Feline Mating and Conception

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When a female cat reaches puberty, her heat cycles (estrus/oestrus cycles) will begin. In domestic cats heat cycles normally run from January through August, depending on the location and climatic conditions.

Until she mates or is spayed, these cycles will repeat themselves as often as every two or three weeks. During this time, the cat's entire focus will be on escaping from the house to mate. She will lurk near doors, make loud vocalized calls, just waiting for the chance to meet-up with one of those noisy male callers who will be hovering around outside your house.

What Happens During the Heat Cycle

Estrus is the period of receptivity to mating, and is linked with the production of estrodial, a type of estrogen produced by ovarian follicles. It is rare to see any signs of blood, although an occasional mucous discharge may be evident. Do not confuse this with menstruation in female humans.

In female cats ovulation does not take place without mating or manual stimulation. If the cat does not mate during estrus, her hormonal levels will eventually drop, and the estrus cycle will cease, until it repeats itself again in another two to three weeks.

Mating

The queen will adopt a unique posture (lordosis), thus indicating her willingness to mate: Head down, forelegs bent, rear quarters raised exposing the vulva, with the tail raised and held to the side of the body.  Her rear legs will tread rhythmically, as if walking on the spot. The tom cat will mount the female from the rear, holding her on the back of the neck with his teeth. Male cats have barbed penises, which it is believed stimulate ovulation. Breeders sometimes use "Teaser Toms" to end the estrus cycle in queens which are not yet ready for breeding. Teaser Toms are neutered by vasectomy, leaving the barbs on the penis to stimulate ovulation.

Conception

Ovulation will usually take place within twenty to fifty hours after mating, and the eggs are capable of being fertilized for approximately one day. The eggs are fertilized in the oviduct, and then make their way to the uterus via the uterine horn, implanting in the uterine lining within ten to twelve days.

A queen may mate with two or more tom cats over the length of the estrus cycle, producing multi-coloured kittens.

These two diagrams show the position of developing kittens. The uterus in a feline is shaped like a pair of "horns", and narrows towards the ovaries. Kittens that are positioned in the narrow end of the horn can be much smaller, especially in larger litters. 

Guarding Against Unwanted Pregnancies

It is critical to keep the mother indoors and separate from any males in the house. Once she starts to wean the kittens, she should be spayed to prevent further litters. In addition, the kittens should be spayed/neutered, whether kept in the original home or placed for adoption.

female cats generally mature sexually from five to twelve months, and it is possible for a cat to start the estrus cycle as early as four months. If a "kitten" is allowed to become pregnant at this age, the result will be dangerous to both the mother and her kittens. Early spay and neutering is being practiced more by many veterinarians to prevent these sort of tragedies happening.