# How often should a female be bred?



## Joolzypops (Mar 8, 2014)

I only ask as the woman I bought my kitten from told me she was getting her cat neutered and now I see she has a litter of 10 for sale.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

What breed is the cat? Is the breeder health tested/registered? And how long ago was the last litter? 

There can be many reasons that is isn't good to leave 1years between litters (not sure where that 'rule' even came from) But did the mum actually have a litter of 10 kittens? That is quite a lot!


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## Joolzypops (Mar 8, 2014)

I thought 10 was a lot too but the pictures are there. I bought a kitten from her second litter and she was born November 6 last year. These ones were born March 21st. I know nothing about breeding but I hate to think that this cat is being used as a commodity. She said the kitten I had got was from her second litter and that was all she was going to do. Mum is a Maine Coon with papers.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Did mum raise the first litter? Unusual to remate before kittens are 12+ weeks. 

I don't think there are rules in the UK, both the associations I'm with the rule is 2 per year but a vet letter can overrule that, what's best for the cat rules out. Ie a litter not raised by mum and the girl calling excessively.

Is your kitten registered? Mum having papers doesn't mean anything, they could be pet papers.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

spotty cats said:


> both the associations I'm with the rule is 2 per year but a vet letter can overrule that, what's best for the cat rules out. Ie a litter not raised by mum and the girl calling excessively


No more than two litters in a year - do those associations have any other rules in place with regard to females and number and frequency of litters? And forgive me for commenting negatively but if I asked my vet to provide me with an 'explanation', of sorts, letter to present to my governing body for a queen of mine who had already had two litters in a 12 month period... he'd tell me to take a running jump and I'd soon no longer be a client!


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

gskinner123 said:


> No more than two litters in a year - do those associations have any other rules in place with regard to females and number and frequency of litters? And forgive me for commenting negatively but if I asked my vet to provide me with an 'explanation', of sorts, letter to present to my governing body for a queen of mine who had already had two litters in a 12 month period... he'd tell me to take a running jump and I'd soon no longer be a client!


What other sort of rules? The op asked about litter frequency.

Not sure why your vet, if they are knowledgable about breeding would have an issue with you having a singleton kitten, not raised by mum who is now in constant call, and you breeding the girl sooner than 6 months later.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

spotty cats said:


> What other sort of rules? The op asked about litter frequency.
> 
> Not sure why your vet, if they are knowledgable about breeding would have an issue with you having a singleton kitten, not raised by mum who is now in constant call, and you breeding the girl sooner than 6 months later.


I was going off topic as I was interested in your comments and wondered if the associations you mentioned had any other rules in place - for example, if two litters in a 12 month period is allowed then I assume that a minimum of 6 litters (putting aside for a moment the possibility of a veterinary 'overruling' letter for extra litters) in a three year period would be considered fine?

My vet is lovely but, granted, not one of the most knowledgeable about breeding. All I can tell you is that if I presented one of my girl's to him, either pregnant or having had a litter, when she had had two litters - regardless of the number of kittens - in the previous 12 months, he wouldn't be very impressed with me. I wouldn't be very impressed with myself either.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

gskinner123 said:


> I was going off topic as I was interested in your comments and wondered if the associations you mentioned had any other rules in place - for example, if two litters in a 12 month period is allowed then I assume that a minimum of 6 litters (putting aside for a moment the possibility of a veterinary 'overruling' letter for extra litters) in a three year period would be considered fine?
> 
> My vet is lovely but, granted, not one of the most knowledgeable about breeding. All I can tell you is that if I presented one of my girl's to him, either pregnant or having had a litter, when she had had two litters - regardless of the number of kittens - in the previous 12 months, he wouldn't be very impressed with me. I wouldn't be very impressed with myself either.


Yes, 3x2 is 6.

I had no problem remating a girl who's first litter was a singleton not raised by her, singles are the main reason for mating again earlier among those I know.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

spotty cats said:


> Yes, 3x2 is 6.


I expected something better than sarcasm from you.

I can only think you misunderstood my reason for asking about your associations' rules. Two litters in a 12 month period would seem reasonable. Two litters in a 12 month period, year on year, would not. That is why I asked if your associations had in place any further rules, above and beyond "two litters in a 12 month period" being seen as perfectly acceptable.


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## NorthernDarkness (Jan 9, 2013)

In Fifé there's a rule of 2 litters in 12 months, but no more than 3 litters in 24 months. I don't know if there's a way to 'overrule' that.

(There'a also a rule about possible c-sections: if a queen has 2 litters that end up in c-sections, no more litters will be registered from that queen. They don't want to pass on possible breeding/labour problems).


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

gskinner123 said:


> I expected something better than sarcasm from you.
> 
> I can only think you misunderstood my reason for asking about your associations' rules. Two litters in a 12 month period would seem reasonable. Two litters in a 12 month period, year on year, would not. That is why I asked if your associations had in place any further rules, above and beyond "two litters in a 12 month period" being seen as perfectly acceptable.


No sarcasm, just answering your question, sorry you took it that way.

Most are not breeding 2 a year for years on end, foreign and oriental breeds especially tend to be retired quite young, while fluffies tend to begin breeding later and take the winter off calling.

Does gccf have a maximum?


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I just skimmed the gccf rules and can't find any restrictions on no / frequency of litters. There is a Siamese female in the pawpeds database born 1984 with 42 offspring and maybe more not in the database.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

GCCF state that you can't have more than 3 litters in a 2 year period.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

carly87 said:


> GCCF state that you can't have more than 3 litters in a 2 year period.


Is that a rule or recommendation?


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Actually, I don't know, but I suspect it's a recommendation.


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

I agree, here if you took a cat to the vets for some letter even if it was for a second litter in a year never mind the 3rd the vets would give you a very shape piece of their mind,and tbh I cant see how it benefits any cat of any breed to produce say 3 litters per year and I am totally shocked by this


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

carly87 said:


> Actually, I don't know, but I suspect it's a recommendation.


Thanks, I know there's been confusion over rule vs recommendation before.

Wlbsh you are clearly missing the parts about singletons not raised by their mother. I also don't make the rules.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

There actually isn't any GCCF rule or recommendation in regard to this - written or implied. They do adopt a flexible approach when it comes to registering litters bred close together from the same queen and they MAY ask for an explanation of why. But anyone seen to be making a habit of breeding litters from queens in quick succession would find themselves under GCCF scrutiny and a likely refusal from them to register litters.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> I am totally shocked by this spesh coming from someone who is holier than thou.


Shocked by what? A rule I neither created nor have personal experience with that exists within an association


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

carly87 said:


> GCCF state that you can't have more than 3 litters in a 2 year period.


I can't find where they say that. Are you sure it's a written rule, or is it simply something that gets them making enquiries of the breeder?


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## lisajjl1 (Jun 23, 2010)

OrientalSlave said:


> I can't find where they say that. Are you sure it's a written rule, or is it simply something that gets them making enquiries of the breeder?


On the old GCCF website and several years ago there used to be a clearly written statement about the minimum number of weeks permissible between registration of litters from a single queen...may have been in the Registration section, its certainly not there now and nothing like but agree that common consensus says there is a recommendation of not more than 3 litters in a 2 year period or the GCCF will write to you asking for explanation/clarification.

Never had a letter myself so only going on say so but have heard this from several unrelated breeders that I know so its come from somewhere or someone's experience.....may be embedded into an overall responsible breeding or welfare policy/guideline somewhere, just a guess??????


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Had a look in the code of ethics which includes a vague phrase:



> Owners should not breed cats in a way that is deleterious to the health of the cat or the breed.


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## Joolzypops (Mar 8, 2014)

Thank you everyone. I'm still at a loss. I should probably mind my own business. If I see future litters for sale this year I feel I should contact the SSPCA though. Am I being naive?


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Probably. How many female cats do you think she has? 10 kittens is a huge litter for one cat, suspect she has more than one.


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