Kittens are one of the most adorable things on this earth, but if you’ve got a pregnant mama cat, then you might be wondering how many little bundles of joy to expect. How many kittens can a cat have?
On average, a cat can have four to eight kittens, although it’s not uncommon for litters to be smaller or larger. First time mothers usually only have two to three kittens.
As you can imagine, new mothers have a lot to handle with so many hungry little mouths to feed. The rest of this article will seek to answer the question of how many kittens a cat can have.
What Is the Average Amount of Kittens a Cat Should Have?
Typically, cats have four to eight kittens per litter. Cats don’t always stick to the four to eight rule, though. First time mothers usually only have two or three kittens, and the largest litter of kittens on record was a batch of 19 born in 1970.
There are a vastly higher number of births in the months from March through October during the time of year commonly referred to as kitten season. Of course, a female cat can come into heat at any time of year, but spring and early summer seem to be the busiest time when it comes to the number of kitten births.
Kitty Fun Facts
Kittens usually take on a mix of attributes from the mother and the father, but if you’ve ever seen a wild litter with kittens of all colors, you might wonder how one set of genes could produce such a varied bunch.
The answer is that if a female kitten mates with multiple males while in heat, her kittens will reflect that genetic diversity. As such, kitties can come in long or short hair, tabby to calico—all in a single litter.
Female cats can have litters twice a year, although it’s certainly not ideal due to how taxing the process is on their bodies. It’s extremely important that you have your female cat spayed after giving birth.
If you’re a first-time cat owner, it’s important to ensure that your female cat is spayed as soon as reasonably possible. Cat shelters are overrun with kittens due to the negligence of some owners, and cats that have no housing are euthanized.
Cats are very prolific breeders, and if you want to be a responsible cat owner, getting your cat fixed is the best way to protect both her as an individual and the species as a whole.
