Feline Reproduction

Question 1

Feline puberty beings at __-__ months. Free roaming cats cycle sooner and group housing or intro of _____ or ____ in estrus will hasten onset of puberty

Answer 1

5-9 months; Tom or Queen

Question 2

Cats are seasonally polyestrus and cycle from ___-___ as ___ day breeders like mares.

Answer 2

feb-sept; long day breeders

Question 3

Period of anestrus in cats is shorter days beginning in October and going to January. T/F

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Cat will display estrus every ____ days unless preg., pseduopreg, sterile, sick

Answer 4

14 days

Question 5

Proestrus is time that the cat is…

Answer 5

attractive by not receptive with period of rapid ovarian growth and increased estrogen. Duration is 12 hrs - 3 days and not easily detected

Question 6

Estrus in cats (queens)-

Answer 6

Period of sexual receptivity when Queen is receptive to mating and estradiol peaks. Lasts about a week, may see edematous labia and discharge.

Question 7

Interestrus-

Answer 7

Lasts around 1-3 weeks, period of sexual inactivity between follicular waves.

Question 8

Cats are ____ ovulators

Answer 8

Induced

Question 9

Diestrus is a time where CL forms within ___ hrs of _____ and only occurs if this happens.

Answer 9

48 hrs; OVULATION

Question 10

Interestrous follows what step in cyclicity???

Answer 10

CL forms within 48 hours after ovulation (diestrus), then CL regresses after 45 days if not preg and interestrous interval begins

Question 11

CL remains functional for how many days if Queen is NOT preg? CL remains functional for how many days if Queen IS pregnant?

Answer 11

NOT preg= 45 days

Preg= 57 days

Question 12

What months does anestrus occur? How can it be manipulated?

Answer 12

Oct-Jan; with lighting

Question 13

“Know these facts”

Answer 13

Peak reprod. of cats is between 1.5-8 years of age
Average litter size is 3-4 kittens, average 2-3 litters per year, old and young cats will cycle irregularly and are prone to smaller litters and more stillbirths

Question 14

If a male cat is torti, what genes must he have for his genotype? What is impt to note about this particular cat related to fertility?

Answer 14

XXY genotype; he is infertile

Question 15

How can we induce pseudopreg. in a cat?

Answer 15

Placing a swab in her cranial vagina. It stimulates the vagina and cat may attack

Question 16

Is P4 (progesterone) helpful for breeding management? How about cytology?

Answer 16

Both not very helpful, cytology is okay

Question 17

Ovulation in the Queen–>

Answer 17

The queen is an induced ovulator, mechanical stimulation or breeding required, within minutes the LH is released from the pit gland. !!!Multiple matings increase LH levels!!!!. Ovulation will then occur in 25-30 hrs. Ovulation occassionally induced by stroking the Queen in presence of a Tom.

Question 18

Ovulation in the queen occurs ___-___ hours after copulation or mechanical stimulation

Answer 18

25-30 hours

Question 19

Pseudopregnancy in Queens:

Answer 19

Ovulation occuring without preg. Will not exhibit estrus, luteal phase will be around 35 days, clinical signs are rare

Question 20

Pregnancy Diagnosis–>

1. How long is gestation?
2. What is detected after 25 days of pregnancy?
3. String of marbles are present on days ___-__ of pregnancy

Answer 20

1. 65-67 days
2. Relaxin
3. days 17-20

Question 21

At 25 days of gestation, there is generalized _____

Answer 21

Uteromegaly

Question 22

Fetal ossification occurs at ___ days (use Rads). U/S at day ____ is able to detect fetal viability via fetal heartbeats.

Answer 22

43 days; 16 days

Question 23

How long does parturition of a cat take? What time interval is normal between kittens?

Answer 23

6 hours; 15-30 mins

Question 24

Dystocia is common in cats. T/F

Answer 24

False, Rare!!

Question 25

Only posterior presentation of the kittens is normal. T/F

Answer 25

False!!! Anterior and posterior are common and both are normal.

Question 26

Though dystocia is rare in cats, what is the most common cause of dystocia in the Queen if it were to happen?

Answer 26

Primary uterine inertia

Question 27

When should you worry about the viability of the kittens +/- mom???

Answer 27

• gestation takes more than 71 days after first breeding
• presence of P4 level less than 2ng/mL
• more than 2 hrs between kittens
• partial expulsion of fetuses
• signs of shock in the mom
• more than four hrs of straining without a kitten

Question 28

Since primary uterine inertia is the number one cause of dystocia in cats, what medical management choices should we opt for???

Answer 28

Give oxytocin and plan for C-section

Question 29

How often do hand raised kittens need to be fed?

Answer 29

every two hours

Question 30

Kittens with edematous nose, ears, or leg might be a result of what???

Answer 30

Other kittens in the litter trying to nurse on that kitten. Sucking on it…

Question 31

Spines on penis of male are lost within how long after castration?

Answer 31

a couple weels

Question 32

Mammary tumors in cats are usually _____ and ___ (breed) is over represented.

Answer 32

Malignant (90% of them), Siamese

Question 33

What is often required for mammary tumors in cats???

Answer 33

Aggressive mastectomy often required and def. look for metastasis

Question 34

Mammary hyperplasia

Answer 34

Firm, non painful, enlarged mammary glands often ulcerated and usually seen in young cats after ovulation or during preg. Sensitivity to progesterone

Question 35

Mammary hyperplasia resolved after removal of _______. What do we use to completely tx???

Answer 35

P4 (progesterone).

Tx: PGF-alpha, P4 Antagonists, Spay (might need flank approach)

Question 36

Ovarian rem. syndrome- diagnosis–>

Answer 36

Elevated AMH levels (spaycheck testing), elevated P4 (progesterone) after induction of ovulation, LH levels should be persistently high in spayed cats (high LH= spayed, absent= ORS)

Question 37

LH high means ____

Answer 37

Spayed

Question 38

Absent levels of LH = ______

Answer 38

Ovarian remnant syndrome (ORS)

Question 39

Uterine prolpase in cats:

Answer 39

Often occurs just after labor, diag. is obvious. Usually both horns and even part of the uterine body. Queens may be n to very ill depending on time until treatment

Question 40

Pyometras usually occur _____ weeks after _____

Answer 40

4 weeks after heat

Question 41

Medical management of pyometra is not the ideal choice, OHE is…. but if we have to use it what do we use?….

Answer 41

Lutalyse (prostaglandins) BID for 5 days, 90% of medically tx Queens will breed successfully after tx

Question 42

Diestrus in cats only follows ovulation, not every estrus period (like in dogs). T/F

Answer 42

True!!! :))

Question 43

Describe the complete cycle of the cat if she becomes pregnant

Answer 43

Estrus– ovulation – preg— diestrus— CL regression— birth— lactation— possibly estrus again if still in the season of long days (Feb-Sept)

Question 44

Describe the complete cycle of the cat if she does NOT become pregnant–

Answer 44

estrus– ovulation without pregnancy– diestrus– CL regression around 45 days– interestrus —estrus again