# How long is best between litters?



## becbec31 (Jun 26, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

My BSH girl Blossom had her first litter on 21 Sept, She did a great job and the kittens are now in new homes. She began calling again when the kittens were 6 weeks old on and off. She is now calling again really strongly, I have tried keeping her outside in her pen but it doesnt seem to help at all. Thought the dark cold days may persuade her to wait. I was not thinking of mating her till the summer as I had understood it was bets to leave them a while. What do you all think would be best?

Thanks x


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I prefer my girls to have only one litter per calendar year as I do think they need a good rest in between litters. I know some do not hold with that idea and spout the old and misused by the unscrupulous "you have to mate them after 3/4/5 calls otherwise they will get pyo" and the old Mother Nature designed them to be bare pawed and pregnant all the time, but I do not agree with that. Some queens seem to have a number of calls in relatively quick succession after a litter that eventually even themselves out and they go into a natural break. If you blanket apply the mate after 3 calls you end up with a queen either permanently pregnant or feeding kittens.

It really comes down to a personal judgement, no one can really tell you when to mate your girl as it depends on so many factors. If she is a prolific caller, has she gone into constant call, is she losing condition, is there a history of pyo in the line, how big was her last litter, did she lose condition during that litter etc . Each individual circumstance has to be weighed up, there are no blanket rules that can be applied.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

it all depends on the girl - my lass was mated again when the kittens were 12 weeks old as she had been calling constantly from 3 weeks old (kittens that is) every 5 days for 5 days and not eating inbetween- so feeding kittens and calling all the time was really beginning to take a toll on her (she had only had 2 kittens) - I certainly couldn't have kept her going much longer and would have had to look at spaying her otherwise she would have starved herself to death - so we sent her off to stud after taking advice, sort of really hoping that she wouldn't concieve but she did and had 1 kitten. Luckily, he is now 11 weeks and she hasn't called yet (hooray!). 

If your girl is beginning to lose condition and the calls are becoming a lot stronger then I'd send her off to stud. If you think you can hold out for a while then all the better. As my girl has only had 1 kitten this time and is in really good nick I will send her back off to stud Feb/march time should she call at the right time - so she will have had 3 litters in 2 and a bit years (if she calls and takes) - BUT all her litters so far have been very small, and she is in great nick at the moment (and still young). But we shall take it as it comes at the time. 

Basically, you need to think of the girl (one of my breeder friends says - go by the cat not the calendar!) and do what you feel is best for her.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Two litters a year is perfectly normal. If you really don't want to have her mated yet, you'll need to use Ovarid.

Liz


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## becbec31 (Jun 26, 2009)

Hi, Thanks for your replies.

My female had 4 kittens in her litter, one was stillborn. So she successfully raised 3 kittens. She is always a petite cat her normal weight is around 3.5kg she is long and lean which I know is unusual for a BSH. She currently weighs 3kg and does look a little out of condition the vet looked her over and said she wasnt bad considering she had just ahd a litter but I would prefer her to gain a bit and get her condition back. However this doesnt seem to be happening as she is calling?! If I leave her out i her pen she is quite quiet and settled the minute she comes back into the house she calls her head off! I have considered Ovarid but have heard such conflicting reports, Have any of you ever used it? I was going to ask the advice of my vet as I am there in a couple of weeks anyway.

Thanks again for your help


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## Clare Ferris (Nov 26, 2009)

becbec31 said:


> Hi, Thanks for your replies.
> 
> My female had 4 kittens in her litter, one was stillborn. So she successfully raised 3 kittens. She is always a petite cat her normal weight is around 3.5kg she is long and lean which I know is unusual for a BSH. She currently weighs 3kg and does look a little out of condition the vet looked her over and said she wasnt bad considering she had just ahd a litter but I would prefer her to gain a bit and get her condition back. However this doesnt seem to be happening as she is calling?! If I leave her out i her pen she is quite quiet and settled the minute she comes back into the house she calls her head off! I have considered Ovarid but have heard such conflicting reports, Have any of you ever used it? I was going to ask the advice of my vet as I am there in a couple of weeks anyway.
> 
> Thanks again for your help


I dont know if I would resort to using drugs, Ovarid has side effects and some vets really dont like using it. I know someone who used it and it messed up the cats calling and took her awhile to start again and did not get pregant for a while either. A vet told me to try and take her out of call by artifically stimulating her using something like a sterile swab. It is supposed to stimulate ovulation but without the resulting pregnancy which would take her out of call for a bit but I have not tried this myself so I dont know if it works. You do have to be careful about the risk of pyometra if constantly calling and not mated but like others say take into consideration her condition and health. Is she on kitten food or some other food with high energy density? If not put her on this to try and build her up abit before a mating. My breeding girls are on kitten food permenantly so they maintain a good weight as they will have higher than average energy requirements being breeding cats and calling the same for a working stud


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## becbec31 (Jun 26, 2009)

I am not going to use Ovarid, it is just something I have been considering. I like to weigh up all possibilities. My vets does not object to its use in some cases. However my girl seems to have settled down at the moment we havent been calling for 3 weeks now and she has gained quite a bit of weight and her condition has improved no end. I have been giving her velcote which has helped her coat and skin condition and she looks much better for the weight gain and her appetite is much improved. She has been on kitten food since the start of her pregnancy and has continued on it as i was aware of her needing the extra goodness. Thanks for your replies.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

have you got any pictures of her,.....


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## Milly22 (Sep 15, 2008)

Depending on the girs condition I would mate her twice in one year (17 weeks between) then rest her for 6 months from the date of kittens leaving.


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## becbec31 (Jun 26, 2009)

Heres a picture, it was taken pre-kittens.

Shes a lilac tortie colourpoint.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Beautiful colouring!

Liz


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