ForestWind Siberian Cats

Reproduction in the Healthy Siberian

The average onset of puberty and sexual behavior in cats begins at about five to nine months of age.  Most, but not all, cats who are sexually mature, indicate this through changes in their behavior. Siberian cats, being much closer to nature, tend to come into maturity early.

The old fashion ideas about not desexing cats at a young age increase the likelihood of pregnancies, negative behaviors, and later breast and reproductive cancers. The "have a litter before they are spayed" school of thought has gone the way of the "It's perfectly safe for cats to wander around alone outside" theory.

Males demonstrate sexual maturity through territorial urine spraying, roaming, and aggressive behavior toward other males in their domain –this can even be cats that your Siberian sees outside the windows of your home.

These types of behavior begin to appear even before some of the physical characteristics related to sexual maturity develop. Tom cats often develop jowls (prominent cheeks) and a broad head. Unaltered males are more muscular and may develop a greasy patch of fur at the base of their tail in a condition called Stud Tail.

Female cats typically reach sexual maturity about the same age as males. Females can become pregnant at their first breeding, a fact that has caught many a pet owner by surprise.

Unlike dogs, there are no external physical signs of estrus (heat) in female cats; no bloody vaginal discharge and no swelling of the vulva. Female cats indicate that they are ready to be bred entirely through behaviors designed to attract and encourage males.

A female cat (Queen) beginning her estrous (heat cycle) becomes restless and vocal. She rubs her head affectionately against her owner or any upright object, marking these with the oily secretions on the relatively hairless areas below her ears on her forehead.

A sexually receptive queen will roll on the floor or tread with her hind feet if scratched at the base of her tail.When treading, the Queen alternately lifts her left and right rear feet in quick succession while raising her hind quarters in the air and crouching on her front legs. She might yowl a long, mournful, guttural cry and wander around the house or sit at the door. Many people are unfamiliar with these normal estrous behaviors and think their cat is ill or in pain.

At first the period of sexual receptivity is very short. If there is no successful mating, the hormones that induce this behavior will wane and for several days she will no longer seek out a male or act interested in mating. Eventually, the period of receptivity will last longer and she will go out of heat for only one or two days, only to quickly return to her estrous behaviors of crying, rolling, and treading.

Not all female cats will exhibit the prominent behavior associated with sexual receptivity, very young females in particular. Owners of these cats are likely to let the cat out the door as usual one morning and receive a surprise just over two months later. Hence, all female cats should be kept indoors and away from their male siblings until they have been spayed.

The early age of sexual maturity in the Siberian cat is one more reason that ForestWind Siberians practices early spay/neutering, and your kitten is safely desexed by our Veterinarian before going home with you.