Male cate ready for the girls?

I have a male cat, 11 months now. He should be "grown up" by now I think, and the vet said he must be. BUT, there is no "male odour" from his urine, he is a very talkative cat, but no more than usual. So I am not sure.
Could it be that I have the perfect entire male? Or is he just late? Are there any other signs I can look for? I have read books and surfed the internet, but have not found anything relevant to this "problem".
He will be used in breeding, but I cannot invite the girls if I am not sure he is ready.
Does anybody know?

He's probably ready or close to it... there doesn't necessarily have to be a male smell. While males scent will tend to get stronger after the first time it has bred, I've known males that have bred extensivley and don't have a very strong odor at all.

Originally Posted by Anne G

I have a male cat, 11 months now. He should be "grown up" by now I think, and the vet said he must be. BUT, there is no "male odour" from his urine, he is a very talkative cat, but no more than usual. So I am not sure.
Could it be that I have the perfect entire male? Or is he just late? Are there any other signs I can look for? I have read books and surfed the internet, but have not found anything relevant to this "problem".
He will be used in breeding, but I cannot invite the girls if I am not sure he is ready.
Does anybody know?

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Most breeders I know will usually wait at least 1.5 to 2 years before considering breeding.

This is to make sure that the animal has a chance to fully develop physically, and that any underlying physical problems are most likely caught.

Breeding animals as soon as they are sexually mature is like encouraging 14 years old people to breed. Sure they can do it, but their bodies are still developing too.

If you aren't in a big hurry, I would give him at least a few more months.

Spotz

Jus to clear my statement up, I wasn't implying that you should breed him now, only that it's possible that he could breed...

I know, and that was my question too - whether he is able to breed, not when I should allow him to.

To Spotz: What possible underlying physical problems would that be?

Originally Posted by Anne G

I know, and that was my question too - whether he is able to breed, not when I should allow him to.

To Spotz: What possible underlying physical problems would that be?

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Anything that would show up as abnormal on a veterinary exam, especially something that is genetically linked. So long as a full workup at the vet doesn't indicate problems, and so long as he fits with the breed specific standard. Then he is a good candidate for breeding, and at 1.5 - 2 yrs he is definately mature in all aspects, and ready to be introduced to a suitable mate.

Spotz

I don't think you have to wait a year and a half or longer in order to breed your male. A year IMO is a good target date, but, even then some cats still don't show interest.

As for any genetic problems, it really depends on the breed. Several breeds are predisposed to genetic problems, as are some lines within a breed that normally are not. That's where research on your end comes in, with lots and lots of info.

I doubt very seriously, and I could be wrong, that a vet is going to pick up "genetic" abnormalities in a cat that otherwise wouldn't be predisposed to it, even with a complete work up.

Genetic testing is available, although not everywhere and certainly is not cheap.

m,y advice is to trace the lines your cat comes from, find out if there were any abnormalities that may show up.

Thank you, I totally agree. I have never heard of waiting until the male is 2 years before mating, that is certainly not the way things are done in my country.

And of course the male need a clean bill of health from the vet, that is a requirement from my breeders' association. I would never use a male with risk of inherited genetic abnormalitites, no responsible breeder would, I suppose. The Norwegian Forest Cat is a very healthy breed as such, and my cats are from very good lines.

BTW, looked at your website - beautiful cats! I don't think we have those cats in Norway.