At What Age Can Cats Mate? Choosing Male-Female Pairs and Points to Note

Cats are one of the more widespread pets in households around the world. They are small in size and adorable in appearance. So do you know at what age cats mate? What kind of male and female cats are suitable to pair together? What points should be noted? According to pet shop owner Xiao, the suitable breeding age for a female cat is 10-12 months, and the suitable breeding age for a male cat is 12 months. Mating cats that have not reached sexual maturity will cause great harm to their bodies. Even if mating succeeds, the mortality rate of the kittens born is very high, the surviving kittens are in very poor physical condition, and the female cat is very likely to suffer difficult labor or die after giving birth.

What kind of male and female cats are suitable to pair together?

The body size and weight of the male and female cats should not differ too much. If the male cat is too large and the female cat too small (for example, the male cat weighs more than twice as much as the female cat), the fetuses may be too large, causing difficult labor. Before mating, the female cat must be in good health and weigh at least about six jin. Male and female cats that have been weak and sickly since childhood are not suitable for breeding. Male and female cats with genetic defects must not be used for breeding. Genetic defects include those of the teeth. If a weak female cat is forced to mate, the strain of pregnancy and birth may cause a life-threatening risk or lead to illness later on.

Points to note for a first mating

Generally speaking, purebred cats must be mated with purebred cats of the same breed, so that the offspring will have a pure bloodline. Cats with large differences in body size are not recommended to mate, as this easily leads to difficult labor during birth. Ensuring the male cat's nutrition is what produces high-quality semen, so that the kittens will be healthy. The female cat's claws should be trimmed to avoid scratching the male cat. A quiet place with few disturbances should be chosen. An inexperienced female cat will resist the male cat mounting her. At this time, the owner needs to help hold the female cat steady, pressing down her front legs and neck so she cannot turn her head to bite or scratch the male cat, helping the male cat to mate.

How to tell whether mating was successful

The male cat will accurately grip the female cat by the neck and lie on top of her to mate, and mating can generally be completed in 1~10 minutes. After mating, the female cat will let out a loud cry and turn to attack the male cat. After the male cat dodges away, the female cat keeps rolling around and licking her genital area.

Note: When breeding purebred cats, in addition to breeding within the same breed, some crossbreeding between purebred cats is allowed, and their offspring are also recognized by authoritative cat associations.