Cat siblings spend a lot of time with each other in their early years as littermates and companions. However, if they are not spayed or neutered before they reach 6 months of age, closely related cats will begin to mate with each other, leading to a number of genetic problems.
Cats don't understand the taboos surrounding incest. Siblings of cats can mate when they reach the reproductive stage. To prevent this from happening, make sure your cats are spayed or neutered before they are 6 months old. Line breeding or inbreeding is not recommended unless you are familiar with your cats' lines.
Why cats mate with their siblings has puzzled owners. But once you understand the psychology behind it, it won't be so difficult. What's complicated is what actually happens when cats mate with siblings.
History of hybrid breeds
The dream of having wild animals in the house is not at all a tribute to modern fashion, as can be judged by the increasing demand for hybrid breeds in recent years. Back in the 60-70s in the USA, wild Asian and African cats were crossed with domestic ones. Initially, the Americans did not intend to engage in commercial breeding, but only wanted to gain new scientific experience from their experiments.
However, everything soon changed when the offspring of an Asian Bengal wild cat and an American domestic cat were born as part of a project to create a vaccine against leukemia - after the study, scientists donated the kittens to private individuals. The combination of the exotic appearance of a wild cat with the tame nature of a domestic cat captivated cat lovers and aroused great interest, which fueled demand, so crossbreeding was resumed.
Tennessee Rex
- Lifespan: 14-16 years
- Temperament: affectionate, sociable, quiet
- Colour: orange-cream, red and white with satin effect
- Weight: 3-5 kg
The Tennessee Rex, discovered in 2004, is the result of a natural mutation. Franklin Whittenburg of Tennessee had a stray cat who once gave birth to kittens, two of which were unusual. Due to a genetic mutation, these kittens had curly, satiny fur. The International Cat Association recognized the Tennessee Rex as a breed in 2009, although they have never made it to the championship level.
The Tennessee Rex is a very loving cat that enjoys spending time with family members. She loves to cuddle and lie on your lap. They are quiet cats, although they can make a little noise when hungry. But keep in mind that they need time to adapt to their new environment.
What are the hybrid cat breeds?
Today there are a number of recognized hybrid breeds. The Bengal cat is the most famous and popular breed among owners, but there are other equally impressive crossbreeding results.
Bengal cat
Bengals are a mix of Asian wild and domestic cats and are one of the most popular hybrid breeds today. These cats are loved for their wild appearance and variety of colors and patterns that make them look like small leopards.
Chausie
The Chausie is a cross between an Egyptian mud cat and a domestic cat, especially popular in its place of origin and main breeding - the USA. Although Chausie has no noticeable coloring, his distinctive lynx-like ears, high cheekbones and athletic build give him an exotic appearance.
Savannah
The Savannah cat breed is a cross between the African Serval and a domestic cat. The Savannah is not only the largest hybrid cat breed, but also the largest overall of all recognized cat breeds. These animals have a pattern similar to the spots of a cheetah, reach up to half a meter in height at the withers, and up to 1.2 m from the nose to the end of the tail.
Caraquet
The first mating of a female wild caracal and a feral domestic cat occurred in 1998 at the Moscow Zoo. Less than ten years later, breeders in the United States began similar experiments, but with the help of a male caracal and a female Abyssinian cat.
Bristol
Bristol cats were created by crossing the margay, which lives in the wild in Central and South America, with a domestic cat. They had typical representatives of this wild cat. The body structure and head shape resembled that of a domestic cat.
Unfortunately, due to numerous problems in the breeding process, especially due to infertility of kittens, the breed is considered extinct. Several fertile Bristol kittens were used to breed Bengals.
New efforts are still being made to cross domestic breeds with wild species. The newest but unpopular hybrid breeds include: Kanaani, Tilaran, Vivveral or Safari.
American Curl
- Lifespan: 9-13 years
- Temperament: Athletic, outgoing, friendly, family-oriented, sociable
- Color: white, black, blue, silver, red, lilac, chocolate, gold, cream, tortoiseshell
- Height: up to 30 cm
- Weight: 3.6-5.4 kg
- Comparable breed: Korat, Nibelung
The American Curl is the result of a spontaneous natural mutation. The breed originated in 1981 in Southern California. They are medium-sized cats with an athletic build, long tails and folded-back ears with long tufts of fur, which gives them their name.
American Curls not only look athletic, but also have significant athletic qualities. They will love climbing cat trees and perches, and they won't shy away from the highest places in the house. They are passionate about climbing and love to play even in old age . The American Curl is unlikely to want to curl up on your lap, but it will enjoy being close to you. These cats are sociable and people-oriented.
Why is hybrid breeding problematic?
Crossing domestic cats with wild cats is a controversial issue. Many animal rights activists are of the opinion that this process is harmful to animals because the individuals being mated are significantly different from each other and mating should not be allowed for ethical, genetic and medical reasons.
This fear is not unfounded, since there are indeed many miscarriages and birth defects, especially in first-generation kittens. The reason for this is probably because the length of pregnancy varies greatly between domestic and wild cats. In domestic cats, pregnancy usually lasts from 63 to 65 days, while in wild cats it usually lasts from 76 to 78 days. Not only pregnancy itself is dangerous, but also mating animals.
First mating
The first mating of a cat should be carried out at the age of at least 10 months.
You can breed a cat with a cat after the completion of basic growth and development and the complete formation of the genital organs. Only the fulfillment of these two conditions will make it possible to obtain numerous and full-fledged offspring without damage to the body of the expectant mother.
For cats, the ideal time for the first mating will be 10-15 months of age, but no later than one and a half years. Almost all breeders recommend skipping the first two heats and only then unleashing them.
Important! A cat should not give birth more than 3 times a year.
Late insemination is also undesirable - it can lead to disruption of the reproductive cycle with all the ensuing problems:
- false pregnancy;
- inflammatory processes in the uterus;
- polycystic disease;
- exhaustion;
- stress, etc.
Breeding use of males is permitted after the first year of life.
Legal regulations regarding keeping hybrid cats
The breeding of hybrid cat breeds is subject to strict compliance with animal rights, as is their subsequent maintenance. In many countries, a person who wants to take a kitten from the first to the fourth generation under his roof must follow certain rules and provide optimal living conditions for the demanding cat.
From the fifth generation, when the percentage of wild genes in a kitten is only 1.6%, it is considered a domesticated breed that can be treated like any other breed of domestic cat.
What happens when cats from the same litter mate?
If cats from the same litter mate, there is every chance that their kittens will be born healthy, without obvious genetic problems.
With luck, the litter will have all the desired physical and personality characteristics without any major defects. Inbreeding can be a huge risk, and there is usually no way to know if health problems will arise until the litter is born.
Similar physical traits
Cats born through inbreeding often inherit certain characteristics that are specific to their breed. This may include certain physical traits that are considered attractive.
This could be the size of the paws, the absence or presence of more hair, or the shape of the skull. For cat breeders, this allows them to get better prices when selling cats.
Similar character traits
An inbred cat inherits more than just physical characteristics. It is likely that there will also be character traits. This is why breeders so often mate cats from the same litter - they can shape the temperament with which the litter is born.
Breeding siblings can result in calm temperaments or playful behavior if the parent cats share the same personality traits. The likelihood of this is high since they are relatives. This may be attractive to owners who are looking for a specific type of cat to suit their lifestyle.
Mating with caution
If inbreeding is allowed to occur too often, serious health problems tend to occur every now and then in some of the more thoroughbred cat breeds.
According to the journal Scientific Reports, 64.9% of Persian cats studied had at least one disease. Since Persians are one of the most inbred breeds, this high statistic makes you wonder, “Is it safe to mate cats from the same litter?”
Black market for illegally crossed animals
Despite the above-mentioned obstacles, interest in wild beauties is steadily growing, and professional breeders are unable to meet the demand, so trade in illegally bred hybrids is developing in many countries.
Many owners care for cats of unknown origin, unknown generation, who still exhibit wild animal characteristics and behaviors that are problematic to coexist with and raise.
They can be very fearful and reluctant to deal with people, usually being active at night and willingly releasing their claws on every occasion. This is felt not only by household members and other pets, but also by furniture, walls and parquet floors. In addition to aggressive behavior, hybrid breeds also exhibit a much stronger tendency to mark territory with urine.
Hybrid breeds are in fashion, but at a price
Professional breeders of hybrid cat breeds are aware of the potential problems with their ownership and carefully explain to all interested buyers what ownership entails. When talking to potential buyers, the breeder tries to find out whether they will meet the requirements of semi-wild animals and whether they will make good owners.
You should avoid intrusive advertising offering kittens at attractive prices, without first meeting and consulting with the breeder. Of course, appropriate documents are needed, for example, a pedigree certificate, which clearly indicates which generation of descendants of wild animals the kitten belongs to.
Due to strict breeding rules and the rarity of purebred hybrids, such kittens have to pay a considerable price. Depending on the generation, a young cat of a hybrid breed costs from 2 to 20 thousand dollars.
Contractual relationship
This point comes first for owners involved in breeding and selling pedigree animals. It's better to draw up an agreement. The breeders have a sample; the document must include all the mating conditions and the resolution of possible disagreements, which almost always happen.
The contract states:
- Timing of vaccinations for both parents.
- Length of stay of a female in someone else's house.
- Pedigree regalia and achievements of future parents.
- The responsibility of the cat owner to the cat owner, in other words, the groom's side is obliged to return the bride safe and sound.
- Terms of payment for the transaction (cash reward, choice of a kitten or an alternative option for the birth of one baby).
- Conditions for the distribution of kittens to new owners after they reach two months of age.
- Conflict resolution in the event of failure to conceive, the birth of a non-viable offspring, or its death before the age of two months due to some congenital pathology. All possible scenarios are discussed and recorded. This issue can be resolved in different ways: re-knitting for free, return of monetary reward, etc.
In all controversial situations, the owner of a cat may request an additional examination of someone else’s pet in order to prove the “innocence” of his ward in a failed pregnancy or the death of the entire offspring. But it is better to carry out such a check in advance and, in case of doubt, not to enter into a relationship.
A document is a document, but before mating, any of the parties to the contract has the right, and simply the obligation, to collect as much information as possible about the future partner:
- external examination of the applicant for visible defects: poor coat, emaciated appearance, incorrect bite, coloring, etc.;
- study of documents: veterinary passport, pedigree, club card, etc.;
- examination and assessment of previous offspring, if any;
- additional examination by a veterinary specialist who will or will not identify hidden pathology.
All received data must be included in the contract, which will protect you from litigation in the future.
What should you consider when breeding a feline hybrid?
The simple percentage of wild animal blood in a hybrid breed says something about the cat's behavior. Later generations (F5, F6 and later) are usually just as trusting and affectionate as domestic cats. However, maintaining a hybrid race—regardless of the number of wild genes—is challenging.
Additionally, in later generations, hybrid cats will have a strong need to go outside on their own, so they should not be kept as typical indoor lazy cats. These cats are excellent climbers, talented high jumpers, and fast runners, and they would like to get the most out of all of these abilities.
Keeping a hybrid cat in an urban environment, where it would be very dangerous to let the animal travel on its own, requires that the owner provide the cat with a large outdoor playpen with climbing furniture and a swimming pool.
Proper nutrition for hybrid cats
It is also necessary to properly care for and maintain a hybrid cat. In addition, this problem in hybrid cats, whose direct ancestors are wild animals, places greater demands on the owner than in the case of feeding domestic cats. Many hybrid owners say that their pets cannot digest the prepared cat food available in the market, so they decide to feed them raw meat (BARF).
The BARF diet requires the owner to have a good understanding of the nutrients that must be supplied through food. If this is too difficult, you can choose high-quality food with a high content of meat (rich in animal proteins), as well as vegetables, fruits and natural oils.
The proportion of grains in the food should be as small as possible due to the tendency of cats' stomachs to indigestion - in this case it is better to completely abandon grains. Free-roaming hybrids often complete their daily menu on their own, eating mice and small birds that they hunt.
Munchkin character
The animals are friendly, very clean, and quickly get used to new surroundings and people. They retain a playful disposition until old age, especially loving children. Short legs do not prevent them from moving, being nimble and lively. They won't reach the chandelier, but they can easily jump onto the table to grab a piece of delicious chicken.
They are inquisitive, find something to do alone, and love to carry small things into hiding: keys, socks, pens, markers, cosmetics. So the missing items need to be looked for there.
Representatives of the breed are devoted to their owner, can easily endure long trips, and do not mind walking with a harness. They often sit on their hind legs, surveying the surroundings. And the front ones freeze in the air. At these moments, cats are very similar to kangaroos.
Who is a hybrid cat breed suitable for?
Without a doubt, hybrid cats are definitely beautiful creatures, but you should not buy them just for admiration. Before buying, be sure to find out everything about the character and needs of an exotic kitten and make sure that all its requirements can be met.
If the pet can have enough space to move around, occupy most of the owner’s attention, and the owner, in turn, has carefully studied the information before getting the animal - everything about feeding and caring for a demanding cat, as well as its upbringing - in this case, you can get a hybrid.
Hybrids are perfect for those who have a lot of free time, an active lifestyle and enough finances to maintain a pet. Also, a spacious house or large apartment will be another plus for acquiring a friend in the family.
