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Expert: - 7/3/2011


Question
i have a female cat who is pregnant and should be due next week, i also have a male cat who is the father. when shuld i separate them and how long do i keep them apart for?

Answer
Kirsty,

I would separate them now.  I would not put them back together until well after the kittens are weaned.

Often, when the kittens are 4-5 weeks of age the female will go into a "lactation" heat. The male could breed her and you could have kittens again in approximately two months which is pretty tough on the female as she would not have fully recovered from the first litter.

The rule of thumb from the reputable "old timey" breeders is that you should wait a minimum of 3 months + 1 month for each kitten nursed before allowing the female to get pregnant again. For example, if she had 4 kittens, you would want to wait at least 7 months before letting her breed again.  We usually wait a year in between litters. The disclaimer to the rule is that if she has 3 really hard heats in a row, she probably should be bred.

Best regards... Norm.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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