 |
TOPICS:
The
Feral Cat Contraceptive Vaccine
Pregnancy
termination in Dogs and Cats
LINKS
Thinking
about breeding your dog? Try Virtual Breeding first
| |
|
|
 REPRODUCTION
A litter
of squirming puppies or kittens can be an anticipated delight or an unexpected
burden. Responsible pet ownership includes managing your pet's reproduction,
and providing suitable homes for all his/her offspring. If you breed your
pet just to show your children the miracle of birth, make sure you also
bring your children to the local animal shelter so they can see the tragedy
of neglect and death which results from uncontrolled breeding.
Here are some basic Birds and Bees data to help you plan:
 Dogs
Reach sexual maturity at 6 to 8 months, shortly after the permanent "fangs"
grow in. Healthy pups can be surgically sterilized any time after 7 weeks
of age.
Females will have a fertile period (estrus) about every 6 months (some
longer, some shorter). The first signal of this event is mild enlargement
of the vulva, and the female may clean this area more frequently, and
may urinate more often. Bloody, mucoid discharge (maybe a lot, maybe very
little) appears for a few days BEFORE estrus, and may continue into the
fertile period. After the bleeding stops, the female may be fertile for
5 to 14 days or more. Even if the female is not bred during estrus, she
may show signs of pregnancy such as weight gain, mammary enlargement and
nesting behavior. This false pregnancy can last 6 to 8 weeks.
Pregnancy lasts 60 to 65 days (usually 63 days). Tests
to verify pregnancy are by palpation no earlier than 28-30 days of gestation,
ultrasound no earlier than 25 days, or blood tests at 25-30 days. Xrays
to count the number of fetuses can be done safely after 7 weeks of gestation.
A litter can have more than one sire.
No legitimate study has demonstrated ANY behavioral benefit to allowing
a female to pass through estrus or deliver pups.
Males can achieve erection as puppies, but usually do not have viable
sperm before 6 months of age. A neutered male can still achieve erection
and can even "tie" with a female.
 Cats
Reach sexual maturity at 5-7 months, may show signs of interest as soon
as daylength increases perceptibly in the spring. Healthy cats may be
surgically sterilized any time after 7 weeks of age.
Females are seasonally polyestrous, showing signs of receptivity every
2-4 weeks throughout breeding season (late January through August in Alaska).
Receptivity may be signaled with posture (elevation of the hindquarters),
voice (repetitive soft purring or "chirping", or loud yowling),
solicitous play (rolling and rubbing on floor and furniture), or attempts
to escape outdoors. Because cats are induced ovulators, breeding virtually
ALWAYS results in pregnancy.
Pregnancy lasts 60 to 65 days (usually 62-63 days). Palpation or ultasound
may verify pregnancy after 25-30 days of gestation.
Male cats who are kept intact will typically mark their territories with
urine sprayed on vertical surfaces. Once a male establishes this practice,
neutering may not extinguish it. |
