If you were to ask a cat “Who’s your babies daddy?” – she honestly might not know. That’s because one litter of kittens can actually have multiple fathers.
It’s true. Have you even met a litter of kittens that look nothing like each other? Different color patterns… Maybe some are much bigger or much smaller. You may also notice completely different and obvious personalities.
Mama cats, like many mammals that have litters, can produce offspring from different fathers. When a cat is in heat, she is producing multiple eggs that can survive up to 24 hours. If she’s feeling feisty, she might make good friends with multiple sires during this time. The swimmers from these guys may be partial to different eggs – and VIOLA! We have a couple little fuzzy lovers that look and act NOTHING like each other – because they have multiple fathers!
Watch And Learn
This is also a good reminder about spaying a neutering. Female cats can become pregnant as young as 4 months old. Cats (unlike most humans) don’t have a stigma about incest. Daddy cats will mate with daughter cats. Mama cats with their sons. Let’s not judge. Let’s just get them fixed!
This is also why there’s such a thing called Kitten Season. Outdoor stray or feral mama cats can have multiple litters of kittens between the spring and early winter. This is why TNR (trap, neuter, return) programs are so important. If you are able to donate or volunteer with a TNR program near you, please do.
Now – it’s also worth mentioning that cats also have dominant and recessive genes as well. Sometimes – just as with humans – siblings can look and act completely different from one another even with the same father.
So – while you may never know if your sibling set of kittens have the same daddy, you can know that they deserve the same love.
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