"It is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog."

- Mark Twain

Cats Reproduction

Egyptian Mau, silver

Domestic cats reach reproductive age between 7 and 12 months. A breeding female (called a queen) can be in heat, or estrus, as many as five times a year. During these periods, which last about five days, the cat "calls," or caterwauls, intermittently. The gestation period for cats averages 63 to 65 days, and birth usually lasts about two hours. The birth is often called kittening, and the kittens are called a litter. The average litter numbers four; however, the Abyssinian usually has fewer, the Siamese more.

Each kitten is born in a separate amniotic sac that is generally broken open at the moment of birth. If it is not, the mother breaks it. She also severs the umbilical cord and eats the placenta (which in many cases stimulates lactation). The kittens are born blind, deaf, and helpless, as are many other carnivores; their senses begin to function 10 or 12 days after birth.
Soon after birth the mother licks her kittens; this action cleans them and helps stimulate their circulation. Kittens at birth lack distinctive colouring, and many do not acquire their characteristic markings and colour for weeks. For example, Siamese kittens are white at birth, while blue Persians have tabby markings and black Persians are brown.

Unlike wild cats that breed once a year, the domestic cat is capable of bearing up to three litters every year. Traditionally, regulation of the cat population was accomplished by the selective killing of the newborn.
In modern times, however, sterilization-by means of relatively safe and simple operations known as spaying, neutering, or altering-has become common in affluent societies. Neutering is also viewed as an adaptive measure for indoor life.

Castration of the male, ideally around six or seven months of age, helps control the adult male's tendency to "spray"-to mark objects in and around the house with his own urine. Spaying the female may help reduce the incidence of breast cancer in addition to eliminating uterine diseases and unwanted litters.

Neutered cats live longer than nonneutered ones, partly because they have less desire to roam. The average life expectancy for the domestic cat is 10 to 15 years; the oldest cat on record attained the age of 34 years.

Source: "cat, domestic." Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite. (2007).