Cat Breeding Management
Heritage: As all living creatures, cats are composed of cells whose activities are coordinated by the nucleus, which also carries chromosomes. Chromosomes are large cordons of genes, that keep all the information about the structure and configuration of different parts of the body, character and temper. Sexual reproduction combines genetic information through the ovule and male thru the spermatozoid. The genetic structure of the future kitten is determined by the combination of these two groups of information. Kittens gender will depend on the type of chromosome contributed by the mother ( XX ) and the father ( XY ) .
All mothers contribute with an X chromosome, which will combine with an X or Y chromosome coming from the father. If the resulting combination is an XX, the brood will be female; however, if on the contrary, the resulting combination is XY, the brood will be male. Moreover, animals carry recessive genes – genetic information that cannot be physically seen or exteriorized. When the future kitten inherits recessive genes from both parents unexpected physical defaults and unobserved or unknown characteristics coming from parents may result.
Most times, the reproductive combination and passing on of genetic information is carried out without any problem, but when the mother – while pregnant- is exposed to radiation, drugs and other dangerous chemicals, malformation and mutations may appear. Some animals also carry hereditary sicknesses, therefore, cannot be used in reproduction activities. Of course, this is because these problems could be transmitted to their descendants.
Male producers: The role that the male cat reproducer plays in breeding grounds is very important. A male cat may procreate hundreds of kittens during his life. Furthermore, the ideal reproducer must be a magnificent breed specimen, be in excellent shape and be good-tempered. It must come from a strong healthy brood. It should not have had any problems during breast feeding stage and it should be a descendant of parents with excellent reproductive backgrounds.
As a future reproducer selected cat must be fed on a regular basis only with good quality food, be vaccinated and be parasite-free. The reproducer cat must be kept busy and entertained during non-sexual activity period. Everyday one must give them much love and affection because they really need it. When their reproductive lifecycle comes to an end, they must be castrated because if not, they will end up feeling frustrated, bored and anxious.
Female preparation: Puberty is the moment in which the female cat reaches its sexual maturity and it generally appears when the cat reaches 75% of its adult weight, say between 6 or 7 months of life. Although having reached its puberty, the female cat should not be bred until it reaches 18 or 24 months -time in which it stops growing. Before the female cat begins its reproductive stage a complete physical exam is required, and it must include blood sampling to discard any bad sign in health. Besides the future mother must also be vaccinated in order to transfer the antibodies to its kittens through breast feeding. They also have to be wormed with very specific products. At this point female cat must not be fat, nor skinny because – above all - physical conditions could jeopardize its reproductive behavior at the time of birth and during breast feeding periods.
