Animals are said to survive on 3 basic instincts finding food, shelter, and a mate. Cats fall under the same species too and also have similar survival instincts too. When they reach the stage of maturity they start giving off signs that they are ready to mate.
After a certain age, the tom cats become ready to mate and the female cats start going into periods of heat during which they mate and most likely get pregnant.
When they are pregnant these heat cycles stop and they stop giving any signals to the male cats around them.
But the question still lingers that even when they are pregnant, is mating even possible?
The answer to that would be yes that it is possible, but when they mate without being in heat, there would be consequences.
Let us know more about this and what would be consequences if this ever happens.
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Will A Male Try To Mate With A Pregnant Female Cat?
A male and female cat mate only when the female cat is in heat, when a female cat is pregnant it does not go into heat so the chances of a male cat trying to mate with a female cat are low.
The scent the female cats try to give off when they are in heat could be detected by male cats very quickly as they try to move on the cat during that time.
But when a cat is pregnant it may sometimes try to mate with the female cat but the queens turn them down and do not respond to their offers.
Researchers think that this happens because when a cat is pregnant it may give off the same scent as it does while in heat so the male cat would get the message that the female cat wants to mate with it and try to get the female to mate.
Still, the cat usually turns them down as they are not actually in heat.
This is one of the reasons why pregnant cats should be kept away from tom cats during the gestation period because sometimes they try to mount the cats which could be fatal for the unborn kittens.
Interesting Read: Can A Cat Get Pregnant When Not In Heat?
Do Male Cats Know When Female Cats Are Pregnant?
No, they do not know if the female cat is pregnant or not. They only understand the scents the female cats give off when they are in heat. The female cats in heat give off pheromones that have a distinctive scent and convey the message to the male cat that they are ready to mate.
But if they meet a new female cat they may not know if it is pregnant or not because they just get the message that they are not in heat hence they are not ready to mate.
The female cat solely mates when in heat and it experiences these after a certain age and periodically with a little gap between one period of heat to another. So if they are turning a male cat down they may not be in heat or they may be pregnant.
There would be no way they would know if the cat is pregnant because they would only know that they are not ready to mate yet.
Must Read: Can A Cat Be In Heat While Pregnant?
Why Is My Male Cat Trying To Mount My Pregnant Cat?
There could be two possible explanations for these instances:
It is sometimes possible that the female cat despite being pregnant may go into heat. It is a very rare occurrence but it is a possibility.
When this happens they may attract a male cat and mate with them it also sometimes leads to them carrying a dual litter.
The female cat may even sneak out of the house to find a male cat to mate with despite being pregnant if it goes into heat again. Male cats only respond to the cats in heat so the mounting could be an outcome of that
The other possibility that your pregnant queen is being mounted by a tom cat would be because it is believed that cats give off the same scent when they are pregnant as they are in heat. This scent for tom cats would be like an invitation to tom cats for mating with the pregnant cat.
But this is a fatal situation because in the first case the cat’s body was in a state to mate with the tom cat but in this case, it is not and if the tom cat goes through with the process of intercourse it may even kill the unborn kittens.
Interesting Read: Will Male Cats Mate With Females Not In Heat?
Should I Separate My Pregnant Cat From The Male Cat?
Yes, it would be smarter to separate the female pregnant cat from the male. Male cats are aggressive and possessive even while playing they show more aggressive qualities which could hurt the cat.
They may also try to mount the pregnant cat because the hormones released during pregnancy have similar smells to the one which indicates that the female is in heat. This would prompt the male cat to mate with the female cat.
Unless your cat is in heat and it mates while expecting it could induce labor and lead to premature birth which could kill the kittens.
Not only before the birth of the kittens but even after the birth you should keep the male and female cats separated as the female cat goes into heat pretty soon after giving birth which could lead to another pregnancy in a very short time.
Male cats like to have all the attention of the female cat too. They may feel threatened and jealous by the kittens and if they come in the way of mating with the female cat they may even kill the kittens.
Hence for the well-being of the kittens and the mother cat male cats must be kept separated and not in the near vicinity of each other.
Find out the reasons Why Female Cat Refuses To Mate?
Can Cats Get Pregnant While Already Expecting?
Yes even if it is a rare possibility but it is a possibility sometimes when cats are pregnant then too they go into heat and they mate during the period and may carry another litter. This situation of dual litter rarely arises but it is a possibility nevertheless.
This could be avoided by keeping your cat under observation and not letting it out of your sight because when cats are in heat their scent travels quickly and the male cats around them would know that a female cat is in heat and would be there to comply with her needs.
But that does not make it any safer as the cat may go into labor if it mates with the male cat.
Hence to avoid that make sure you do not let your cat out of your sight because that could even complicate its pregnancy and harm the unborn kittens.
Interesting Read: Do Cats Stay In Heat After Mating?
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I keep my male cat away from the female cat even after birth?
Yes, female cats go into heat pretty quickly after giving birth, if during that time a male cat is around it would try to mate with the queen and if the kittens in any way try to get in the way it would get aggressive. The tomcat could go as far as killing the kittens. So for their safety, you should keep them far apart.Â
How long after being pregnant female cats can go into heat?
It is not long after the cat gives birth it can go into heat. It could be after a week or two or even earlier. Female cats are known to go into heat while they are still nursing the kittens so during this period make sure no your female cat minimizes interactions with male cats for the safety of the kittens.
Can a tom cat hurt pregnant cats?
Tom cats are rather aggressive in nature. During play, they can get very aggressive with the cats and they could hurt the expecting mother cat. They would not want to hurt them intentionally but it is just their nature.Â
Summary
Female Cats mate only when they into heat but there is no such situation for male cats, they just wait until the female goes into heat to mate with them. They do not back off when cats are pregnant because apparently, they have similar scents as when they are in heat.
Sometimes your cat may actually go into heat while it is pregnant but that rarely ever happens. If this happens they even of chances of getting pregnant and having a dual litter.
But if this happens when they are not in the heat it could be fatal for the kittens as it would induce early labor and premature birth could lead to the death of the kittens.
To avoid this you can get your spayed after it gives birth or keeps a close eye on it so that it does not interact with other tom cats. What would you choose spaying or no spaying?
