Male cat puperty?

thehouseofgods

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Does anyone know how old a male cat has to be before he can start making little babies... i have a 10 week old male and 7 1/2 moth females... ive been kinda putting off getting them spayed..and i dont want any lectures, but i want to let the girls each have a litter maybe not even both of them.... but i know pretty much its the only way i will get away with keeping more cats... the girls had a FIT when i brought buddah home... then again... it did just take some adjusments, and about a week of patients....
 

xxtashaxx

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http://www.tulsa-animalshelter.com/just1litter.htm
please read this first
also your female's are still far to young to start having litter's there still baby's them self'syou can get complcation's with any litter but it is a bigger risk with cat's under a yr old ur male cat you say is only 10 week's old at the moment i am not to sure when they become able to make * babies* i think it's anytime after 5 month's but once he has murtured enough he will start spraying everywhere unless you like a smelly house i would consider getting him nutered and ur female's spayed also getting ur female's spayed reduce's the risk's of health problem's later on including mammar tumour's infection's in the uterus witch can be fatel and lot's more i am not sure about , also if anything should happen say she needed a c section this isn't cheep i live in london and it cost me over 400 pound just for a c section and still all her baby's died and what if she has a healthy litter but god forbid something was to happen to there mamma would you be able to cope hand feeding anything from 2-8 kitten's every hour day and night if you want a litter of kitten's look in to forstering for rescue's it can be very rewarding rescue's are screaming out for help so please consider everything before going ahead with this
 

jaclyn4238

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While I completly agree with spaying and nuetering. This lady is going to do what she is going to do reguardless of what we say, so the best thing we can do is offer her the advice to the question she asked and that question was when is her male cat mature and the answer to that question in my opinion 5/6 months. After you do what you are going to do please be sure to spay and nueter your pets and like the above poster and as im sure the posters after me will tell you to look into other options before you go ahead and mate your babies, but if you insist on doing so please check out all the resources on this site for what to expect during and after pregnancy as well as what to do in an emergency
 

goldenkitty45

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Some young males are capable of successful breeding at 4-5 months old. And even if you get him done now, it takes about a month before they are "clean" - so if the females come into heat they CAN get pregnant.

IMO if they are not pedigree cats and in a good breeding program, letting them have kittens is wrong. You can adopt more - please don't be creating more. What happens if your 2 females have 6 or more kittens apiece? Will you keep them all and spay/neuter them?

Do you have the money if either female has to have a c-section or other complications?

Please think very long and hard about letting them have "just one litter".
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Thehouseofgods

Does anyone know how old a male cat has to be before he can start making little babies... i have a 10 week old male and 7 1/2 moth females... ive been kinda putting off getting them spayed..and i dont want any lectures, but i want to let the girls each have a litter maybe not even both of them.... but i know pretty much its the only way i will get away with keeping more cats... the girls had a FIT when i brought buddah home... then again... it did just take some adjusments, and about a week of patients....
Have you considered instead to have your own cats spayed/neutered and then fostering a pregnant cat from a local rescue group or shelter?? Most rescues and shelters are often desperate for fosters because they cannot usually keep a pregnant cat during the entire timeframe of her pregnancy. You may also be able to work something out where you would be able to keep a kitten from the litter.

Katie
 

gayef

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Males typically mature anywhere around 5 to 7 months old, depending on the individual. You will know when YOUR boy matures by the overwhelming odor of "stud spray" in your home, the aggressive and oftentimes dangerous behavior issues he will develop towards you and the other members of your home and the fact that he will be constantly chasing and trying to mate your females, possibly even hurting them in the process since they may not be receptive.

May I ask why you feel the need to produce kittens in order to have more? Is your living situation such that a roommate or significant other doesn't necessarily want more cats in the house right now?
 

jen

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Just because a male is ABLE to reproduce at 4-5 months, doesn't mean they should be bred that young. They are all still babies. So is the 7.5 month old. She CAN get pregnant but she is was too young and immature to handle. Think of it like a 12 year old kid getting pregnant.

What do you mean by letting them breed is the only way to get more? There are free kittens ads all over the newspapers and strays and even ones you could adopt in the shelters. If someone in your family doesn't want more do you think letting your female have possibly 6 kittens is smart?

I know you said no lectures but think about these things:

-You are then going to be responsible for having all of them spayed and neutered too. That is a lot of money and responsibility

-what if she needs an emergency c-section at the ER vet at 2am? $$$

-what if she rejects the kittens and you need to bottle feed them all every 2 hours for a month or so? day and night.

-what if she is a carrier or the male is a carrier of some disease or problem and you will be unknowingly passing those bad traits down to a new generation of kittens?
 

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I agree that the OP is going to do what they want to do.It is their cat and they will do whatever.So, we need to focus on helping answer the questions.
I think that a male can make babies as young as 6 months old.Females can have babies around then also.You have to remeber that male cats often intice females to go into heat EVEN before their time.
I would suggest that you may rethink things through and give fostering a thought.If your family is against more cats/kittens, have you thought about the fact that your females may get thrown out side to fend for themselves if they get with kits?
PLEASE consider fostering instead of allowing your cats to breed.
 

trixtersmomma

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I agree that this is a bad idea. The OP obviously knew it was, as she suspected lectures would follow.

I have been feeding a bunch of strays outside recently (it turned into 5 today..) and this is a huge epidemic. Why create more when you have the option of taking in cats who might not otherwise find homes, instead. When you allow your animals to breed, thats that many more animals born that need to find homes. So many animals suffer because no one takes them in. YOU have the choice to not add to that. Please don't. Please foster a pregnant cat if you really want to experience it.

I am feeling SO stuck with the stray situation here, and they aren't even my cats.
 

liz85

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I am currently taking care of 4 cats (2 of them are 6 months old and the other two are 5 weeks old) all cuz someone thought having some kittens would be fun....well the 6 month olds are way to feral now...i will have to find a rescue to take care of them for the rest of their lives....the new kittens will be going to vet next week....and i will be making their appt to be neutered at that visit for as soon as the vet will allow. Please consider what everyone above has said. Ask around im sure their are strays in your area they are everywhere if ppl would be responsible and have their animals taken care of this wouldn't be such a problem....like others have said if you want little kittens foster a pregnant female.....even these little guys i have now are weened but they still need a LOT of attention and love...THe fostering would be kinda like in health class they handed out the fake babies that you had to take care of...please try fostering first or go to a local shelter and adopt. There are way to many cats out there and it breaks my heart to see little cats of any age out on the streets during our winters(hence why we are taking care of 4 right now)
 
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thehouseofgods

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i have realised that there are a lot of unwanted pets around, and nomadder what i can always keep my childrens, children. Its an awful responcibility if it would come down to that... but if i make my bed im going to lie in it. as far as them being too young.. by the time buddah is old enought they will be about a year old. as far as taking care of the kittens if the mother/s reject them... i am prepared for anything nature wants to throw my way.. if they need c-sections then thats what they need.. i would be a pretty irresponcible pet owner if i hadn't planned on taking care of thier needs. Nomadder what.. i love my cats more than just about anything right now (my hubbie is still #1 in my heart) but these cats are my children... im young and some would call me nieve... but... these are my babies... i treat them with love and care... all i can tell you is that i am willing and able to handle watever may come my way. weather it be a full house of 20 cats for as long as it may be... well like i said.. its the bed i made. sounds outrageous right.. but again.. the responcibility of my cats if what really matter... i made a comitment when i picked them up from the SPCA..and nomadder what they will always be looked after.. i realise there are alternatives to letting them have a litter. i could let one have a litter and see how it goes.. or i could try introducing another kitten down the road when i feel i have room in my heart for one more. whatever road i take, understadn that i am a) willing and b) able to handle it.

(also.. im very sorry if these seems repetitive )
 

poohandwendy

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i made a comitment when i picked them up from the SPCA.
If you picked them up from SPCA, you made a commitment to have them spayed and neutered to avoid another litter. In most areas, that agreement is a binding contract and you would be breaking the law if you allow your cats to breed.

I am only posting this because you do not already have a pregnant animal, if that happens, it's a whole other story. But, since they are not yet pregnant, I feel responsibility to share some of the knowledge I have in effort to avoid another litter being born.

If you really are in the position to raise and love 20 cats in your home, I beg you to spay/neuter the cats you have and then go directly to the nearest shelter to adopt 17 already born kittens/cats who may be euthanized soon or never find a forever home. You won't have any trouble finding that many, shelters are overflowing with unwanted cats, unfortunately. Or, as others mentioned, become a foster mother...that is a really loving, selfless thing to do.

The bottom line is that you are not doing any non-pedigree cat a favor by allowing it to breed. They do not have better lives because they had a litter or have mated.

* Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
* Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
* Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
* Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.

I know you said you were not looking for a lecture and really, that is not my intent. It is to educate you because I feel that if you really look at the facts, you will find that you would not be helping but hurting your pets by allowing them 'just one litter'.

The thing is, you do not need to 'make your bed and lie in it'. You can make choices NOW that are in the best interests of your cats and will help them avoid potential problems associated with not being spayed/neutered.

Your male kitten may be able to mate in less than 2 months from now. Your female kittens will NOT be adults yet, they will still be well under a year.

Please consider their health and lives before making a decision that could bring them to an early death. Please do not just 'see how it goes', because that could result in death for one or more of the mothers or kittens.

It really sounds like you love your cats, I hope you love them enough to protect them from pregnancy. It's really a matter of life and death. As others have pointed out, maybe you will just ignore the advice here and go ahead and breed your cats. That may be so, but I would feel irresponsible for not at least giving you the facts before you make that decision.

Don't just take it from me...search the internet and you will find TONS of info about why it is so important to spay/neuter.
 

jen

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Originally Posted by Thehouseofgods

i would be a pretty irresponcible pet owner if i hadn't planned on taking care of thier needs. Nomadder what.. i love my cats more than just about anything right now (my hubbie is still #1 in my heart) but these cats are my children...
The only reason we are mentioning these things is because some people don't realize all the things that could go wrong. That is great if you are financially able to care for them but 20 cats is a lot of cats. That would be awfully hard to make sure the males and females are seperated and you don't end up with 10 pregnant females. You will turn into the cat lady who the animal cops come and arrest for having 150 cats hehe, you don't want that. You will do what you want but just don't let this get out od hand because it can very very quickley. And yes, if you adopted one of your cats from the SPCA then you may be breaking the law and the contract you signed when you adopted them that says you have to alter them.

If the cats are your children then I am sure you want to take the very best care of them right? I believe you do but allowing them the possibility of losing their lives by reproducing when you know nothing of the health background of the cats is not really a good idea. That would be putting them in great risk. Maybe you are financially able to take care of an emergency C-Section at 3am (can be $1500), but if that were to happen then that puts the mothers cat in great danger and is a great reason why she shouldn't have been bred in the first place. See what I am saying?

Sorry to go on but not just the overpopulation problem but an unaltered cat i in great risk for cancers and disease. Consider that too before making the decision.
 

gayef

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Originally Posted by Thehouseofgods

i have realised that there are a lot of unwanted pets around ...
Thank you for realizing this. I think this is what you need to keep focusing on here. Why not take in a needy cat from your own local area and foster instead of breeding? I am certain there are groups or organizations somewhere nearby you which can help get you started. The need for foster homes is great just about everywhere and you can always take in pregnant cats to help them through the process. This way, you can give loving attention to cats who really, really need it and be helping to raise sweet, well-socialized kittens. It is win-win. You benefit, the cats benefit.

and nomadder what i can always keep my childrens, children. Its an awful responcibility if it would come down to that... but if i make my bed im going to lie in it.
But the point is that you don't have to make this choice. You don't have to take on this responsibility. Why make even more burden to carry when you don't have to? It just doesn't make good sense.

as far as them being too young.. by the time buddah is old enought they will be about a year old.
Even if they are old enough to have the ability to produce and deliver kittens, the more important question here is "should they have kittens" not "can they have kittens". It is simple facts of life that of course, they CAN have kittens. But there are a lot of unknowns here ... that's why you really have to dig deep and ask yourself if they SHOULD have kittens. And, I am afraid that in this case, the answer is no, they shouldn't - for many reasons, least of all among them is whether or not they are old enough.

as far as taking care of the kittens if the mother/s reject them... i am prepared for anything nature wants to throw my way.. if they need c-sections then thats what they need.. i would be a pretty irresponcible pet owner if i hadn't planned on taking care of thier needs.
Again, I have to ask you why you feel the need to prepare yourself for something you can prevent from happening? It will cost you a lot more both in time and in money in the future if you have kittens than it would to spay and neuter everyone now.

Nomadder what.. i love my cats more than just about anything right now (my hubbie is still #1 in my heart) but these cats are my children... im young and some would call me nieve... but... these are my babies... i treat them with love and care...
I don't think anyone here doubts that you love your cats. We all are just nuts when it comes to our precious babies, believe me. *smile* I know I certainly am. But what it comes down to is simple; when we are charged with the care of an individual (cat or otherwise), we must sometimes make decisions that might not be what WE would like. We have to make those decisions based on what is best for the individual. And for cats, who cannot make these decisions for themselves, we have an increased responsibility to do the right things for them.

all i can tell you is that i am willing and able to handle watever may come my way. weather it be a full house of 20 cats for as long as it may be... well like i said.. its the bed i made. sounds outrageous right..
Being willing to handle whatever comes is a very mature attitude and I commend you for it ... but you don't have to handle kittens coming. You have other choices. You simply WANT to have kittens. Let's be honest about it, shall we? It isn't about what's right for the cats, it's about what you want from them and that just isn't fair when they have no say in the matter.

but again.. the responcibility of my cats if what really matter... i made a comitment when i picked them up from the SPCA..and nomadder what they will always be looked after.. i realise there are alternatives to letting them have a litter. i could let one have a litter and see how it goes.. or i could try introducing another kitten down the road when i feel i have room in my heart for one more. whatever road i take, understadn that i am a) willing and b) able to handle it.
If you want to be responsible, then the only choice you can make is to spay and neuter your cats now. And if you acquired your cats from a shelter (you mentioned the SPCA), then there is usually a spay/neuter requirement which comes as a part of their adoption agreement. Did they not tell you when you got them that they must be altered? If they didn't tell you (which I would find extremely hard to believe), then look at the paperwork that came with them when you adopted them ... my bet is that you will find it in the adoption agreement which you signed your name to and swore that you would comply with the terms of the agreement.
 
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thehouseofgods

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you have all made good points, and realise that no madder what... im responcible for MY cats. In all honesty yes it's in their best interest not to have a litter.....and its not like everything was said and done. belive me there is still time for the girls to get tucked and tied
i love my girls... and i have to concur .. i did not realise that such health effects were less posible with the said operation. Yes i did sign somthing when i brought them all home, and that was offcourse to have them altered, which in the end is what im going to do... nothing was written in stone. I apretiate thought that you are all trying to get me to realise what is best for my fuzzy little children. And as much as i would love a house full of new kittens.. i could very well foster a prego from the SPCA. ahha my girls didnt like buddah.. i can only imagine if they had another female in the house now.. specialy competing for the heart of my special little boy... whom they now LOVE to death...

As i have said .. nothing is written in stone.... god if nothing else i would get the girls fixed to shut them up! they are both in heat, and as I've heard all they want is attention.... so i get very little sleep. just constand meowing in the hallway like i had been away for a week, come home and went to bed strait away without saying goodnight AHAHAHAH no worries... buddah doesnt know what he is doing.. its really funny actually, and they are strickly indoor only
and even if they weren't it would be pretty irresponcible for me to let the girls outside after we had all had this nice big friendly discussion.

this is the point where i want despretly to turn this thread into somthing more positive. like humour. Buddah is the funniest little guy.... just a bumbling little bag of black and grey fur :p im sure he is wondering what the heck luci is doing... lol he comes running at her and starts playing by bitting her neck and all she does now is stick her but in the air
i belive nomadder what anyone says... you life would be truly ten times richer with even just one can in the house... im lucky enough to have three!
 

goldenkitty45

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One really very important question - are these kittens you have now in ANY way related - as in brother/sister or close relative. If so DO NOT let them breed - not only can you have genetic problems, but also physical problems because the results will be inbred cats.

And don't think Budda doesn't know what he's doing. Unless you are watching him 24/7, he could very well be mating with your females if they are in heat!

I agree, if you want more cats, go adopt others from the shelter. Yes you signed papers about spaying/neutering, but I can guarentee its meant to spay/neuter BEFORE they breed - not after. You call up the shelter and ask them if its ok to let them breed more kittens before you neuter/spay them. Then come and tell us what the shelter said. IMO I'm surprised the shelter didn't already have them fixed before you adopted.


We are planning on adopting an ocicat within the next year - either kitten or adult and every breeder I've contacted is doing early spay/neuter before the kitten goes to its new home (if its being sold as a pet or alter - not as a breeder).
 

tnr1

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Yes i did sign somthing when i brought them all home, and that was offcourse to have them altered, which in the end is what im going to do... nothing was written in stone.
Many rescue/shelter groups require proof of spay....and if you do not spay your cats within a certain amount of time, they will have the right to take the cats back. Just another thing to consider as you signed a legally binding contract. Although you do not believe it is written in stone....contracts for rescue groups are written in such a way that they can take back a cat if the adoptor does not follow through on the requirements of the contract.

Katie
 

urbantigers

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Originally Posted by Thehouseofgods

Yes i did sign somthing when i brought them all home, and that was offcourse to have them altered, which in the end is what im going to do...
I'm really glad you've reached that decision
It really is the best thing for your kitties - they will thank you for it! And your house should be a whole lot quieter. If you still fancy having kittens around fostering a pregnant cat is a really good idea.
 

jen

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Originally Posted by Thehouseofgods

Yes i did sign somthing when i brought them all home, and that was offcourse to have them altered, which in the end is what im going to do... nothing was written in stone.
Just wanted to say that whether stone or not, signing papers is a legal contract. It doesn't make any difference what you signed that fact is that you signed something, that does make it set in stone that they are not to breed and to be altered ASAP
 

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And remember, the sooner you spay the girls, the less chance they will have of getting pyometra (uterine infection) or mammary (breast) cancer. I have a friend who lost all 3 female cats to those illnesses. Since they were inside only and couldn't reproduce, she did not spay them. She didn't know it would shorten their lives. She was so heartbroken that she will never have another pet.

I'm not saying that will happen with your girls, but it could happen.

Cats are lovely, and kittens are sweet. But 20 cats is A LOT OF LITTER TO SCOOP! (I had 15 last week...let me tell you, that is all you do is scoop and feed!) My older 4 foster kittens have gone to new foster homes, and I still have 5 tiny kittens to love and cuddle. I have fostered for 2-1/2 years. They don't need to get along with your kitties, just put them in a separate room.

And there are enough irresponsible people out there who let their cats get preggers then don't take care of them, that you could foster a new litter every few months, and have kittens forever.
 
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