Very Important Question

I have 3 cats, 1 fixed female, 1 unfixed female, and 1 unfixed male. My question is: The two unfixed cats, since the live together and are pratically brother and sister. When the time comes, will the try to mate? If so, what will the signs be?

I would not try to apply human sensibilities to animals. When the female goes into heat, she will attract males, period.

Please get your cat fixed immediately. Yes, they will mate, yes they will have kittens and it could end up badly. To circumvent a problem, simply make an appointment and get the girl spayed .

http://www.spayusa.org/ They will help you find a qualified low-cost clinic in your area

Originally Posted by Deb25

I would not try to apply human sensibilities to animals. When the female goes into heat, she will attract males, period.

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Does that mean, that he won't try to mate with her intil she's in heat?

Cat's can get pregnant even when they're not in heat. I wouldn't risk it, period. Especially since they're brother and sister. My cat is an inbreed cat and has a severe heart murmur, birth defects are common in those situations. How old are they? Is there a reason that you're not fixing them or are you waiting for something to fix them?

You'll be surprised at how suddenly you end up with a pregnant kitty especially since both live together with you. Like lovers meeting in secret, cats can be very sneaky, quiet and relatively quick.
When I just moved to my present home, I found Joji and her brother (RB Dumdum) as kittens abandoned in the garage. Being strays I had no idea how old they were. I waited a month thinking they were too young to be fixed (they were small in size). When Joji went into surgery, the vet said she had 3 cat fetuses (sp?) in her.
Consult with your vet and set a date to have them fixed.

Originally Posted by LizLuvsCory

Does that mean, that he won't try to mate with her intil she's in heat?

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No...he will try to mate with her when he can..whether she is in heat or not...however the moment she goes into heat...she can become pregnant. Females can get pregnant as early as 4 months of age...I would get them both fixed as soon as possible. It is also healthier for cats to be spayed/neutered.

Below is a list of low cost spay/neuter clinics in PA:

http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html#pa

Katie

Is there a reason you haven't spayed and neutered them yet? The second he becomes interested he will try to mate her, the second she goes into heat, she will most likely get pregnant.

There are a ton of benefits of spaying BEFORE the first heat. For example, it greatly reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases when the cat is older.

Please spay and neuter your cats imediately! How old are they by the way?

The sign will be a squeaky pile of kittens. Get them fixed.

I saw your post in the Pregnancy forum....we have all stated you should spay/neuter your cats. Until such a time, they should be kept separate. Now would be a good time to neuter your male.

Katie

I think your question is what are the signs that cats are mating? I am not sure exactly if that is what you are asking, but ok, here goes ...

The male will vocalize to the female and then grab her with his teeth at the back of her neck. He positions himself above her, sometimes using his back paws to kick her into the proper position and then does his business. When done, he will disengage, she will scream and then be very, very upset. She will roll around on the floor, she will hiss at him, she may even try to attack him if he doesn't get the heck out of her way.

Additionally, your girl does not need to be in heat to become pregnant by your boy. She doesn't even need to have gone through her first heat yet, as long as your boy is sexually mature and he can catch her, he will mate with her and the chances that she will become pregnant are very, very good. It doesn't matter that they have been raised like brother and sister. They don't think about it like we do. They do not associate their relationship as siblings - he is a male and she is a female, that's all.

The best thing you can do is have them both altered as soon as possible.

Originally Posted by LizLuvsCory

I have 3 cats, 1 fixed female, 1 unfixed female, and 1 unfixed male. My question is: The two unfixed cats, since the live together and are pratically brother and sister. When the time comes, will the try to mate? If so, what will the signs be?

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How old is the male? If you wait until he's an adult to have him neutered, he will still try to mate with the females, spayed or not (as I found out much to my dismay when we adopted a male and female, and the male was neutered at the shelter as an adult.) I thought fixed meant they lost interest too, but apparently that's not the case.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

How old is the male? If you wait until he's an adult to have him neutered, he will still try to mate with the females, spayed or not (as I found out much to my dismay when we adopted a male and female, and the male was neutered at the shelter as an adult.) I thought fixed meant they lost interest too, but apparently that's not the case.

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My what randy little beasts you have, my dear! *grin*

This behavior also might be dominance ... even neutered males will establish a hierarchy within a home-based colony of multiple cats. Mounting though neutered is a way of asserting dominance over the other cats and showing them who is alpha in the group.