At what age does a female kitten/cat become sexually mature and able to breed?

Question

At what age does a female kitten/cat become sexually mature and able to breed?

Answer 1

The average age is 8 or 9 months but some are much earlier - as young as 4 months.

The 8-9 months is the equivalent of a 12 or 13 year old girl so I wouldn't really call that full sexual maturity but yes, they can get pregnant as soon as they start coming into heat. This would be like a 13 year old being pregnant. Very stressful for the body.

You can get her spayed as soon as she is over 2 pounds or 8 weeks.



Update: If the kittens are litter mates waiting til 6 months will most likely be okay because the little boy is unlikely to be mature at that age (some possibility though ).

About their current age you may notice them beginning to do "humping" games. Don't let it freak you out, it is normal.



Ah, reread your post. If the male is from a previous litter you had better get him fixed before there is any possibility of the female coming into heat. Get him done as soon as you can.



Another update: I think they use different anesthesia here in the US because early spay/neutering is actually encouraged.



Good luck

Answer 2

My friend's cat is 14 weeks and has just gone on heat.



But being biologically able to breed, and suitable for breeding are different things. Cats need to be out of the throws of kittenhood before they're breed. It sounds nuts, but I think it should depend on the cat.

If your cat is still very much a kitten at 12 months, then it's not ready to breed, regardless of the biology.

Answer 3

Most kittys it is about 6 months they are capable of breeding, some can be around the 4 month mark. However if you mean when is a cat capable of breeding without a serious risk to it's own health and that of it's kittens then you should be looking at, at least 10 months but preferable a year old. Theres always a risk during pregnancy but kittens that are too young have even more complications.

Answer 4

Baby echnidas are called puggles. There is no such dog breed as a puggle! Pug/beagle mixes are having a terrible time with breathing problems, facial structure problems, temperament issues, and so on. There are also many many of these mixes coming into shelters already now that the fad is starting to die. Be a RESPONSIBLE and LOVING owner and neuter your dog when he is old enough.

Answer 5

Females can come into heat as early as 4 months old, but that isn't common. But by the time they reach 5-6 months old, they are very likely to come into heat and get pregnant. Why can't you spay either of them until they are 6 months old? Cats can be safely neutered at 2 pounds, and females safely spayed at 2 1/2 pounds. This way you don't have to worry about an early pregnancy. It's called a pediatric alter, and perfectly safe! Recovery time for kittens is practically nonexistent, and they come home as if nothing ever happened to them. It's better to get at least one of them spayed or neutered now, if you can't afford both, then you don't have to worry about it.

Answer 6

Normally within 6-8 months of age. It varies a lot from breed to breed and female to female. Your males will normally know before you do when the female is in heat, so watch for your male following her or sniffing her butt a LOT.



I don't like to breed a female until she is at least a year old though as I have found our occasional "accidental" younger mothers aren't as good as caring for the kittens. We have a spare bedroom that is our "cat room" when we try to keep the females from getting pregnant.

Answer 7

At approximately 6 months of age(or earlier). It is best ot spay if you are not a breeder and planning to breed this kitty. Spaying is best for the kitty and you also. It will make sure your kitty does not have unwanted liltters and it will help with territory marking and other cats marking the outside of your home if you have a cat in heat inside. Please spay, if you cannot afford it check with your local shelter or branch of Humane Society for low cost or free spay/neutering. Hope this helps. :)

Answer 8

Usually at about 6 months of age.

Answer 9

The short answer is at about 5-6 months, but sometimes earlier (like 4 months and sometimes later.



Here's the longer, more complicated answer:



Cats are "seasonally polyestrus." This means they come into heat multiple times during their mating season (it can seem like they are in heat continuously - they have a very short cycle if not bred). Unfortunately, their mating season is about February to October (but it does vary). Kittens who become old enough to be sexually mature during the non-breeding season will delay their first estrus (heat) until the breeding season starts again. So for instance, a kitten born in June would be 5 months old in November. Since this is usually past the breeding season, that kitten would probably be older than average (closer to 8 months) when she went into heat.



With your kitten, it's tough to say. She will be mature enough right around the typical end of the breeding season. So if I were you, I would assume she could go into heat this season (at about 5-6 months old) to be on the safe side.



In the US (where we are in general much stronger advocates of spaying and neutering than in Europe), some vets will wait until 4 or 5 months to spay or neuter an animal, some will do the surgery younger as long as the kitten/puppy is at least two pounds. I am a fan of the 4 or 5 month spay. I don't know what the UK laws or the BVA standard or care may be regarding this issue, but you may want to ask other vets to see if they do the surgery earlier if you are really worried.



So your options are:



1) Neuter the male, if possible (you didn't say whether they were littermates of if he was older), before your female has a chance to go into heat.



2) See if another vet will do the surgery earlier, for either cat.



3) Once the female reaches 20 weeks of age, keep her completely separated from the male until you can have the surgery done.



4) Do nothing and risk a pregnancy. However, IF she comes into heat at 5 months and gets pregnant, she will only be 30 days along at 6 months, and you can still get her spayed and terminate the pregnancy surgically. At least, you can do this in the US (for a small increase in the surgery cost because of the slightly increased difficulty) - I don't know if there are greater ethical concerns in the UK regarding this issue - it's another good thing to ask the vet.



Of course, if she's one of those rare cats who happens to come into heat at 4 months, this option could be a problem.