{"id":32713,"date":"2018-11-13T21:43:16","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T21:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=32713"},"modified":"2020-04-13T11:46:23","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T11:46:23","slug":"can-kittens-get-pregnant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-kittens-get-pregnant\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Kittens Get Pregnant?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a sad fact that approximately 3.4 million unwanted cats and kittens are euthanized each year. Most people know that the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies in cats is to have them neutered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How early should kittens be spayed? Can kittens even get pregnant?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article we\u2019ll cover the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pregnancy in Cats, What You Need to Know <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Puberty in Cats<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Ensure Your Kitten Doesn\u2019t Get Pregnant?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pregnancy in Kittens, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without a doubt, kittens can and do get pregnant. While most people think of kittens as any cat that is not yet an adult, cats go through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/how-do-cat-years-compare-to-human-years\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">six distinct \u00a0life stages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which are characterized by specific growths rates, behaviors, and hormonal changes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has developed feline <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaha.org\/professional\/resources\/feline_life_stage.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Life Stage Classification<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0guidelines to assist in understanding the cat&#8217;s age progression:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kitten (birth to 6 months)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Junior (7 months to 2 years)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prime (3 years to 6 years)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mature (7 years to 10 years)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senior (11 years to 14 years)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Geriatric (15+ years)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many cats do not fit neatly in the above classification, as some breeds, like the Maine Coon,\u00a0don\u2019t reach their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/kittens-stop-growing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">full potential size<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until they&#8217;re between three to five years old. The important thing \u00a0to know is that some kittens are able to mate and become pregnant as young as 4 months old. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats are super-fecund which means that a female in estrous may mate with more than one male when she is in heat. As a result, different kittens in the same litter can actually have different fathers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/when-do-cats-have-kittens\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">female cats are seasonally polyestrous<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so they can have many periods of heat over the course of a year, usually beginning in spring and ending in late autumn. Heat periods occur about every two weeks, lasting from 4 to 7 days. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gestation for cats averages of 66 days, and the usual litter size is three to five kittens. The first litter tends to be smaller than subsequent litters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking all this into perspective, an unspayed female cat can have two to three litters per year, producing up to 150 kittens during their breeding life of around ten years. Now you know why so many unwanted cats are euthanized each year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Puberty in Cats<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.animalplanet.com\/pets\/at-what-age-do-cats-go-into-heat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The age a cat reaches puberty<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> varies from breed to breed and kitten to kitten. Other factors can also influence the time a kitten first goes into heat, such as breed, nutrition and environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, outdoor or feral kittens can become sexually mature earlier, especially when intact male cats are around. Some breeds, such as Siamese cats commonly show signs of puberty as young as 4 months of age. Keep in mind that both male and female kittens are born with <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/cats-get-nipples\/\">nipples<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the video below, we see a 4 month kitten showing signs of going into heat:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content-asset videofit\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Is my 4 month old kitten in heat?\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/94X5rBHeiXM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a female kittens goes into heat, she can become pregnant even though she\u2019s little more than a kitten herself. Pregnancy is hard on such a young, small cat, and outcomes and survival rate for her and her kittens \u00a0are often much worse than with adult cats.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How to Ensure Your Kitten Doesn\u2019t Get Pregnant?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without question, the best way to prevent your kitten from getting pregnant is to have her spayed before she reaches sexual maturity. In fact, this is the current recommendation by veterinarians.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June, 2017, the American Veterinary Medical Association <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.felinefixbyfive.org\/why-the-change-in-recommended-age-of-sterilization-of-cats\/?rq=spay%20cats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">formally endorsed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spaying and neutering all cats not intended for breeding by five months of age. Besides preventing unwanted pregnancies, there are many health benefits your feline companion gains with early spaying.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spaying your female cat<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before her first estrous cycle eliminates her risk of ovarian cancer. Removal of the ovaries also greatly reduces her risk of cervical and mammary cancer because the ovaries produce hormones that are known to spur the growth of cancerous tumors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, neutered cats have a lower incidence of other feline diseases such as leukemia and feline AIDS. These diseases can be spread through cat <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/why-do-cats-roll-after-mating\/\">behaviors<\/a> associated with mating such as biting and fighting. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cat in estrous attract also male cats that might carry disease from far and wide. By decreasing your cat contact with random males, you lessen the chance of your cat becoming ill.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neutering male cats prevents them from getting other cats, or kittens, pregnant. Neutering also reduces a male cat&#8217;s urge to roam and fight over mates and territory, again reducing the chance they encounter a <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-make-sick\/\">sick<\/a> cat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So, can kittens get pregnant?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may know that kittens can get pregnant, however, responsible cat owners should have their kittens spayed and neutered by five months of age so they aren\u2019t able to get pregnant. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want a better understanding check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2F56VUW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stray &#8211; a shelter veterinarian&#8217;s reflection on triumph and tragedy<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Dr. Dena Mangiamele. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stray<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a hard hitting narrative that will make you laugh and cry as you explore the inner workings of Los Angeles\u2019 busy animal shelter and meet the dedicated people who care for thousands of stray and abandoned animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to learn more about the world of stray and feral cats, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2VpWbpK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Stray Cat Handbook<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> provides a wealth of information about those familiar feline strangers that come around for handouts, but seem stay just out of reach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What did you think of this post? If you have any questions or would like to share a story about your kitten or a rescue you may have adopted, please tell us in the comments below! We\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a sad fact that approximately 3.4 million unwanted cats and kittens are euthanized each year. Most people know that the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies in cats is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":32715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":4,"label":"Care"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Can-Kittens-Get-Pregnant.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":4,"category_info":[{"term_id":4,"name":"Care","slug":"care","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":52,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":4,"category_count":52,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Care","category_nicename":"care","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32713"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}