11 Cats Flashcards
Feline female puberty
As early as 4 months
Felines
Seasonally polyestrous
Long day breeders
Estrous Cycle of Feline-Proestrus
Length: Short length, may not be observed
Behavior: attractive to male, will not allow mating, affectionate
Anatomy: ovarian follice growth
Hormonal: estrogen high
Estrous Cycle of Feline-Estrus
Length: variable, several days to 2 weeks
Behavior: attractive to male, will allow mating, affectionate
Anatomy: ovarian follice growth
Hormonal: estrogen peaks
Feline ovulation
Induced ovulator! Induced by coitus
Adequate vaginal stimulation from mating causes GnRH release, LH surge and ovulation
4 matings in 2 hrs is best
Feline Mating behavior
Tom mounts and grasps queen neck
Queen vocalized with intromission
Separation, queen licks, rolls and is aggressive to male!
Estrous Cycle of Feline-Postestrus or Interestrus
No ovulation/no mating Length: variable, several days to weeks Behavior: not receptive to mating Anatomy: follicular regression Hormonal: no estrogen or progesterone
Estrous Cycle of Feline-Diestrus
Ovulation must have occured Length: pregnant- 2 months, non-pregnant- 40-50days Behavior: not receptive to mating Anatomy: CL Hormonal: progesterone
After Estrus Options
No ovulation–> interestrus/postestrus
Ovulation–> doesn’t get pregnant–> diestrus for 40-50days
Ovulation–>pregnant–> diestrus for 2 months
Feline Anestrus
Length- seasonal in fall/winter Behavior- not receptive to mating Anatomy- inactive ovaries Hormonal- no estrogen or progesterone No vaginal cornification
Feline pregnancy
CL dependent to progesterone to term
Relaxin from placenta may be used as diagnostic test for pregnancy
Queens can show estrus during pregnancy
Relaxin may promote prolactin release
Prolactin is luteotrophic and supports CL of pregnancy
Stages of Parturition-Feline
Stage I- nesting, pacing purring
Stage II- Queen may cry out with fetal passage. Several hours to a day
Stage III- fetal membrane expulsion
What is bioassay for presence of estrogen?
Dog- vaginal cornification
Cat-vaginal cornification
What is bioassay for presence of testosterone?
Dog- Prostate gland size.
Neutered is small and intact is large
Cat- penile spikes
Neutered is no spikes and intact have spikes
Bulls-preputial adhesions
Break down under influence of testosterone
Superfecundation
Litter with more than one father
Some oocytes fertilized form sperm from one male and then some from another
