cat is unlikely to nurse a litter that is too large. Not only will the kittens squeeze all the juice out of her, but there is a high probability that the mother's milk is not enough for all of them. An overly large pregnancy often results in the death of a part of the litter in utero, because the cat's body cannot handle such a tremendous load.

How many kittens can a cat give birth to at a time?

The number of kittens in a litter is affected by many factors: the age of the mother, breed, previous births, and housing conditions. The number of kittens also depends on the cat: a young but not sexually active cat gives birth to more offspring than one who manages to impregnate several cats at about the same time. In general, giving birth to more than two kittens at a time is quite natural for felines.

You can guess how many babies there will be by assessing the age, condition, and content of the future cat mom. As a rule, one to three kittens are born by young kittens in their first pregnancy. Also older cats give birth to a small number of cubs. But it is better not to let such cats to give birth at all: it might cause complications. Pedigree cats often give birth to one or two kittens and rarely give birth to six or more kittens at a time, but of course there are exceptions. Besides the multiplicity of kittens is influenced by external conditions: the more comfortable the cat is the more kittens she will give birth to. A meager food supply, lack of warm shelter, and constant stress reduce fertility.

Breedless cats, especially those who give birth not for the first time, often produce rich offspring – from three or more kittens. Free-roaming and mating kittens have a better chance of giving birth to more than three babies, because the cat can carry offspring from mating with different cats in parallel. However, this is not the best way to get pregnant: a pet can get a sexually transmitted infection.

How many kittens can be born

If all goes well, the cat can give birth to at least one kitten. The average fecundity is four or five. Multi-birth cats can be considered those who have given birth to six or more kittens. Some backyard cats give birth to up to ten babies at a time. The Guinness Book of Records records a cat that gave birth to 19 kittens, but 15 survived, which is also a lot.

Fertility peaks about the second or third year of a cat's life. At this age, the pet can give birth to the maximum number of kittens for herself at a time. The cat's possibilities are determined by heredity: if the cat is from a family with many children, she will most probably give birth to many kittens.

How do you know how many kittens a cat will have?

A healthy, non-sterilized cat will certainly become pregnant if the owner did not prevent it in time. Quite often the pregnancy of a cat is desired. With its onset the owner has many questions. For example, how to know how many kittens a cat will have and how to take care of it.

To begin with, you should know what factors affect the number of kittens a cat can have. There are many of them, and they are very diverse. The main ones are.:

• Breed. It has long been seen that the more pedigreed the cat, the fewer kittens she will have in one litter. It is not uncommon for a purebred mother to have only one kitten.
• The age at which the pregnancy occurred. A young cat, especially if this is her first calving, will give birth to one to three kittens. The same limit will hold the number of babies until the cat is three years old. From the fourth year comes the peak of sexual activity and reproductive function. Accordingly, the litter increases as well. At the age of four to six years, the pet will bear and give birth to four to twelve kittens. After that there is a decline, the chances of getting pregnant decrease, and if an interesting period does come, then again, the kitten is likely to be only one.
• Genetic predisposition.. A cat's multiple fertility is almost always hereditary. If her mother has often fostered many kittens, then she will also give birth to more kittens than is usual.
• Partner sexual activity. The more active the cat, the greater the chance that the cat will produce numerous offspring.
• And violations of the hormonal background and diseases of the urogenital system significantly reduce both the possibility of prolonging the birth, and the number of kittens born.
• It also significantly affects how many times a year the cat gives birth. Frequent pregnancies deplete the body, and each subsequent calving will be smaller and weaker.
• Nutrition and weight of the animal. With a balanced diet and normal weight, a cat will give birth to 3 to 8 kittens per calving. An incomplete diet and weight problems, on the contrary, lead to a small number of kittens. Sometimes infertility occurs altogether.

How many kittens a cat is carrying: ways to determine the number of fetuses

A cat's pregnancy lasts about 65 days. Already in the third week of her interesting situation, her tummy is rounded. At this stage, kittens can be felt by lightly massaging the mother's belly. Although veterinarians do not advise doing this to avoid negative consequences for both the babies and their mother. There are safer ways to find out how many kittens a cat will have this time:

• Folk – Not the most accurate, but safe and easy. You only need to count the number of mammary glands of the cat and take number 2 from them. The number you get means the number of kittens.
• Medical – Veterinarians recommend that you just give the cat an ultrasound. It is usually prescribed in the second month of pregnancy. With an ultrasound you can find out the exact number of kittens and no harm done.

So when the signs of pregnancy in a cat are already visible to the naked eye, you can safely go to the vet, who will send the expectant mother for an ultrasound. You should not disregard the achievements of medicine, because the health of your cat is very important, especially if she is pregnant.

If a cat is pregnant for the first time

Often owners wonder if a cat can give birth to one kitten. If your cat is pregnant for the first time, it is unlikely that her litter will be numerous. Most likely, you will give birth to 2-3 kittens, or even one.

The fact that the cat's reproductive system can only finally form after the first pregnancy. Get pregnant the future fluffy mother may be as early as 8 months, but this does not mean that such an early pregnancy is desirable. At the age of up to 1 year her body is so delicate that carrying even one fetus is a risky step. Here it is important to determine not how many kittens a cat gives birth to for the first time, but how she will cope with motherhood and whether her health will be compromised.

Of course, in the wild no one monitors when cats do or don't mate. But at home a caring owner should not allow early mating until at least 1.5-2 years.

Minimum and maximum.

Surely your cat occasionally gives birth to 4 to 6 kittens – the average for all breeds. There are cases where 8 or more cubs are born. The fact that the furry mother has a certain limit – a certain number of babies that she can feed. Their number should not exceed the number of her nipples. If kittens are still more than eight, someone will not get milk, and thus the baby could die. Then the owners will have to help the young mother feed her offspring.

The minimum number of kittens is one; there are cats that, due to genetics and physiology, are unable to conceive and bear a large number of fetuses. If your cat usually gives birth to about five cubs and suddenly she gave birth to one, you should take her to the vet – most likely there is something wrong with her health.

How many kittens can a cat give birth to at most? It's hard to say, the known documented limit is 15 pieces. But in general, the number of kittens over 10 is already rare. Pedigree animals have an even lower threshold – they rarely give birth to more than 6 kittens.

An older mother will no longer produce as many litters as she did in her prime years. The reproductive system wears out over time, and the likelihood of a heavy pregnancy increases. It is better to keep the cat from mating after she reaches 8-10 years of age.

I got my cat pregnant! How do I determine how many kittens she will have? How do I take care of her and help her give birth? I am waiting for advice.

If your cat is giving birth for the first time, it would be desirable to help, first of all, make a place for her, protected from prying eyes, they like it in cupboards or drawers, make a special bed for her and when she will be there, try not to gouge her too much. . when she will have contractions you have to help her, just sliding your hand up and down her belly, just a little, just a little, you will feel it. when she will give birth leave her on her own, she will do the rest!
Cats can do everything by themselves, but ours, at which we delivered about 10 babies, got used to us and requires our presence).

Take her to an ultrasound scan to find out how many. Care as usual, do not limit the food. If you feed dry food, buy food for pregnant cats.

Shortly before delivery at the vet. You can get an ultrasound at the polyclinic. But why make a "pregnant woman" nervous? Who cares how many, as long as they are healthy. Feed your cat vitamins for pregnant animals, let her eat what she likes, and she will give birth on her own. Some animals don't like humans interfering with the birthing process. Nature will do everything herself. Good luck.

A cat usually has 3 – 5 kittens (young ones 1 – 2), and the birth process is usually very easy and fast, especially for a non-breed.

Professionals determine the number of kittens by eye =) But take him to an ultrasound. Food should be a variety of vitamins. Indulge kitty meat, fish, milk. No special care for the cat, and they often give birth by themselves. Just before the birth of a cat put a box or a basket with a soft cloth inside in a warm, dark place (for giving birth and raising kittens in the first days of life).

How can I tell if all the kittens came out at delivery?

The cat usually gave birth to three kittens each. This time two babies were born, large really, from a Persian. The cat seems to be fine, behaves calmly, eats with appetite, feeds the babies. but the belly seems a little bigger than normal. And I'm worried, what if not all the kittens came out? The birth was difficult, the second kitten had to help pull out. I'm worried. I tried to palpate, I did not find obvious lumps, but I could be wrong. What signs indicate that at least one fetus was left inside? If my suspicions are correct, decomposition will begin. It's the weekend, the cat won't be able to see a specialist for another 24 hours.

The kittens were born about 24 hours ago. Outwardly the cat is perfectly normal, shows no signs of anxiety or ill-health. While I examine her, she lies quietly on her back and lets me feel her belly. The bedding is clean and dry, I do not see any abnormal discharge.

A cat that doesn't have a kitten will not feed her kittens, will worry, scream, won't eat, in general, she won't look like a well-to-do mom. And it is quite possible to feel the kitten. It feels quite definite. If in doubt, you can call a doctor with an ultrasound machine. But it's not cheap, and stressful for the mom.

Everything will be fine. The last kitten should come out and you have to let the cat eat it, it's healthy! It's full of enzymes!

Read the link below.

If the cat is feeling well, then all the kittens were born. Our Masya pooed yesterday, after the third kitten, I felt her belly – soft, that was it, the kittens were all born))))

If the cat's behavior is normal, then the birth is over.
Our cat was so, that the last kitten was born with a delay,
so her behavior showed that the process was not over.
And then another healthy kitten was born.
Don't feel her belly too much, or you could do some damage.

Safe methods to increase fecundity of a cat

When the cat is purebred, and the owners plan to breed, the question of increasing fertility arises. Projecting the scale of offspring is not a simple matter, because there will be interference with the natural processes of the body. The main task here is not to harm the animal.

Today's veterinary market offers a lot of homeopathic products that do not harm the beloved pet. Among them, Gamavit and Ovariovit are excellent recommendations. These drugs are designed to restore the function of the reproductive system, affecting the formation of a large number of eggs.

Ovariovit is a homeopathic medicine for the prevention and treatment of ovarian dysfunction in cats; it increases fertility and reduces the risk of false pregnancies.

The stimulation process should be started long before mating. If the pregnancy has taken place, all manipulation will be meaningless.

Few and multiple cat pregnancies – which is better

It is rare to find a breeder who welcomes a cat pregnancy with a large litter. A multiple pregnancy is fraught with many adverse consequences. It is not safe for the tailed mother, and the financial aspect also matters. Before the kittens find a new home, they need proper care, which means expenses for food, hygiene products, and filler.

A large number of cubs (let's imagine that 10 of them were born) tires the mother, "squeezing all the juice out of her". The female is unlikely to be able to feed them on her own.

I had personal experience of the adverse effects of a large number of kittens on a nursing cat. My two kittens gave birth two days apart. They had 7 kittens for two, and they were doing quite decently with them. But two weeks later, I took in the foundlings – three newborn kittens that someone had thrown away. The cats accepted them right away. It seemed that the number of babies (ten) for two was quite acceptable, but I noticed that the cats began to take turns lying in the box. One of the foundlings had to be finished feeding – he just didn't have enough room at the nipple, and he couldn't make his own way to it because of weakness. By the time all the kittens started to eat on their own, my cats looked like walking skeletons, although I fed them well, considering their circumstances. So I concluded that a lot of kittens, even if the cat has no lactation problems, is not good for the mother and the babies.

A multiple pregnancy often ends with stillborn kittens because the cat's physiology cannot handle the large volume of embryos.

A low fertility pregnancy, in turn, can lead to the baby getting stuck in the birth canal, because usually in such litters the kittens are quite large. This will lead to an emergency cesarean section (at best, if the owner starts to raise the alarm in time, at worst the cat may die, as well as her baby). An excess of unclaimed milk contributes to mastitis, which also has the risk of adverse developments.

Physiology of the cat's reproductive system

The fecundity of the female is primarily influenced by physiological characteristics.

It is predestined by nature that in cats the uterus is represented by a cervix, a body, and two horns. The uterus itself and the cervix are very short, but the horns are long enough to serve as a receptacle for fetuses. The horns of the uterus diverge at an acute angle, which resembles schematically the device of a slingshot. Depending on the age of the animal and its physiological condition, such as sexual cycle or period of carrying kittens, the horns will have different sizes.

The physiological peculiarity in cats is also the process of ovulation. The release of the mature egg in pets does not happen spontaneously, but at certain moments – during mating with a cat.

The male cat irritates specific receptors located in the vagina with his penis equipped with small spines, thus provoking the release of the egg for fertilization.

When mating during a certain stage of the sexual cycle, fertilization occurs and pregnancy occurs . If the cat has not covered the cat, a false pregnancy may occur due to hormonal changes and active progesterone production.

For cat owners, the first delivery usually comes as a surprise. At subsequent times, the number of kittens and the process of birth of an animal is quite predictable.

The fecundity of the female is influenced by several factors. Among them are distinguished:

• Age of the cat. First-born young cat rarely gives birth to large offspring. Kittens in a litter can be no more than 2. In animals that give birth for the first time, even at a late age, the number of kittens is not large.
• Genetic predisposition . If a cat was born of a multiple-breed female, it is highly likely to inherit this trait.
• The size of the animal's body . Smaller cats rarely produce more than 3-4 kittens at a time, unlike their larger, more well-fed relatives.
• The health status of the pet . . If there are disorders of internal organs (such as cardiovascular or endocrine system), the number of kittens will be less.

How many kittens can a cat give birth to?

On average, a healthy, mature cat can give birth to 1 to 10 kittens. The weight of each may vary from 70 to 150 grams. An average litter is considered if a female has given birth to 4 kittens. A large litter is 5-6 kittens. That said, the more kittens there are, the lower the weight of each kitten will be.

When there is a multiple pregnancy, the delivery comes earlier than the general term. If your pet has brought more than 5 kittens at a time, care must be taken to ensure that all the babies have enough nutrition. To do this, you need to review the mother cat's diet, adding calories if necessary.

It is very rare for a cat to have more than 10 kittens at a time. This applies to mongrel mongrel cats, but if we talk about purebreds, then the females do not bring more than 6 kittens.

The record among cats was set by the Burmese breed from UK. At one time she gave birth to 19 kittens. Not all of them survived, but only 15.

It is noteworthy that regardless of the breed, with age the female begins to bring fewer kittens.

This is due to the gradual wear and tear of the reproductive system. In such cases, the risks of developing complications during childbirth and afterwards, increase. Veterinarians strongly recommend stopping mating in pedigreed cats after 8 years of age.