What is the average cat litter size

Each kitten is contained within its own membranes and has its own placenta through which it derives nourishment. The uterus may be considered as a muscular, sausage-shaped bag, capable of contracting both around its diameter and along its length.

To help in its passage, each kitten is contained within a fairly tough double-layered bag of membranes, which are filled with slippery fluid in which the fetus floats. This serves as both protection and lubrication and provides a distending, stretching and dilating force when the uterus relaxes in front of it and contracts behind it during the course of birth. Birth parturition is generally described in three stages, although in the cat the second and third stages are repeated with each kitten and the third stage is brief and nearly continuous with the second.

This is essentially the stage of relaxation of the cervix and vagina and the start of contraction of the uterus. Uterine contractions must always be interrupted by periods of relaxation, otherwise, the blood supply to the kitten would be cut off. The pelvic muscles slacken and the perineum the area between the anus and vulva becomes looser and longer.

Uterine contractions are not yet observable as straining, although movement of the kittens may be felt through the abdominal wall. There is little else to see at this stage except for repeated visits to the prospective kittening bed, and in the dependent type of cat, an apparent desire for reassurance from the owner. Some scratching up and bed-making occurs, and panting may be seen as a late first stage feature.

Vaginal discharge is rarely seen and is usually licked away promptly by the cat. In the cat kittening for the first time, the first stage can be very prolonged, even lasting up to 36 hours without being abnormal. After the relaxation of the first stage, the uterine contractions become stronger and more frequent and drive the first kitten, contained within its membranes, towards and into the pelvic opening.

The inner layer passes into the pelvis and retains some of the fluid which acts as a continuing lubricant to assist the passage of the kitten.

The cat pushes to help the kitten through the pelvis. If your cat is healthy, you should be able to welcome a full litter in less than three months. The final two factors to consider when estimating the litter size are the age of the cat and the health of the sire.

If your cat is more of an outdoors animal, you may not know that much about the male cat involved in the pregnancy, but his health and genetics can influence the size of the litter as well. Male cats tend to have more issues with fertility, which can usually result in a smaller litter size or fewer number of healthy kittens. Finally, the age of the cat can sometimes influence the size of the litter.

While it is true that cats can get pregnant at virtually any age, their first litters tend to be their smallest. A lot of these factors are out of your control when it comes to dealing with a pregnant cat. However, no matter the size of the litter, your primary concern as a cat owner should be making sure your cat is happy and healthy throughout her pregnancy.

While kittens are undeniably adorable, you may not necessarily be ready to deal with the extra time and effort required to care for an entire litter.

The best way to keep your cat from getting pregnant is to get her spayed. As mentioned above, cats usually reach sexual maturity between four and six months of age. This is when most veterinarians recommend spaying. While average litter size is three to five kittens, double-digit litters aren't unheard of.

Healthy females can have litters so large they cannot feed them all. In , a 4-year-old Burmese named Tarawood Antigone gave birth to 19 kittens, 15 of which survived. Oddly enough, 14 were males, with only one female! Clementine, a mixed domestic shorthair gave birth to 15 11 survived in New York in , and that same year a Siamese named Tikatoo had a litter of 15 in Canada.

Certain breeds, including the Burmese like record-holder Miss Antigone, have more kittens per litter on average. Most cats, or queens unspayed female cats , have a litter of three to five kittens, but feline litters can vary in size from one to more than So what kinds of factors can affect the size of a litter?

For example, a young or first-time queen typically produces a smaller litter of up to three kittens. Breed also can affect the number of kittens in a litter, according to Tammy Sadek, a board-certified veterinarian specializing in feline practice who founded and owns Kentwood Cat Clinic in Kentwood, Michigan and Cat Clinic North in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Queens are seasonal breeders, which means they come into heat, or estrus, during certain seasons of the year. Outdoor cats most often cycle in the spring and summer when the days get longer, and they quit cycling when the days get shorter.

Because indoor cats are exposed to artificial lights, they might cycle year-round. Because of this, the more breeding encounters the cat has, the more kittens are produced, and they can be from different fathers, Sadek explains. Certain feline infections can affect the litter size and vitality. If the queen is starving or malnourished, it influences the number of stillborn versus viable kittens she delivers.

Despite her young age and it being her first litter, Fluffy produced a rainbow of five healthy kittens: one calico, and one each of her colors — white, orange, gray, and black and white the only male.