# litter frequecy



## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Hi please can people suggest how often a breeding queen should have a litter? I have a kitten who will be one in may and her breeder is advertising another litter same parents just born now. I am new to cats and just a bit surprised.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

My governing bodies rule is 2 litters in 12 months, but mums health comes above all so sometimes a cat might be mated earlier than that.


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

I am thinking 6 kittens is also a big litter too.. Do girls come into season.....i was a dog person....twice a year or more frequently


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

bluecordelia said:


> I am thinking 6 kittens is also a big litter too.. Do girls come into season.....i was a dog person....twice a year or more frequently


Cats don't have 'seasons' and they don't bleed like dogs do. They are forced ovulaters that 'call' to be mated, this could easily be every 2-3weeks to every 6months, still waiting for one of mine to call since last November! Yet I have another calling every week!

So no 100% 'pattern' May is only 4weeks away, there is no 'rule' to wait 12months, you need to do what is best for the cat if they are in good condition and calling a lot, leaving them to call can be worse then mating them, they can get a condition called pyometra, which can be extremely serious to even fatal 

Now which breed are we talking about as Im sure we need pictures?! :hand:


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Sworn to secrecy but i am trying to put 2 & 2 together and barking up the wrong tree as my kit has a really sensitive tum and i am wondering if her early weaning cos mum was tired from 6 kittens and couldn't feed them hasn't helped her bowels. Prior to my kittens litter the mum had another 6 and got caught again. i am happy with kitten and in no way want to berate her breeder just gives me things to consider asking as a novice cat person. x


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Also thank heavens my puss is neutered....all that angst....there must be loads of cross eyed cats!


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

3 litters in 2 years seems to be the maximum allowed by some clubs and at least one registry (FIFe). Even then, there is an exception if the vet recommends a queen be bred (as with a pyo risk). Left to their own devices, two litters a year is the norm unless the kittens die (or are removed too early) in which case the cat will call again very soon. 

Liz


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Blues mom looked pretty washed out and breeder said she had to wean early as she couldn't feed them. I just wondered whether early introduction of food could be a link to her sensitive tum. I preach a lot at work about leaving weaning until the optimum. Thanks everyone


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

What age was that?

Mine eat on their own, from mums plate at 3 weeks without any problems. Though they do continue to nurse the whole time they're here.


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

At my 1st visit at about 3 weeks she was on wet. I think mum struggling to feed a 2nd litter. I know there isn't probably evidence of early kitten weaning.....my experience is with early human weaning&#55357;&#56836; . I was interested in what people thought and the more we debate n swop ideas the better outcomes .


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## pipje (Jun 29, 2011)

Here, it's one litter per year. Most is 3 litters every 2 years but generally, this happens only if a litter dies/miscarriages etc.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

What registry / club is that?

Liz


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

One a year would not be enough for some Oriental & Siamese cats I've come across who are back in full call as little as a week after a litter is born.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

OrientalSlave said:


> One a year would not be enough for some Oriental & Siamese cats I've come across who are back in full call as little as a week after a litter is born.


Some countries use the pill, injection or implant a lot more than others though. If they were just letting them call, then one per year wouldn't work for many breeds.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Would prefer to have her litters close and then neuter her. The drawback is the wait to see if a daughter is a suitable breeding cat. I know at least one person that uses accupressure to reduce calling.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Getting them to an appropriate age for breeding can also be an issue  Acupressure is wonderful  doesn't work on all cats, thankfully I've only had one who it doesn't work on.


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## pipje (Jun 29, 2011)

lizward said:


> What registry / club is that?
> 
> Liz


FIFE and the independent clubs(there are lots of independent clubs here)


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

FIFe is three litters in two years.

I agree I too would prefer not to have this sort of rule imposed - cats with pyos or from lines prone to pyos need different treatment, as do very frequent callers. Getting what you want and then neutering is a better option IMHO. But yes indeed it can be a problem waiting for a successor. I always end up keeping two successors if I possibly can, until I know the one I want is fertile. Trouble with that, of course, is you end up with young adults / older kittens to rehome.

liz


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I preach a lot at work about leaving weaning until the optimum


So what is the 'optimum' for weaning please?


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Would prefer to have her litters close and then neuter her.


Absolutely. I also think total number of litters and total number of kittens is a consideration. Six kittens may be a large litter to some, for me and my breed anything less than six is considered a small litter and only anything over eight is considered a large one.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

havoc said:


> So what is the 'optimum' for weaning please?


All the kittens I've raised have weaned themselves, starting anywhere between 3 and 5-6 weeks. When they are ready they start eating their mother's food.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

havoc said:


> So what is the 'optimum' for weaning please?


I got the impression that the OP was referring to weaning human babies rather than feline ones  It is the current thinking to keep babies on milk only for a minimum of 9 months to help prevent food intolerance I believe. Perhaps she believes that kittens will develop sensitive stomachs if weaned too early.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I got the impression that the OP was referring to weaning human babies rather than feline ones


Ah.



> All the kittens I've raised have weaned themselves, starting anywhere between 3 and 5-6 weeks.


Yup, mine too. Was just interested if someone knew there was an 'optimum'. If the comment was about human babies then there isn't an answer


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

bluecordelia said:


> At my 1st visit at about 3 weeks she was on wet. I think mum struggling to feed a 2nd litter. I know there isn't probably evidence of early kitten weaning.....my experience is with early human weaning�� . I was interested in what people thought and the more we debate n swop ideas the better outcomes .


I know weaning in humans is now left till older and older - when I was a bairn my mother started me on baby rice at 3 weeks, I started my daughter at 12 weeks, now apparently it's 6 months.

Kittens wean at their own rate I've found. I put food down for them from 3 weeks - some dive straight in , others wait a long time (Margo was 7 weeks before she started) But I keep mum with them until they leave and so although they are eating wet food they are also drinking from the milk bar right up until the day they leave. I know a lot of breeders take mum away at 6 weeks ish - I personally don't do that.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I know a lot of breeders take mum away at 6 weeks ish


Do you know why? I've never done so and can't imagine I would unless there was some medical reason. Confirmed eclampsia is the only one which comes to mind but it would probably strike earlier than six weeks wouldn't it?


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

The breeders I know who take kittens away at 5/6 weeks do so as Dr Addie recommends this to minimise FIP.

I leave my kittens with mum until they go unlesss there is a reason not to. My personal feelings on FIP are that if you keep good litter box hygiene and low stress levels you are minimising the chances. I think forcibly removing kittens is likely to send stress levels through the roof!


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> The breeders I know who take kittens away at 5/6 weeks do so as Dr Addie recommends this to minimise FIP


But that's only recommended where there is coronavirus. If you're clear there's no point. If you know your household isn't clear then clear it.

Or am I missing something?


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## wicket (Aug 22, 2012)

Personally I think babies are the same as kittens and wean themselves - if a baby is constantly crying at 12 weeks and you offer it food and its eats it, its weaning itself - same goes for kittens as babies, you can invent an "optimum" time to wean for both, but neither will be force fed hence given the opportunity they both wean when they are ready - just makes for an easier life and less sleepless nights if you offer food to babies before 6 months


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

No idea why, Havoc, I just know some do. Not naming names. 

For a very few unscrupulous, can we even call them breeders?, types - it's to bring mum back into call asap to get the next litter. Which is terribly sad


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> it's to bring mum back into call asap to get the next litter


I only wish leaving mine with the kittens would stop them coming into call by the six week point  Doesn't seem to make any difference but then as I've never removed a mum from her kittens I can't really know.


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## bluecordelia (Jan 5, 2014)

Thanks for everyone's replies. My thinking is that my cat was weaned early. I am new to cats and am trying to see if early weaning could have set her up for irritable bowel. I was unsure as i saw her mum has had a 3rd litter but didn't know until this thread about the potential for females to be ill if not having kittens. the thread had given me advice and information which i would consider if i get another kitten. thank you everyone x


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