How Many Kittens Can A Male Cat Father Have In A Year? [ Really?! ]

A tomcat can father as many kittens as possible in a year. Five, ten, twenty, fifty, you name it. Interesting, isn’t it? The only limitation here is the number of females he encounters within that period. Finding a female cat is not enough, she has to be in the right part of her estrous cycle. As long as a meeting between these two happen, a male cat has a new set of incoming offspring. One female kitty can have an average of about 12 kittens each year if not spayed.  Think that our lovely cat will meet around (at least) 20 female cats in a year. You can do the math…To avoid a houseful of kitties, spay, or neuter your furry companions to prevent unwanted litters. This is why pet owners are advised to neuter their pets. Spaying/Neutering your pets reduces the number of unwanted cats around us today. 

Once a kitten reaches 5 months to 10 months, they (both male or female) can start reproducing. pregnancy will last around 65 days, and after, our kittie can immediately go into heat and become pregnant again. For male kitties, they can reproduce as much as they want. For more information about cat pregnancy and what to expect as a cat owner read here.

Further Reading: “Why Is My Cat Freaking Out For No Reason?“

Can Male Cats Be Around Their Kittens?

Have you ever wondered whether tomcats can stay with their kittens? Popular opinion says ‘no’ and this isn’t baseless. Male cats aren’t well known for their fatherly instincts. Some of them are notorious kitten killers. But, some of them are great fathers too. It’s surprising but you might get to see a tomcat leading a litter of kittens in tow someday. Keep in mind that anything is possible. Your male cat may turn out as the biggest threat to the kittens. It could also turn out as a great companion to the mother and kittens.

If you want your tomcat near its kittens, you need to play it safe. Playing it safe to the letter is letting your tomcat nowhere near the kittens. But, you may allow this under strict supervision. It’s a gradual process. Introduce the tomcat to them, watch how it reacts. Any sign of aggression should have you taking it away immediately. It’s best if the babies are as old as six to eight weeks.

Male cats aren’t well known for their fatherly instincts. Some of them are notorious kitten killers. But, some of them are great fathers too. It’s surprising but you might get to see a tomcat leading a litter of kittens in tow someday. Keep in mind that anything is possible. Your male cat may turn out as the biggest threat to the kittens. It could also turn out as a great companion to the mother and kittens.

Related Article: “Do Cats Remember Their Mother?“

Do Father Cats Know Their Kittens?

Some father cats know their kittens and take part in their upbringing. Others don’t care. You can never tell which until you see it happening. But it is the queen that nurses the kittens and shows them how to hunt. All that male cats are focused on doing is producing more offspring ‘not to know’. But, male cats are sometimes known to show some fatherly instinct. They engage in fun-loving play sessions with the kittens. Some even groom them, licking them to cleanliness. On the flip side, some have killed their offsprings. Hence, playing it safe is key. 

It’s best to assume a father cat doesn’t know or will not associate with their offspring. With other kittens, it’s worse. Father cats may kill kittens that have different fathers. This is because they want to end a rival father cat’s DNA. The good news remains that kittens don’t need their fathers around. You can keep them away.

Further Reading: “My Cat Peed On Me! What Should I Do?“

Will A Father Cat Mate With His Daughter?

Is she in her heat period? Then, absolutely yes. The same goes for a mother cat and her son. Cats do not consider the relationship with one another as a barrier to sexual relations. Hence, a brother and sister can mate with each other. Any male cat will mate with any female cat in heat. That is the way things work. A litter of kittens can have different fathers. It all depends on the mother. Female cats can breed many times with different males when she’s in heat. It’s easy to tell that this is the case with a glance at the litter. They will look very different from each other. 

As a pet owner, this is another reason you should spay or neuter your male cats. It’s the only way to prevent interbreeding among cats.

Cats do not consider the relationship with one another as a barrier to sexual relations. Hence, a brother and sister can mate with each other. Any male cat will mate with any female cat in heat. That is the way things work. As a pet owner, this is another reason you should spay or neuter your male cats.

Further Reading: “What Does It Mean When A Cat Chooses You?“

How Does A Male Cat React When His Kittens Are Born?

There’s no manual in their world to this. Cats are driven by instinct but they react differently to these situations. A male cat that knows that a litter is his can assume a protective role. He might not give much thought to their upbringing. But chances are that he’ll never harm them. If a female has many breeding partners, there’s no telling what a tomcat can do. Some male cats love their offspring. There are instances where male cats are left to a whole litter of kittens without the mother. This, they did quite well. 

Since there’s no telling how a tomcat will react, you can only judge how it reacts. If things work out well, they will all live as one happy family. If things don’t work out, separate the tomcat from the kittens.

Further Reading: “Why Does My Cat Sleep On Me When I’m Sick?“

Related Questions

How Many Kittens Can A Cat Have In His Lifetime?

In theory, hundreds upon hundreds. All he needs is constant access to females in heat. Many consider it irresponsible to have an unneutered tomcat roaming the streets. The overpopulated cat kingdom will receive a massive boost on account of this. Furthermore, a neutered cat is at less risk of testicular cancer and torsion. Another danger faced by unneutered roaming cats is that of other tomcats. Your roaming tomcat will be in competition with others for females on heat. This can lead to many wounds and even, death. 

How Many Times Can A Cat Get Pregnant In A Year?

Cats are very fertile. A cat can get pregnant and deliver up to three times a year. Depending on the breed, kittens are born after 58 – 67 days of gestation. As soon as the cat is fertile and receptive again, it is ready to get pregnant again. Normally, this happens every two to three weeks. This means that a receptive cat can get pregnant every month. But, the gestation period breaks this cycle. Spaying or neutering your cat will take care of this if it ever becomes a problem.

How Many Kittens Can A One Year Old Cat Have?

A female kitty reaches sexual maturity between 5-9 months of age. At this point, she can start to mate. The gestation period takes 3 months. With each pregnancy, you can expect any number between 1-6 offsprings. A kitty that reaches sexual maturity at 5 months can have as many as 12 kittens. One that reaches maturity at 9 months can have as many as 6. Any number from 1-12 is possible for a one-year-old kitty.

Further Reading: “Can Cats Have Lemon Juice?”

Final Thoughts

How many kittens can a male cat father in a year? bottom-line, a lot! Now, you know that this depends on the number of females on heat he can mate with. Hence, neutering your tomcat is a great idea if you don’t want too many cats. Some state pet laws permit shelter pets should be euthanized. You don’t want that, do you?

Besides, spaying your tomcat decreases its chances of developing some medical conditions. These include testicular cancer and testicular torsion. But if you plan to give up the kittens for adoption, you don’t have to spay your cat. As always, a healthy pet makes a great pet, and this is our responsibility to keep them healthy and happy.