Breeding ques

[Amanda]

Is it cats that can 'store' sperm? And if so, how do breeders go on to ensure that their intended mating is secure?
In other words, to make sure that the offspring are from the intended parents?

Or have I got mixed up with my facts again? :oops: (which I do quite a lot since I'm learning about every imaginable animal you can think of)

[Fran]

Breeders tend to keep their stud cats in individual stud houses usually outside in their gardens. When a queen is in call they take her to the desired stud and she stops with him until the breeder feels that enough matings have taken place or the queen goes out of call and then she is taken away from him and kept seperate from any other entire males.

Tom cats store sperm in their scrotal sacs much like humans do. hth

[Amanda]

Breeders tend to keep their stud cats in individual stud houses usually outside in their gardens. When a queen is in call they take her to the desired stud and she stops with him until the breeder feels that enough matings have taken place or the queen goes out of call and then she is taken away from him and kept seperate from any other entire males.

Tom cats store sperm in their scrotal sacs much like humans do. hth

Cheers Fran :D Sorry, I should have made my first post clearer, I was asking if the Queen can store multiple partnered sperms?

[Fran]

Cheers Fran :D Sorry, I should have made my first post clearer, I was asking if the Queen can store multiple partnered sperms?

Sorry, I misunderstood. A queen can have a litter with kittens from different sires, yes

[Amanda]

Sorry, I misunderstood. A queen can have a litter with kittens from different sires, yes

:lol: Thanks. For a min there, I thought I was getting mixed up with my species again.

So really, it can be quite a tense time when the queen starts calling. Is it always the case that the Queen goes to the Tom?

And have there been any instances whereby the intended litter have shown characteristics from another Tom? (ie, not the intended Tom, even though they have been locked in same 'shed' etc)
[As I understood it, dogs have the 'locking' system whilst mating to ensure that there is only a single male that is able to pass on his genetic code (although, this has been proven unsuccessful, as we know), but on the other hand Cats don't have this and if I heard/read things correctly, then a Cat can in fact 'store' sperm from the intended mating and then mate again (to an unknown) and have a multiple genetic litter?]

[Fran]

Both dogs and cats can have litters that are a result of different fathers. Dogs do usually 'tie' but they can remain fertile for a few days so it would be quite easy for them to 'tie' again with a different dog if the owner wasn't vigilent. Can't don't have the tieing mechanism and often once mated a cat will go out of call but not always straight away and so another tom could easily mate too resulting in a mixed litter.

Cat breeders usually house their studs in individual 'houses' therefore, they can control which tom they want to mate with which queen. It is usual that the queen visits the tom.

[Fran]

The bottom line is both cats and dogs can have litters from multiple sires. I.e. multiple gentic litters.. Most breeders of both dogs and cats are very vigilent and wouldn't allow this situation to arise but of course there are always accidents..

[Amanda]

Both dogs and cats can have litters that are a result of different fathers. Dogs do usually 'tie' but they can remain fertile for a few days so it would be quite easy for them to 'tie' again with a different dog if the owner wasn't vigilent. Cats don't have the tieing mechanism and often once mated a cat will go out of call but not always straight away and so another tom could easily mate too resulting in a mixed litter.

Cat breeders usually house their studs in individual 'houses' therefore, they can control which tom they want to mate with which queen. It is usual that the queen visits the tom.

So it isn't as I thought then, not sure if I read it or heard it, but someone said that they can 'store' it. But from what you are saying, everything is the same for both species. Thanks for your help Fran :D

[Fran]

So it isn't as I thought then, not sure if I read it or heard it, but someone said that they can 'store' it. But from what you are saying, everything is the same for both species. Thanks for your help Fran :D

A large number of eggs are released by the queen, some of them will be fertilized from the first mating if all goes to plan ;) more of the eggs can be fertilised from subsequent matings whilst the eggs remain viable. As far as I know, neither dogs nor cats are able to 'store' sperm as sperm only remains viable for so many days :)

[Amanda]

A large number of eggs are released by the queen, some of them will be fertilized from the first mating if all goes to plan ;) more of the eggs can be fertilised from subsequent matings whilst the eggs remain viable. As far as I know, neither dogs nor cats are able to 'store' sperm as sperm only remains viable for so many days :)

Bingo! Thanks Fran, thats where I was getting confused. So the key is with the eggs :D

Just one more question, am I right when I say that white is a dominant colour for cats, compared to black?

[Fran]

Just one more question, am I right when I say that white is a dominant colour for cats, compared to black?

I am not sure tbh. I find cat colour genetics very confusing. Someone like Kay would be better to advise re colours. I do know black is a dominant colour and blue (grey) is the recessive of black. But I do find it very difficult to get my head around

[smudgley]

cats ovulate after mating takes place, the mating process indicates to the female cat to ovulate & then she releases eggs. (which is why they are such good reproducers)

But with dogs the bitch will ovulate - ie release eggs, then she will be mated.

When I was doing some reproduction training in artificial insemination (dogs) with Gary England recently, we got chatting about other species & I asked him if it would be possible to AI a cat (just out of interest) & he said in theory you could & people have tried, but it's very difficult & it's not just the presence of semen that induces the ovulation, it's the behaviour & the mating process too, so weather she's ovulate from being inseminated would be questionable......
He went on to make a very good point, that it would be extrememly difficult collecting a semen sample from a cat. :oops: (I hadn't thought of that)

Edit to add ~ I have no idea about colour genetics in cats. (I have enough trouble understanding it with the labs & they only come in 3 colours)