How a Female Cat Chooses a Mate

1 Overview

① What about cats in the wild?

There are three situations:

In areas with few cats

Usually one dominant tom drives others away and quietly waits near the female, ready to mate!

In areas with many cats

Usually ‘strong vs strong’ — after a contest, the winner gets the princess.

Interestingly, when one tom is mating with the female, the others don’t interfere.

Experts guess the others’ mindset: they don’t want to waste energy, so they save up for the next ‘confession.’

Special cases

Pursuing the strong is a general rule among animals, but exceptions exist.

For a female, besides the ‘alpha tom,’ she sometimes chooses a tom she likes, even a mediocre fighter.

Well, who knows why~

② What about indoor cats?

Undoubtedly, the female holds the initiative in mating.

Indoor choices are far fewer than in the wild, so ‘picky, refuses’ situations can occur.

Some females only accept a tom they deem OK and reject all others.

③ About toms killing kittens

In fact, in dense groups this tragedy almost never happens.

On this, sources vary.

The more accepted view is the genetic explanation.

A tom kills the female’s and other cats’ kittens, then waits for her next heat so his genes pass on. (Survival of the fittest instinct.)

④ About a female mating with multiple toms

Two possibilities:

Prevent the tom from killing kittens

As in ③, if the female mates with several toms, the toms get confused~~

Optimize genes

One theory: cats have an instinct to avoid inbreeding; mating with several toms ensures healthier, better genes. (Survival of the best offspring.)

– In closing –

Nature: cats cycle in spring and as seasons turn. Indoors: lighting can make heat season-independent — think about it. If you plan to breed, let them get familiar first (a week).

PS: if the tom is aggressive, he may force it. For the female’s stress response, the owner may need more time to adjust.