Comments on: Can kittens in a litter have different fathers?

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:10:19 +0000

Thank You. My friend and I disagreed on this issue and you clarified it for us. I win.

By: Pamela

Pamela — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:06:33 +0000

There’s any number of problems that could be going on. I would consult a vet.

By: Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 05:12:25 +0000

So I have a cat that just gave birth yesterday to her first litter of kittens. There were 4 kittens. I swear I still feel 1 maybe 2 ‘lumps’ in her belly, the lump feels like a baby kitten. My question is can my cat still have more kittens to deliver, or is it possible that she had 2 different litters and the babies aren’t ready to come out?

By: paintingdreams

paintingdreams — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:09:02 +0000

For those that wonder about a cat and how long she can be in labor. Well i have witnessed with my Lil Wit that they can be in labor for days. She was in labor for over 24 hours. The first two were born at 7am on June 30th and the next kitten was born at exactly 7am on July 1st and following 2 hours later the fourth kitten was born. All kittens and mother are completely healthy and i have been told that Lil Wit had not one litter but two. And all have different fathers,

By: Kidspeak

Kidspeak — Sat, 28 May 2011 15:59:11 +0000

We took in a complete litter once, and have done so again. Both times, it was pretty clear that two siblings had the same father, probably not the same as the others. In the latest group, the 2 extremely similar kittens are quite close, often moving as a side-by-side pair in various activities. I would love for the “twins”, as I refer to them, to be adopted, but I would not separate them. Still, these two are clearly divided in their preferences for my husband vs. me as their “primary human”. I wonder why that is?

By: WereBear

WereBear — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:15:45 +0000

If cats are not fixed, they can be too young at their first heat, and have health problems as you described.

They will get out when they are in heat. It would be best to have your cat spayed; it’s better for her health, too.

By: jessica

jessica — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:55:45 +0000

i just just wondering my cat had 6 babys her first litter 2 died fast like when they were just born and then the rest died a week later i dont think she was licking there behind good well she got out while in heat for 2 days and i was wondering if she’ll have more this litter or less?

By: WereBear

WereBear — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:40:53 +0000

Well, it’s hard to tell, but similar markings can indicate similar parentage. And a kitten markedly different from the siblings would suggest a big infusion of Some Other Genes.

It is always amazing to me how strong breed traits show up in cats with decidedly mixed pedigrees. In nature, breeds regress to reflect “the original state.” Dogs wind up looking like a medium-sized yellow jackal type quite often, and cats drift towards the brown tabby.

It would seem that plenty of breeds or half-breeds are allowed to roam around unaltered, for shelters to wind up with such a variety of cats with recognizable breed indicators. Which is sad. One would think that a person who paid money for a breed of cat would be more cognizant of good cat care.

But it certainly creates a variety to choose from. Best wishes for getting everyone homes! You might want to check out my Cat Types to help the new adopters have a better idea of the Cat They Will Become.

And bless you for taking in a cat who sure needed you.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:29:12 +0000

I took in a stray female and she had a litter, six total, two gray, one amber tabby and three black tabbies.
My ? is what is the likelyhood of the brother/sister of this litter. one of the grey and the amber tabby have the same white marking on the nose, can I assume they are from the same male? Also the other grey very differnet in structure, almost seems alot more delicate then the others, can I assume he has a different father?

By: WereBear

WereBear — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:13:03 +0000

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.