Cat siblings spend a lot of time with each other in their early years as littermates and companions. However, if they are not spayed or neutered before they reach 6 months of age, closely related cats will begin to mate with each other, leading to a number of genetic problems.
Cats don't understand the taboos surrounding incest. Siblings of cats can mate when they reach the reproductive stage. To prevent this from happening, make sure your cats are spayed or neutered before they are 6 months old. Line breeding or inbreeding is not recommended unless you are familiar with your cats' lines.
Why cats mate with their siblings has puzzled owners. But once you understand the psychology behind it, it won't be so difficult. What's complicated is what actually happens when cats mate with siblings.
Do cats mate with their brothers and sisters?
Cat siblings do indeed mate with each other. Like all mammals, mating is a basic instinct for cats.
When a female cat goes into estrus (heat), the male cat follows his instinct to pass on his genes. A cat's body chemistry will tell her when to mate and when it is the right time for the female to reproduce. Therefore, cats will mate even if they are from the same litter.
However, this does not mean that inbreeding always occurs naturally. The study, published in the journal Brill, examined female control of paternity during copulation. The researchers found that, in general, female cats avoid inbreeding with close relatives during copulation, but not with distant relatives.
When considering feral cats isolated from other colonies, they have no choice but to breed with their siblings and other family members to maintain the colony. However, the report shows that feral cats prefer to seek mates outside their direct bloodline if other cats are available.
What should you consider when breeding a feline hybrid?
The simple percentage of wild animal blood in a hybrid breed says something about the cat's behavior. Later generations (F5, F6 and later) are usually just as trusting and affectionate as domestic cats. However, maintaining a hybrid race—regardless of the number of wild genes—is challenging.
Additionally, in later generations, hybrid cats will have a strong need to go outside on their own, so they should not be kept as typical indoor lazy cats. These cats are excellent climbers, talented high jumpers, and fast runners, and they would like to get the most out of all of these abilities.
Keeping a hybrid cat in an urban environment, where it would be very dangerous to let the animal travel on its own, requires that the owner provide the cat with a large outdoor playpen with climbing furniture and a swimming pool.
Can sibling cats have kittens?
Kittens can become sexually mature as early as 4 months of age. Female kittens can conceive from around this age, and male kittens can impregnate a fertile female. This can be bad news if you have two cats from the same litter that have not been neutered.
If a female fertilizes a kitten at 4 months of age, there is every chance that the cat will be able to produce offspring at just 6 months of age. This is due to the fact that a cat's gestation period is only 63 days. Experts believe that this is too short a time for a cat to give birth to her first litter.
Cats are also indiscriminate creatures. This means that a brother may mate with a sister because he does not recognize her as family. Most of all, they are like playmates.
To prevent inbreeding, it is best to sterilize the brother cat and sister cat before reaching sexual maturity. Or, if you are looking for a pair of cats to become family pets, you can choose same-sex cats from the same litter. This way you will reduce the risk of siblings mating while still providing them with playmates.
Ojos Azules
- Lifespan: 10-12 years
- Temperament: friendly, active, affectionate
- Color: all colors except solid white
- Height: 20.3-25.4 cm
- Weight: 4.1-5.5 kg
- Comparable Breed: Domestic Shorthair, Domestic Longhair
Ojos Azules have beautiful dark blue eyes; it is not for nothing that the name of this Spanish breed is translated as “blue eyes” . The appearance of the breed dates back to 1984, when a tortoiseshell cat named Cornflower gave birth to kittens with the same piercing eyes, which proves that breeders can continue to reproduce this strain. However, the gene that causes blue eyes does not appear to be reflected in the pet's coat pattern or color.
The International Cat Association recognized the breed in 1991, but the Ojos Azules remains a rare breed. This is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to defects in the skull. Thus, breeding is suspended, at least for the time being. However, some instances may still exist. These medium-sized cats are known to be friendly, sweet, and loving pets.
Is it possible to breed half-breed cats?
Inbreeding between half-siblings is as common, if not more common, than inbreeding between full siblings. In the world of cat breeding, purposefully mating half-siblings is known as "line breeding."
Line breeding involves mating between second-degree relatives (including half-siblings). This process reduces the risk of inherited diseases compared to mating first-degree relatives. However, it does not completely prevent the risk. Any form of inbreeding can cause health problems.
Inbreeding of cats that are not too closely related is preferred by professional breeding organizations to full-blooded mating. As described in the GCCF Breeding Policy, half-sibling breeding produces kittens that match breed integrity, physical and genetic characteristics.
Toy bob
- Lifespan: 14-15 years
- Temperament: loyal, playful, charming, playful, intelligent, curious
- Color: any
- Size: no larger than a 3-6 month old kitten
The Toy Bob is one of the smallest cat breeds. However, unlike many toy breeds, it is not a miniature version of a larger breed. On the contrary, it is a unique breed with Russian roots .
The first documents about these cats were obtained in the 1980s by the Cat Fanciers Association. The Toy Bob is considered a loving, loyal, intelligent and sociable cat that will get along with all family members, including children and even dogs. In addition, the Toy Bob is a good climber and a cuddler.
What happens when cats from the same litter mate?
If cats from the same litter mate, there is every chance that their kittens will be born healthy, without obvious genetic problems.
With luck, the litter will have all the desired physical and personality characteristics without any major defects. Inbreeding can be a huge risk, and there is usually no way to know if health problems will arise until the litter is born.
Similar physical traits
Cats born through inbreeding often inherit certain characteristics that are specific to their breed. This may include certain physical traits that are considered attractive.
This could be the size of the paws, the absence or presence of more hair, or the shape of the skull. For cat breeders, this allows them to get better prices when selling cats.
Similar character traits
An inbred cat inherits more than just physical characteristics. It is likely that there will also be character traits. This is why breeders so often mate cats from the same litter - they can shape the temperament with which the litter is born.
Breeding siblings can result in calm temperaments or playful behavior if the parent cats share the same personality traits. The likelihood of this is high since they are relatives. This may be attractive to owners who are looking for a specific type of cat to suit their lifestyle.
Mating with caution
If inbreeding is allowed to occur too often, serious health problems tend to occur every now and then in some of the more thoroughbred cat breeds.
According to the journal Scientific Reports, 64.9% of Persian cats studied had at least one disease. Since Persians are one of the most inbred breeds, this high statistic makes you wonder, “Is it safe to mate cats from the same litter?”
Napoleon
- Lifespan: 9-15 years
- Temperament: sociable, playful, flexible, gentle, active, energetic
- Coloring: all colors and patterns
- Height: 17.8-20.4 cm
- Weight: 2.3-4.1 kg
- Comparable breed: Munchkin, Persian cat
Also known as the Minuet, the Napoleon breed is a newly introduced species of dwarf cat. These felines are named after Napoleon Bonaparte due to their short stature.
Joe Smith created the breed in 1996 after crossing a Munchkin with a Persian cat. He later improved the breed using genes from exotic shorthair cats. The International Cat Association recognized this breed in 2011.
Napoleon is a loving, sweet and calm cat breed. She loves all family members and will easily communicate even with strangers. Napoleon can live happily with other cats and dogs. He needs a lot of active play, otherwise excess energy can negatively affect his behavior.
Symptoms of inbreeding in cats
Inbreeding occurs when closely related cats mate. This includes brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son, and half-siblings.
Cat breeders often use inbreeding to predict what their kittens, especially purebred ones, will look like. Inbreeding helps breeders keep track of their cats' prestigious bloodlines while correcting their bad traits. They may also promise certain characteristics to buyers who are looking for something specific in a cat.
However, inbreeding is not without problems. Not only is this considered ethically and morally wrong, but cats born from inbreeding can develop a variety of health problems.
Genetic defects
Inbreeding increases the risk of genetic defects. Although they are more common in purebred cats, all inbred cats are vulnerable. Hereditary diseases occur due to abnormal genes that are passed on from generation to generation. These may be obvious at birth, while others may not appear until later in life.
The limited gene pool caused by constant inbreeding means that harmful genes become widespread, causing disease and weakness in the breed.
As a natural by-product, buyers are generally reluctant to purchase a cat with obvious health problems that would make the animal unsellable. Breeders often decide to euthanize an animal because it does not meet the requirements.
Overbreeding
Cats that breed regularly with cats from the same bloodline eventually begin to produce litters with more dangerous health problems.
Classic symptoms of overbreeding include small litters of only 1-2 kittens. These kittens may be born with a number of abnormalities, including an improperly positioned jaw, crooked nose, bulging eyes, and dental and oral defects.
Other adverse problems may also arise. These include low fertility in females, immunodeficiency leading to high mortality, and cancers in newborn cats.
History of hybrid breeds
The dream of having wild animals in the house is not at all a tribute to modern fashion, as can be judged by the increasing demand for hybrid breeds in recent years. Back in the 60-70s in the USA, wild Asian and African cats were crossed with domestic ones. Initially, the Americans did not intend to engage in commercial breeding, but only wanted to gain new scientific experience from their experiments.
However, everything soon changed when the offspring of an Asian Bengal wild cat and an American domestic cat were born as part of a project to create a vaccine against leukemia - after the study, scientists donated the kittens to private individuals. The combination of the exotic appearance of a wild cat with the tame nature of a domestic cat captivated cat lovers and aroused great interest, which fueled demand, so crossbreeding was resumed.
Features of feeding
The cat can be fed natural products or premium dry formulas.
Typically, complementary feeding with ready-made formulas begins after kittens reach two months of age. When feeding natural products, the basis of the diet should be raw meat. Indeed, under natural conditions, predators feed on small animals and birds. Meat serves as a source of protein and fat. It is advisable to feed your pet the following varieties:
- rabbit meat;
- chicken;
- turkey;
- beef or veal (lean).
It is better to exclude fish from the diet. As a last resort, the Savannah can occasionally be given tuna or salmon fillets. Vegetables and fruits will be a source of vitamins and minerals.
When choosing a ready-made mixture, you should pay attention to luxury products. Their composition should not be dominated by cereals. With this feeding option, you still need to give your pet raw meat sometimes.
How does the mating process work?
Estrus in a Scottish cat lasts from 5 days to 1.5 weeks. At this time, her behavior changes, she shows signs of sexual desire, worries, rubs against the owner’s legs, shows excessive affection or, conversely, becomes aggressive.
Cats meow very annoyingly, their behavior becomes more nervous, they also mark their territory with an odorous secretion.
Mating of Scottish Fold and Straight-eared cats is prescribed on the 2-3rd day of estrus. The process goes like this:
- Animals are introduced to the common space.
- Depending on whose apartment the “newlyweds” are meeting, their behavior varies. The owner always waits until the guest gets comfortable in the new place and can pay attention to the other party. It is important that everything goes naturally. Usually it takes from a couple of hours to half a day to meet animals.
- Partners begin to sniff each other and show signs of attention.
- The cat may not let the cat get close to her, hissing and fighting back with her paw. In this case, the boy retreats, but with each new attempt the animals come closer and closer.
- The cat emits an inviting meow and takes a characteristic pose - bends down on its front legs, raises its butt higher and lifts its tail.
- At a convenient moment, the cat makes a “mount” - it climbs up, clasps the body with its front legs, and presses the cat’s withers with its teeth. She, in turn, does not interfere with sexual intercourse and moves her tail to the side.
The mating moment itself lasts 10-25 seconds, and then the animals disperse. The cat and cat rest, and then the cycle repeats again. There can be 8-10 such iterations per hour, and the entire crossing process continues for several days.
Important! Under normal conditions, a 2-3 day mating of healthy Scottish Fold cats provides an almost 100% guarantee of pregnancy and high-quality offspring.
Appearance description
Savannah is the tallest and largest domestic cat. Its height at the withers reaches 60 cm, and its weight is 15 kg. An elongated and strong body with developed muscles is a distinctive feature of the breed. Cats, especially the first and second generation, have a grace that is unique to wild animals.
Another feature is the neck. In the savannah it is quite long. The muzzle is slightly elongated and large, with rounded ears and wide-set eyes.
Powerful and muscular legs are responsible for the cat's strength, speed and endurance. The cat's tail is not very long, but thick and slightly tapered at the bottom. The fur is thick and soft, reminiscent of the color of a wild animal. The breed standard allows the following options:
- brown;
- gold;
- chocolate;
- silver;
- Cinnamon tabby (brindle) – brown with expressive dark stripes.
The average life expectancy is 17–20 years.
