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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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  • Related How soon after giving birth can a cat be spayed?
    – James Jenkins
    Sep 29, 2015 at 11:03
  • Ask a veterinarian who actually went to school for 4 years to learn about animal's medical care, instead of the internet. Please get that cat spayed as soon as possible. I volunteer at a shelter and can attest that there are far more kittens in the world than homes.
    – jalynn2
    Sep 29, 2015 at 16:48
  • We make sure our kittens get a home, and I can assure you all of them are living happy lifes, It's saddening to have so many stray/shelter cats, but I do what I can by being responsible of what happens to our kittens. And the cat is getting spayed, I already stated it above. @jalynn2
    – Just Do It
    Sep 29, 2015 at 16:57
  • I am happy that you took care of all of the kittens and that you are getting your cat spayed. But there are still too many kittens in the world, and perhaps the families that adopted yours could have gotten one from a shelter instead. Thousands of kittens are euthanized every day in the U.S. because there are not enough homes for them. If there are many intact feral cats in your neighborhood, maybe a Trap-Neuter-Release organization could help to neuter them to cut down the overall population.
    – jalynn2
    Sep 29, 2015 at 17:04
  • @jalynn2 You can't say I'm the reason there's kittens still on shelters... Even if I live far away from home I try to help out my community, I'm part of a group were animals are rescued, taken care of and sent to families where the animals can find a home, it's a large group and we do everything we can to help these stray animals. Shelters aren't a thing back in my hometown, so we do what we can with what we have.
    – Just Do It
    Sep 29, 2015 at 17:16

2 Answers 2

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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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  • And I can tell you that all kittens from past litters are alive and well and happy with their families, and I am aware that a cat can be an invasive species. That's why were spaying the cat, we didn't expect this amount of litters(Again we were used to our old cat having only one per year) And we are running out of families to give the kittens to. We are keeping one female kitten from current liter and we are spaying her as well before her first heat. We are not gonna make the same mistake twice. I'm glad all of my cats have outlived the average, around 12 years per cat :D
    – Just Do It
    Sep 29, 2015 at 15:34
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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.

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