Why do some outdoor cats have more frequent litters than other outdoor cats?
I had a cat long time ago, probably got her around '93; she would only have one litter per year which made us think all cats did. The cat sadly passed away a few years ago and I got my mom another one (since I don't live at home anymore) and we thought she was going be an indoor cat. My family moved to another house and the cat was put outside, shortly she started having litters.
But she has had so many litters over the last 3 years.
Example: Cat gets pregnant, has litter, kittens reach 3 months of age and the cat is already pregnant again. It's not annoying to take care of the kittens, but its hard to get them all new homes. Not that we haven't, but it's still somewhat of a hassle.
So, could someone explain the differences? I'm really confused.
By the way, we are planning to spay the cat as soon as current kittens reach 10 weeks of age.
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Some cats, like some people, become pregnant more easily than others. Some have more opportunity than others. Maybe you just have more unfixed toms in the neighborhood.
In the past, you were lucky, or the cat was lucky, or the cat was unlucky, or something like that.
Cats have a very interesting reproductive system, different from most other mammals. The reason a female cat gets pregnant so easily is because, unlike humans, she ovulates upon stimulation from the male...um, organ (not sure what we can say on this site). So, a cat will get pregnant every time she mates. Humans have to wait for ovulation to occur each month and then try to get the timing right to get pregnant. Another fascinating fact...after the female cat has weaned the kittens and is back on the prowl, she can mate with several males, and her one litter of kittens can have multiple fathers.
Please, please, please spay your cat. I work at an animal shelter. The kittens can be weaned at 2 months. Yes, it is better for them to have the interaction with their mother for 3 months, but the mother isn't going anywhere. She will be back to teach them cat ways. Your problem is severe for a couple reasons. It is contributing to the overpopulation of cats. It is also putting the mother at risk of developing ovarian cancer later in life. Studies show that spaying and neutering your cat before its first heat reduces the chances of ovarian and prostate cancer by 99%. The longer you let her mate, the lower the percentage drops.
Keep the kitty inside. Studies show that, on average, an inside cat lives to be 16 years old (and can even live into their 20's now). On average, an outside cat lives to be 4 year old.
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