Everyone knows that cats mature at a much faster rate than humans. While we rely on our parents at a few years old, our feline friends are way into adulthood. Even so, it can be a shock when your kitty becomes pregnant. My family and I certainly weren’t expecting it when my first cat had a litter.
Although it seems impossible, many kittens can become pregnant at four months old! At this point, your kitten is still a baby and has a lot more growing to do, which raises the question, “Is it dangerous for a kitten to get pregnant?”
The simple answer to this question is yes! Ideally, cats shouldn’t breed until they are at least one year old and have the physical strength to see a pregnancy through. Although your feline can become pregnant way before this, it’ll likely come with many health risks for your kitten and its litter.
In this article, I talk about the dangers of a cat falling pregnant too young so that you’re aware of the risks involved. I also cover the best ways to prevent pregnancy and whether or not your cat should have a litter before spaying.
When Can Kittens Get Pregnant?
Every cat mom is thoroughly aware of how quickly felines grow up. In a matter of a few months, they go from a fully reliant newborn to an adventurous, independent cat!
Kittens can leave their mom at about 12 weeks of age and may start demonstrating mating behaviors only a few weeks later. Considering kittens start eating food and drinking water at four weeks old, this is a massive leap in their development.
Although some felines may not reach sexual maturity until later, females can go into heat from as early as four months old. You’ll know if your kitty has reached that point as it will start displaying mating behaviors whenever it is in a heat cycle. For my cat, this means relentless yowling and restlessness, but your kitten may also show any of the following behaviors:
- Excessive calling and wailing
- Increased affection
- Overgrooming of the genital area
- Attempts to get outside
- Decreased appetite
- Spraying around the house
- Presenting its rear in the mating position
The urge to find a mate tends only to last a few days at a time but repeats every few weeks from February through to August (the feline breeding season). Whenever your kitty is in heat, it becomes very attractive to any male cats within several miles. The only way to stop this is to have your kitty spayed, which I will discuss later on!
Is it Dangerous for A Kitten to Get Pregnant?
Now that you know that cats can get pregnant at such a young age, it is essential that you try to avoid an early-age pregnancy in your kitten at all costs. Not only does such an early pregnancy pose a risk to your feline, but it can also impact the health of the litter itself.
Let’s take a deeper look into why…
Skeletal Maturity
Firstly, cats don’t reach skeletal maturity until roughly ten months old. Because your feline’s body is not fully developed, it may not have the physical strength to have its kittens, leading to problems during delivery. If your kitten cannot give birth naturally, you may have to rush it to the vet while she is in labor so that a cesarean section can be performed.
I recommend that you don’t breed your cat until she is at least one year old. At this point, your feline should be fully grown and considered an adult in most cases. Before this level of maturity, kittens should eat kitten food to ensure they receive all the nutrients they need to help their bones and muscles grow.
Malnutrition
As mentioned, kittens should eat kitten food with high protein levels and many calories. This helps kittens develop, promoting the growth of their muscles and bones. When pregnant, a kitten must take in enough food to allow herself and her litter to grow properly. She’s no longer eating for one – she’s eating for several growing kitties!
Unfortunately, this means that a young cat is more likely to experience malnutrition, dehydration, and premature birth than a more mature pregnant cat. In some cases, these complications can end up being fatal, so I suggest you talk to your vet about your kitten’s diet if she becomes pregnant.
Homeless Litters
The other issue with a feline becoming pregnant at such a young age is that it is nearly always unplanned. It is currently estimated that there are between 60 and 100 million homeless cats in the US. Seeing as felines can have up to five litters each year, unplanned pregnancies that start from an early age only make this issue worse.
Even though these cats don’t have a home, they are still domesticated. This means they partially rely on humans to give them food, water, and shelter. While a stray that has reached adulthood may be able to provide for itself, a homeless kitten has very little chance of survival.
So, if you can’t find homes for your cat’s unexpected kittens, they may end up suffering on the streets, something no cat should have to do. In my opinion, it is always best to prevent your kitty from falling pregnant at any age unless the litter is planned and you already have potential homes lined up.
How To Stop My Kitten from Falling Pregnant?
The best way to stop your kitten from falling pregnant is to have her spayed. Although it is never too late to neuter a cat, the spaying procedure is usually done when your kitten is 4-5 months old (roughly the age a cat reaches sexual maturity). It can be done earlier, but if you neuter a cat too early, there is a higher anesthesia risk and the potential for stunted growth.
Before your kitty is old enough to be spayed, the best thing you can do to prevent pregnancy is to keep her inside, away from male cats. Allowing your cat to roam freely outside dramatically increases the risk of pregnancy and the risks discussed above. It also puts both her and the litter in danger of contracting a disease from a roaming tom.
Be aware that male cats go into heat at 6-12 months of age and can then mate anytime. Unlike us, felines are not picky about a choice of mate and have no issue with accepting advances from a relative, so I highly suggest you separate your female kitty from the males in your home as well, even if they’re from the same litter.
If you think your kitten mated before you could isolate her, don’t worry. It is highly unlikely that your kitten is pregnant if she only mated once. So, “How many times does a cat have to mate to get pregnant?” you may ask. Most females need to mate at least 3 or 4 times within 24 hours, so isolate your kitty as soon as possible, and you should be in the clear.
Should My Kitten Have a Litter Before Spaying?
In the past, you may have read that your kitten should have a litter of kittens before being spayed. This is actually an old wives’ tale and allowing your feline to become pregnant before the procedure comes with no benefits.
Instead, allowing your kitty to have a litter of kittens just puts her health at risk. When you send the kittens to their new homes, you may also notice that your cat becomes quiet all of a sudden. This is a common sign of cat depression that can occur due to loneliness. If your kitten had a litter while still young, she’s never lived without other cats and can easily feel deserted.
In some cases, your kitten may have already become pregnant. Her pregnancy should last roughly 63 days, and some pre-labor signs in cats you can look out for include a reduced appetite, panting, and overgrooming. Other signs that your cat’s mating was successful include the following:
- The end of her heat cycle
- Increased affection
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Nesting behaviors
- Morning sickness
- Enlarged nipples
- Enlarged Abdomen
- Behavioral changes (e.g., lethargy and mood swings)
If this is the case, it is too late to spay your cat now, and you’ll have to wait until several months after the birth. Remember that cats can get pregnant while nursing, so I wouldn’t wait too long after the litter is born to have your kitty spayed, else you may be faced with another pregnancy before long.
My Final Thoughts
Believe it or not, our feline friends can become pregnant as early as four months old. This is only a few months after kittens start eating wet food and learning to look after themselves! When I first learned of this fact, I couldn’t believe it and often found myself wondering, “Is it dangerous for a kitten to get pregnant?”.
In simple terms, yes: early pregnancies should definitely be avoided. Cats don’t reach skeletal maturity until around ten months old, meaning they may not have the strength to have kittens at such a young age. In worst cases, this can be fatal for your cat and her litter. Even if the pregnancy is healthy, there is a high chance that you won’t be able to find a home for your kitty’s litter.
The best way to stop your cat from falling pregnant is to get them spayed. Many believe a cat should have a litter of kittens before the procedure, but this is merely an old wives’ tale; kittens can be spayed from four months old! Ask your vet about the operation to avoid the risks of early pregnancy.
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