Why Puff Isn't Pregnant

Any reputable shelter will be happy to explain to you what incredibly efficient reproductive machines cats can be, and how quickly a fertile pair can produce enough offspring to constitute a colony.

- By Iris Zinck and Emilie Woltering

The feline reproductive system appears designed by Mother Nature to maximize output, with heat cycles that can begin as early as four or five months, ovulation occurring in response to the stimulation of a breeding, etc., etc. It all should result in an abundance of kittens and generally does.

Except when it doesn't.

So where do you start when it comes to figuring out why the queen you expected to be pinking up has started to call again? Is it more likely to be the girl's fault or the boy's fault? Is there some abnormality, deficiency, or infection on either side-that is preventing a successful combination of sperm and egg? According to Cat Talk's Veterinary Consultant, Dr. Noelle Giddings, infertility can affect as many as 15% of breeding cats, and the figure may be even higher in certain breeds. So, if you have had a pregnancy fail with your particular pair more than once, you probably want to involve a theriogenologist, i.e., a veterinarian who specializes in animal reproduction. However, here are some things to consider before you begin that process.

First, "Check the Connection"

With any faulty piece of technological equipment, the first thing to check is the wiring and plug. A mis-breeding follows the same principle. Emilie, a veterinary student with a special interest in theriogenology, would first ask if you actually observed the breeding. Are you positive that the male did, in fact, grab and mount the female, and position her properly (which generally requires mutual cooperation)? Did the queen let out that unmistakable yowl, roll and lick herself frantically, and tell the tom to get out of her hair?