A Litter of Kittens Can Have Different Fathers

Can kittens in a litter have different fathers?

by WereBear on Nov.18, 2008, under personality

A female cat in heat will attract many suitors. Often, more than one fellow will mate with her, since she will not leave heat until her body sends the “successful mating” signal, which can take several hours. (This is why, when a susceptible female gets out, she will not return until she is pregnant.) This can result in a litter of kittens who vary genetically more than we might realize.

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A litter can have longhaired and shorthaired cats, tabbies and calicoes, a random mix or a kitten who looks a lot like a purebred parent. Each kitten has an equal potential to be a delightful companion. But it also means that littermates are not necessarily well matched.

Getting two siblings, even from a purebred litter, will not guarantee that we will have two cat buddies. There are many disappointed people who thought getting siblings would help cat compatibility, only to discover they have two mismatched cats.

Growing up together from a young age will usually result in cats who at least tolerate each other, if only because of familiarity. But not always. The random mixing of traits can create cats with differing management styles, differing energy levels, and differing concepts of what is fun.

My two older cats, Mr. Bond and Puffy, became my cats because of this variable expression of traits. They were the rejected kittens from their litter. Their siblings were cuddly, friendly, and appealing right away. Mr. Bond and Puffy needed a little help to show their true, lovely, nature.

This is because genes are only tendencies. It’s the environment that will activate them. Mr. Bond and Puffy needed socialization training, which allowed them to acquire what their littermates had already achieved. But it couldn’t, and didn’t, change their essential nature. Mr. Bond, a Beta, can make friends with other compatible cats, and be friendly with visitors. Puffy, a Gamma, prefers to hide from all new beings he encounters. Yet both managed to find a happy niche with the many other cats they lived with during their formative years.

So don’t take home siblings to be companions unless we have other reasons to think these cats would get along. For help in figuring this out, read my articles about cat types, and once we find our favorite type, then we can bring home two kittens.

With confidence.

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3 comments for this entry:

Dave Bromley
November 19th, 2008 on 4:51 am
My two sibling cats tended to totally ignore each other. They woiuld sleep in diffderent parts of the house and apart from meal times were rarely in the same room. However, when one of them died recently the other seemed lost and went around the house looking for the other cat.
Krystelle
December 23rd, 2008 on 12:57 am
Hello. I have a somewhat small problem. I have 2 cats and 3 kittens. My 2 cats came from the same litter and I think they bred and created my 3 kittens. I was always sure that my boy and girl had different fathers because they are different breeds. Kiara (the girl) is a tortoise shell tabby looking cat and Umbrion (the boy) is a tuxedo. Their Mother was grey. My kittens seem healthy (though they are only a few days old) but one is grey, one is whole black and one is white with black patches (like a cow). None look like the Kiara but do have the colours of Umbrion. Also I am quite familiar with the cats in my neighbourhood and none are male black and white. Will my kittens have problems if Kiara and Umbrion did…do the nasty? Would I know by now? Is this normal? (Normal for siblings to breed). Thank you in advance for your input. Sincerly, Krystelle.
WereBear
December 23rd, 2008 on 11:13 am
Hello Krystelle,

Since they are siblings, the genetic mix would not be as varied as it would be if they didn’t share half their genes. I wouldn’t be enthused about breeding them.

Cats have a lot of genes for how the coat colors and patterns are expressed. These genes can “lurk” and come out when they find a new mix of genetic material to work from, even from their grandparents or great-grandparents.

As much as you love them, I would avoid breeding them. Get them fixed, and if you want more kittens, there are plenty to choose from.