How to Breed Cats

The breeding process of a cat is very similar to that of human beings and any other animal. Broadly, it consists of three stages, the heat cycle, gestation and the delivery. A cat needs a lot of strength to go through these stages. So, one needs to take care of a lot many factors, just to make sure that the breeding turns out to be a memorable event for you as well as the cat. Breeding is not just about having a lot of kittens to play with, it's also about making sure that those kittens are cared for and also that, they find good homes in the future.

Here are the details about the cycles.

Heat cycle is the very first step of the cat breeding process. Heat cycle is the time duration in which the cat is ready for mating and allows a male to come near her. These cycles begin when the cat reaches an age of 6 months and are repeated approximately every 2 weeks till the mating happens. The signs that will help you make out that your cat is in heat, are:

• When you observe that your, otherwise, always irritated and "please stay away from me" cat has suddenly turned very affectionate, take it seriously. It may be due to the fact that your cat is on a heat cycle.
• Though cats are known for their frankness, when it comes to being audible and making their point clear, but still, when on a heat cycle a cat may become extra loud and may even shriek and scream. This is equivalent to mating calls used by animals in the wild. These calls of disgust may actually be a call for mating. So don't forget to look out for the moods of the extra audible member of the family.
• A female on heat also tends to raise her rump when patted or stroked on her back. So make sure you notice this new change of posture.
• The rump raising process may also be followed by twitching of the tail. A female uses this process to signal that she is all ready for the mating process.

Once you come to know that your cat is on a heat cycle you should start looking out for other factors like, finding a right mate, checking for health factors and the most important is to check if the cat is of the right age. It should be taken care that a female has attained her full adult size before she is allowed to mate. Because once conceived, the cat has to put all her energy in feeding and nursing the kittens leading to her own incomplete growth. A cat should be atleast 18-24 months old before she is allowed to start breeding. A male should be atleast 18 months old before being allowed to breed.

Cat health evaluation is another important aspect that you need to take care of. Before the breeding season begins, you should get your cat checked for internal parasites, allergies and infections. Also you should get a thorough physical test done, in order to determine the weight and all the other important factors. The cat should also be administered with all the vaccinations that will keep various diseases at bay during the gestation period. And also, this will give a lot of immune strength to the cat.

It's always suggested that the cat should also be tested for genetic conditions such as polycystic kidney disease, hip dysplasia and various heart diseases that may pass on to the offspring. You can also go for personality testing to determine the personalities the offspring may come up with. There's always a chance that a grumpy cat will give birth to an offspring with the same personality and who will want to see a bunch of grumpy cats, bringing down the complete house ? So make sure you get the right make.

Once done with all these check ups and evaluating that your cat is ready to reproduce you can go ahead with the rest of the procedure. Now what remains is mating, gestation and the delivery. The mating is something that the cat will take care of by herself. You just make sure that she finds the right partner in order to avoid any infections that may pop up later.

After the mating process, you can confirm that your cat has conceived, after about 3-4 weeks. The gestation period lasts for approximately 65 days. In these days, the cat may get a little shy and won't prefer to be touched a lot. She will definitely prefer a safe corner where she wont feel intruded and exposed. It may turn out not to be so playful and appreciative of your efforts. Just let her be if she behaves weirdly. Just build her a safe home in some dark corner of your house and let her rest as much she wants. Make sure that she is fed properly and also that she drinks a lot of water.

A cat with very healthy kittens may go in labor a few days early and one with normal babies may be delayed. So be prepared when you come to the 60th day of the gestation. Delivering 5-10 days before and after the due date is a normal phenomena.

Start preparing by building a safe corner where she can deliver. Make sure the place is dark and safe enough to make her feel comfortable. Because if the cat doesn't find it good enough, she will start looking out for an appropriate one. And it may turn out to be your very cozy bed. So, to prevent all these accidents build a safe haven that the cat may love, also make sure it is dry and that not many human beings cross that area. A cat needs to feel safe before she starts popping out her off springs.

A cat labor may last for anything between 20 mins to several hours. Always keep the number of your vet handy, in case of an emergency you may need to rush her to the clinic. Also keep looking for any signs of distress. A cat may have certain complications and may need help. Otherwise, just let her be. When a delivery is taking a lot of time a cat tends to rest between the contractions. So it is a good sign if your cat looks cool between deliveries. And if your cat allows you may also feed her in between the contractions, this will help her regain some strength.

As the kittens pop out, and if your cat allows, you may start noting down the basic statistics of the kittens like their sex, weight and color for later use. A nail polish or natural paint may come handy if you choose to mark your kittens (please note that not all cats will allow this procedure, so don't rush).

After the process is done a cat normally licks her kittens clean. But if she doesn't, make sure that you do it, and also clean the place thoroughly to avoid any type of infections later. Another thing that you need to take care of is to count the number of placentas. They should be equivalent to the number of kittens. A cat normally eats up the placentas instantly because it provides her a lot of nutrition. So, don't panic when she does something like this.

After the process the cat prefers resting and may be you wont see her jumping and playing for a week or so. In this time period keep tabs on her for any signs of weakness and make sure that she is rested thoroughly.

In some days you will find your cat and her 'family' coming out, playing and being their cat self. This is the time for you to start looking out for homes, for the new borns. It's your responsibility now to find them a home where they will get loads of care and love. And God-forbid if you choose to keep them all, be ready to see your house in ruins sometimes, but also be assured that you will never be short of love.