Reproduction: Spaying/Neutering versus Overpopulation

Worldwide, the stray and feral cat population is escalating at alarming rates. Estimates vary, but many believe there are 60 million of these homeless animals. Cat owners can help reduce this appalling number by keeping their house pets indoors at all times.

Conscientious spay and neuter policies are vital. As a cat owner, please be aware that female cats reach sexual maturity between five and nine months of age, or roughly at 4.5 - 7 pounds in weight. Domestic cats, whether short or long hair, reach sexual maturity earlier than purebreds, and free roaming and stray cats become sexually mature earlier than all other cats — often as young as three or four months of age. Further, once the young female goes into estrus, if she does not become pregnant, she will virtually stay in heat — leaving estrus only a day or two between each 7-21 day heat cycle — until she has successfully mated. There is no age required for a successful pregnancy in cats; the four month old kitten that goes into heat can and will carry a full term litter.

A female cat that has reached sexual maturity is called a queen. During her estrus, her ovarian follicles will produce a specific type of estrogen (estradiol). Like rabbits, cats are induced ovulators: mating or manual stimulation is necessary for ovulation to occur.

In estrus, the female will actively seek a mate, calling constantly and rubbing on any and all legs. She will assume a specific posture called lordosis to signal that she is ready to mate: her head will be down, her forelegs bent, while her rear quarters are raised to expose her vulva, while her tail is raised and held sharply to one side of her body.

During mating, the male (tom) cat will mount the female from the rear and hold her by biting the back of her neck. Scientists believe this may be so those sharp predator's teeth stimulate the part of her brain that will induce ovulation. The same cause may explain his barbed penis: perhaps it has evolved for the same reason.

Ovulation occurs after mating, usually within 20-50 hours; the eggs, viable for about a day, are fertilized in the oviduct. They travel down the uterine horn to the uterus, where they implant in the uterine lining. The entire process take about 10 days; from there, the pregnancy will last approximately 67 days (although the gestation period may actually range from as little as 56 days to as many as 71). A female cat can have as many as five litters per year; stray cats average three kittens per litter; house pets six or more.

Male and female littermates can and do mate with each other when as young as three and four months of age, making it critical that owners promptly neuter/spay all kittens. Unlike other animals, there is no benefit to postponing sterilization until a particular age, or until a first litter is born. In fact, it is best to spay your cat before her first heat, which may also protect her against future breast cancers.