Can a Cat Get Pregnant by Two Males--One Litter?

I'm not sure I'm phrasing this question correctly but I just want to know the answer to this question.

Can a cat that is in heat get pregnant by more than one male? Have kittens by two or more fathers?

Thanks lovely people!

Yes they can.

Thanks Jen that was fast and to the point--and that settles that argument we were having. We both trust the people on this website.

A PBS program pointed out that after all the males fight, the dominant one mates first then the others line up for their turns.

Originally Posted by gemlady

A PBS program pointed out that after all the males fight, the dominant one mates first then the others line up for their turns.

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Thats nice...lol. I feel bad for the poor female

Yeah, this is why we have the females spayed... that and the extra kittens and the health problems and a lot of other stuff.

Most human females wouldn't say this, but it's true for me: If they spayed humans, I'd line right up. I don't want kids, and the other parts of being female I can do without!

They do "spay" humans ... only they call it something else. I got "spayed" when I was 28 years old. *grin*

I don't think many people realize this aspect about cats, mating is usually very violent, why would you want your sweet baby to be subjected to that??!!

BTW, sign me up to get spayed too

lol... yes you can get your tubes tied but there are risk's involved. Thats why i haven't done it **scared feeling** hehe. But doesn't mean i have to have kids *grin*.

Ive seen a female bred by many different toms its horrible. They fight and make horrible noises from days on end. The actual breeding look like an excorsim is being preformed

BTW I want to get spayed too! The only way I can get my tubes tied is if I have another kid and I dont know if I want to!

Oh baby, being "spayed" is like having chocolate cake every day of your life afterward. No kids, ever.......YES

I've heard the male cat's penis has some kind of barbs on it so once it's in it is not coming out without serious pain. Anyone know if this is true? Or maybe I need a good primer on cat anatomy!

It is true.

can you explain??? the male penis has BARBS on it? whattttttttt? Now if a female mated with 2 diff toms... can she carry kits from each male?

They do have little barbs on the penis - its to help stimulate the female after breeding.

And its not necessarily the "dominate" tom that gets to mate. Its been recorded that the female actual picks the male and while the dominate male is fighting, she sometimes mates with another male

Of course having more then one father mainly occurs in free-roaming cats - not confined "planned" breedings

The female has more then one egg, so if mated with more then one tom in a short period, the sperm from both will fertilize the eggs and you can have some kits fathered by each male.

What Occurs During Mating?

The queen will signal her willingness to mate with a unique posture: head down, forelegs bent, rear quarters raised to expose the vulva ( this raised posture is called lordosis), with the tail raised and held to the side of the body, all designed to accomodate entry by the tom cat's penis. Her rear legs will tread rhythmically, as if walking in place.

The tom cat will mount the female from the rear, holding her on the back of the neck with his teeth. This biting behavior may in part be to ensure cooperation, but may also stimulate a part of the female's brain that induces ovulation.

Whole male cats have barbed penises (much like a fishhook), and upon withdrawal, the female cat will often scream (whether from ecstasy or pain is questionable). It is also believed that the barbed penis stimulates ovulation. In fact, breeders sometimes use "Teaser Toms" to stimulate ovulation and end the estrus cycle in queens which are not yet ready for breeding. Teaser Toms are neutered by vasectomy, leaving the barbs on the penis to stimulate ovulation.
Source:
http://us.f831.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Sho...&VScan=1&Idx=3

These two are from the same litter. They were born in the wild. Peeka, the white one, looks and acts Siamese: he is fascinated with water and is turning into quite the vocalist. His tail is striped but not kinked, or whatever it is that Siamese have...

The other two surviving kittens of the litter look very different too. In fact, none looked the same but somehow you can tell they are all brothers, (all four males). Still, none look as strikingly like Peeka as Peek does. There are Siamese cats in the neighborhood here, who often run amok so we figure we know who his papa is...or where he is from, I should say. (Peek has his tongue out in this picture.)

Yikes! and folks want their kitty to have to go thru that??!!

ETA: Peeka is absolutely gorgeous

Originally Posted by Vik61

There are Siamese cats in the neighborhood here, who often run amok so we figure we know who his papa is...or where he is from, I should say.

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Sounds like there should be some neutering going on.

Katie