Feline Reproductive Behavior: Identifying Oestrus in Queens

Oestrus Cycle and Mating Behaviour

• Actual oestrus lasts 9-10 days without copulation and 4 days if the cat is bred.
• Signs of oestrus in a queen include:
  • Calling and purring
  • Restlessness and increased general motor activity
  • Friendliness towards owners
  • Frequent urination
  • Rubbing her head and flanks on furniture
  • Crouching and elevating her perineal region (lordosis position)
  • Rolling and stretching of her body
• When fully receptive, the queen becomes immobile and stands in a crouching position with her head held on the ground between her forelegs.

Tomcat Sexual Behaviour

• The tomcat locates an oestrus female via olfactory cues deposited as pheromones in her urine.
• The tomcat calls to the female, circles her, and sniffs her genitalia.
• When the female is receptive, the male approaches her from the side and behind, rubs her with his forepaws, and then mounts her.
• Intromission follows a forward stepping with arched back and pelvic thrusts, and ejaculation occurs within seconds, lasting less than 10 seconds.
• Postcoital rolling by the queen and a loud cry during intromission (due to penile spines) are important for stimulating ovulation and forming a vaginal plug.

Gestation and Parturition

• Gestation is 56-66 days in cats.
• There is a seasonal distribution of births, with the greatest number of litters being born in summer and the least number in autumn and early winter.
• Parturition is characterized by:
  • Excessive licking by the queen of her belly and genital area
  • Excessive licking of the foetal fluid from her body
  • Restlessness, with the queen lying down and standing up with uneasy movements
  • Circling and walking around the cage
• After parturition, the queen eats the placenta and a part of the cord, and then directs her attention to her litter, lying down with an encircling motion and positioning her legs to form a U-shape around the kittens.

Maternal Behaviour

• Newborn kittens are blind and deaf, and use smell and tactile sensation to locate the nipple.
• Most kittens start suckling within an hour or two of birth.
• The queen retrieves her kittens in response to auditory, not visual signals, usually picking them up by the scruff of the neck.
• The queen frequently moves her kittens to new nests, moving 4-9 times before they are weaned.

Cat Management

• Oestrus cycle is seasonal in the cat, commencing in January and reaching a peak in March and April.
• The gestation period is an average of 8 weeks or 56 days.
• Signs of pregnancy include:
  • Nipples becoming slightly pink at 21 days, which is the first sign of pregnancy.
• Management during pregnancy includes feeding a good and well-balanced diet, and providing vitamin and mineral supplements essential for litter growth.
• Parturition (kittening) is characterized by a great deal of licking, mostly directed at the belly and genital area, and licking of the foetal fluid from her body or the floor.