Is my cat pregnant? Cats keep mating..

[dg25]

Hi there! Hope you all are well and safe.
My male and female have been mating for about 3 weeks now, (i’m a breeder of purebred Himalayan’s) and I’m trying to figure out if she’s pregnant and they just keep breeding or if there is something wrong? Is this going to cause a miscarriage or still borns? When she was pregnant with the last litter he would try and mount her even though she was about to go into labour in two weeks. From my understanding, when they mate the first couple time’s the heat should end and they should become pregnant, right? Why is this happening? Last litter it was about 2 weeks of breeding. When would I assume she’s pregnant? The first day of mating or the last?
Thank you!

 

[Sarthur2]

You need to separate them immediately. As a breeder you should know that it is painful for the female when cats mate, and mating should only take place over a 2-3 day period at most and only when the female shows signs of being in heat. Then the cats are separated until it is determined the female has conceived.

Once a female is pregnant - and that is usually known about 3 weeks later when nipples begin to pink up - no more mating is necessary and should not be allowed. A pregnant cat does not need or want a male cat mounting her when she is expecting. He should be separated from her at all times. A female is not bred until she is 18 months old, and then not more than once per year, and she is retired and spayed around age five.

The breeding has continued because male cats are always ready for it when they are intact, and because you have allowed it. If guidelines for breeding are followed, you will know the window of conception within 2-3 days.

Do you have a mentor? Please separate these cats right away and familiarize yourself with the professional guidelines for breeding.

Breeding FAQs – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc

Himalayan Breeders

 

[Sarthur2]

I realize that you are not an experienced breeder and did not know better. Now that you do, it will be easier to determine whether she is pregnant by waiting. A queen who has mated for 2-3 days and is then separated from the male and does not go back into heat after a few weeks is usually pregnant. Nipples pink up around 21 days and queens begin to show after about 5 weeks of gestation.

Breeding is a complex process, and professional breeders have male and female catteries, and more than one set of studs and queens. For instance, a breeder will pick a male kitten and/or a female kitten to keep from a litter for future breeding, but neither should mate with a relative. The kittens do not mate until the appropriate age is reached, 18 months for a queen, and 18-24 months for a male.

They are immediately separated after a heat/breeding cycle of 2-3 days, and that is that. Exact records are kept of who breeds with whom and when. The males stay together and the females are separate, and when a queen is in labor and birthing she has complete privacy with her kittens from all other cats.

These rules are followed even if you only have one male and one female. That being said, I was not trying to be rude or harsh, but rather to drive home the point that care must be taken and excessive mating is not appropriate.

In general, since your queen has mated excessively, you can assume she is pregnant. The worst case would be that she is pregnant with multiple litters conceived a week or more apart. In this case she might deliver 2 separate litters a week or more apart, or worse, deliver some kittens prematurely who do not survive. It’s hard on a queen.

My wish is that you learn from your mistakes and improve going forward, and we are here to help you every step of the way. I hope to hear back from you soon.

 

[dg25]

Is Omega 3-6-9 oil safe for pregnant cats?
I’ve tried looking on Google but I keep getting mixed answers, does anyone know if there are any bad things associated with this? Should I steer clear of this?
Also if anyone knows any good calorie supplements/vitamins that is safe for pregnant females? This litter is a bit of an accident and I want to make sure her weight is up during these next few weeks and while feeding kittens.

 

[Sarthur2]

An accident? Your cats mated excessively.

Is she pregnant? Have you separated her from the male? How far along do you think she is? Is she having issues? Why would you want to give her this supplement?

 

[dg25]

Hi.
I’ve learned that different breeders have different policies and opinions, and I appreciate yours. That’s why I was concerned, I understand breeding is not a pleasant experience for the female and I would never want her to be in distress over this. It breaks my heart to think that. I’m just confused because, she’s the one that is calling towards him, which makes me think she isn’t pregnant? Like she will randomly go squat on the floor in the “position”, call to him, then wait for him to mount her. He’s not stalking her or calling her.
They are now separated.
You said that once they are pregnant they don’t want a male mounting them, why would she allow it in this case? From all the breeders I talk to they put the male and female in a room together and don’t let them out until they are done breeding. Sometimes it’s over a week.
Although your post was harsh, and yes I am still learning, I appreciate it. I love them so much and want to make sure they are living the most happiest and comfortable lives possible.

 

[Sarthur2]

She is full of hormones and does not know better. In my experience, breeders do not put cats together for more than 2-3 days. If they have not mated during this time, it is time to take a break or change partners following a break that is long enough to see whether a cat is pregnant.

Sometimes, when a cat is pregnant, she will exhibit mating behavior due to her hormones, which are similar to in-heat hormones. It’s estrogen.

However, I do not know why your cat is doing this, but regardless, excessive mating is not appropriate. She’s either already pregnant or she’s not, and the only way to know is to stop the mating and wait to see. Most cats who have already mated will retreat, but yours live together and have had unlimited access to one another, so your situation is unique. It’s good that they are now separated. The constant mating behavior is not normal and needs to stop. It does not take much for a fertile cat to conceive since cats are “induced ovulators.”

Assume she is pregnant and feed her well and she should be healthy during her pregnancy without supplements.