Dominant male

Hi, I have been breeding Persians for 3 years and have 2 females and 1 male. This past year I got a new female kitten for breeding. At first my male was just fine around her but then when she was about 8 months old he started beating her up. At first I thought maybe she went into heat and was trying to get her but now I am not sure. I have kept them separated but if he knows exactly where she is and if he gets in the room she is in he will just start beating her up. I feel so bad for her and don't know what to do. Someone told me that once she goes into a heat cycle it will be better but I am beginning to wonder if I should even keep her. If anyone has any suggestions that would be great. I do have two other females that he has never had a problem with. Thanks

There have been cases where a male/female just do not get along (breeding cats) and can't be trusted together. I know a Persian breeder who's male would breed to any color cat BUT a tortoiseshell. Come to find out when a kitten the cat was terriorized by a tortie and never got over it. He was scared to death of that color cat.

So something similar might have been in your male's past - he is associating the color of the female to something bad.

I'm not sure what to tell you. Would the breeder you got the female from be willing to exchange her for another cat?

This is VERY common in breeding cats.

We had a male that wouldn't mate with any cream coloured cats and my Nana has one at the moment that wont mate with a particular queen. If you don't have access to another male it may be better for her if you rehome her because once the males don't like a certain queen they don't generally change their mind.

Thanks for the advice. I don't know if it is the color because the one he does not like is a flame point and one of my other females he likes is a white persian. Maybe he just does not like her. I am going to wait and see or I might just rehome her, which I hate to do b/c she is so sweet and I have a lot invested in her.

Can you breed the female to another male? If these are show cats, then you should be able to make other arrangements with another breeder if the lines in your cats are that good.

Thanks, I will start looking. I just feel bad b/c I have to keep her in my bedroom most of the time.

I think sometimes they try to tell us something - the way scent and pheremones work is that an individual is most likely to be strongly sexually attracted to another individual with an immune system that is as much opposite to theirs as possible - providing the best immunity, protection, and health, for any future offspring.

If he's taken a dislike to her then it could just be that her scent is wrong for him, telling them both that they would not produce the healthiest offspring if they were to mate.

I know it sounds really silly, but numerous tests have been done with humans and animals, demonstrating that individuals (esp. mammals) are usually most physically attracted to those individuals with the most different immune system than our own - and I think on some issues we should pay some attention to instinct, maybe these cats are just not compatible and you would get a healthier litter by trying a different match?

Sorry if that sounds a bit weird, I am not a hippy or anything, there's been a fair bit of research into this... regardless of the science of it, you certainly can't force anything so I would look for a different mating if this one doesn't work out!