Cats Mating

The only sure way to stop cats mating is to ensure that they are spayed or neutered. Unless you are a cat breeder with a commercial interest in raising kittens, most cat owners agree that not adding to the cat and kitten population is a good thing and part of responsible cat ownership.

If you own a female cat that is not spayed and is allowed to roam outside, one thing you can be sure of is that at some time you will be greeted by the pitter patter of tiny kitten feet.

Cats are generally much less easy to control than dogs. A combination of their strong will and independent personality means that a cat is likely to spend at least some of their time exploring their immediate neighborhood, and this will result in meeting other cats. A female cat in heat (or in season) will be even more determined to go outside, and will seek out a mate, making it difficult to stop cats mating. Considering the over population problem in shelters, it's easy to see why we should all make an effort to keep indiscriminate breeding to a minimum.

Most cat owners who have owned an unspayed female cat will recall the noises that she makes as she calls a mate. The mating season for cats never truly ends because cats cycle every two to three weeks unless they have been bred. Each cycle will last seven to ten days; this is known as oestrus. A cat comes into season from around six months of age, although this will vary from cat to cat and within breeds.

If a female cat mates while in season, then she is extremely likely to become pregnant. Pregnancy lasts for approximately 65 days. The signs will start to become apparent about half way through the pregnancy as the kittens grow.

There are many good reasons why cats should be sterilized:

• According to cats.org.uk, one female cat over the course of five years can be responsible for 20,000 descendants, adding dramatically to the number of cats and kittens looking for homes.

• There are already many thousands of kittens and cats looking for homes, some of which are likely to spend their lives without loving families to provide them with individual TLC.

• Cats wander when looking for mates, and this can result in them getting injured or killed in road accidents.

• Looking after kittens can be both time consuming and expensive. Young kittens may require veterinary attention, medication, additional feeding, vaccinations and any number of unplanned expenses.

• Even the cutest kittens can be difficult to re-home. Many people end up keeping more kittens than they had originally planned because homes have not been found for the entire litter.

• Female cats are extremely determined to find a mate when they are in season, and they are both difficult to keep in and noisy, making them frustrating house mates during their period of heat.

• Financial help is often offered to people on low incomes to help with the cost of the operation.

The Internet offers a wealth of specialist information about different aspects of cat ownership, including different aspects covering cats mating. This includes information designed specifically for children or in other languages. Some excellent sources of further reading include:

• ASPCA.org – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers a lot of information about why to neuter or spay cats and how to stop cats mating. There is also information on this website for children.

• HSUS – The Humane Society runs an annual spay day on the last Tuesday of every February. The information about spay day on the website is targeted at children as well as adults.

• The Animal Shelter - Although based in Santa Rosa, there is a lot of useful information on the website for people nationally, including an information sheet in Spanish.

• LoveThatCat.com – Lots of information about neutering programs for people on low incomes or who require financial support. This includes addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and websites.

In addition to the information available online, one of the most important sources of information for cat owners is local vets. Vets will be able to advise as to the best age to neuter or spay a cat, take a good look at the cat before the operation to ensure that it is fit and healthy and give any special advice based on local conditions.

Learning more about cats mating and sterilization programs is an important part of being a responsible cat owner. A cat gives us many years of pleasure and the more we understand about our cats and their needs, the more we can repay their devotion.

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