QUESTION
At what age should a breeding dog or cat no longer be used for breeding?
ANSWER
Statistically, fertility significantly begins to decrease at age five. Therefore, it is reasonable to recommend that
breeding should occur prior to that age to expect the best results, both in terms of conception, litter size, health
during pregnancy, ease of whelping, and neonatal health and well-being. However, in many cases, it is desirable to
breed a valuable female considerably later than this age. Each female should be evaluated individually, since
some are physically quite capable of reproduction at greater ages than others.
The Heat Cycle:
A female dog usually comes into "heat" or is "in season" every 6 months.
The entire "Heat" period lasts an average of 21 days, but this may vary with some dogs.
The actual "breeding time" is only a matter of 2 or 3 days in the 3 week period, but this
time can be very difficult to determine.
The colour also changes from dark red to salmon colour as the heat progresses.
The vulva, or area around the vagina, swells considerably and then begins to soften, as
her progesterone level rises and her body prepares to release the eggs from the ovaries.
She will curve her tail over to the left or right side as she becomes closer to the actual
mating time and will urinate frequently to spread her scent for the males.
Dog Pregnancy:
Pregnancy in a female dog - properly called a bitch, lasts nine weeks.
We determine the birthing date from the date of the first mating.
Some bitches will whelp (deliver their puppies) anywhere from day 59 to day 63.
As the owner, you will make no changes to her diet for the first 5 weeks.
Often, in the 3rd week after mating, she will go off her food for about 10 days.
I compare this to the human 'morning sickness' although a dog does not usually vomit.
You will notice that her vulva - the area around her vagina, did not return to the normal
small size it was before mating, but looks rather enlarged.
There is normally no discharge during a pregnancy.
If you do see a discharge, then take her to the Veterinarian.
She may have an infection, or be losing the litter, or have developed a case of Pyometra,
which, if left untreated, can kill her.
She needs a good exercise program, which involves a daily run to make sure all her
muscles, including her uterine muscles, are in top condition.
She also needs a very high quality diet.
This is not the time to scrimp on her feeding formula.
Mother Nature tries to insure the survival of the species, so if the diet is lacking in any
ingredient ,calcium or zinc for example, the developing puppies ( whelps) will take from
the mother's body what they need to grow healthy, and therefore her body will become
depleted.
DO NOT ADD ANY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS IN THE FIRST MONTH OF
PREGNANCY.
BIRTH DEFECTS WILL DEVELOP FROM TOO MUCH VITAMINS A & D.
DO NOT GIVE ANY MEDICINE NOW EITHER WITHOUT THE EXPRESS ORDER
OF THE VETERINARIAN.
At week 5, her nipples will become deep pink in colour, and you may notice that she is
thicker around the waist and broader around the rib cage.
Now you should increase her feeding by 25%.
Give her a daily Vitamin supplement from your Veterinarian
At week 6, increase her feeding again by 25% and divide her feedings into 2 meals a day.
You will notice that she is sleeping a little more now.
At week 7, increase her meal amount again by 25%.
Begin making preparations for the arrival of the puppies.
Build a whelping box for her and put it in a quiet room where she will be undisturbed by
other pets and people and in an area that is easy to keep warm.
Decide how you will heat the area where the new puppies will be.
It needs to be about 85 degrees until they are 3 weeks old.
At week 8, increase the feed again by 25%. She is now eating double her normal amount.
Begin feeding her 3 times a day now and make the exercise time shorter, but more
frequent.
Walking will be very tiring for her and she is very uncomfortable through the last week
of the pregnancy.
Begin taking her temperature rectally twice a day.
The normal dog temperature is about 100.3F - 101.3F.
It will normally drop to about 98. degrees F 8 - 24 hours before the onset of labour and
she will refuse to eat or drink anything.
There are books about dog deliveries you can read, and here is a very good video, that is
very educational.
NEVER EXPECT YOUR DOG TO DELIVER A LITTER BY HERSELF.
Although animal whelping is a 'natural event' this does not mean that the animal does not
get into serious trouble if left unattended.
Mother and puppies frequently die because the owner thoughtlessly left her alone during
this crucial time.
LABOR:
NEVER EXPECT YOUR DOG TO DELIVER A LITTER BY HERSELF.
Although animal whelping is a 'natural event' this does not mean that the animal does not
get into serious trouble if left unattended.
Mother and puppies frequently die because the owner thoughtlessly left her alone during
this crucial time.
Labour & Delivery is a very serious event and I am only presenting a very broad
coverage of the topic.
You should learn all the details by other means.
Lives are at stake - the puppies as well as your female dog.
Labour commonly begins 63 days after the mating, but healthy pups are born safely at 59
days as well, so it is in your best interest to be prepared 10 days ahead of time.
The onset of labour is heralded by a noticeable drop in the dog's rectal temperature.
I recommend that you start recording the temperature twice a day at least a week before
the 'due date'.
The normal temperature is 100.3F to 101.3F. It will drop to about 98.0 - 98.3 when
labour is about to begin.
The day her temperature drops, she will refuse food and drink.
This is normal.
Her instinct is telling her that she needs to 'fast' before the big event.
It would be good to put a plain buckle collar on her - you may need it later on.
Remove your rings if they have raised settings and make sure your nails are trimmed
short, cleaned and filed smooth.
In the first stage, she will rest a lot and occasionally go out to urinate and defecate.
As the time passes, she will get more restless and begin paying a lot of attention to her
vulva - cleaning it frequently.
You will be able to feel the contractions if you lay your palm on her side.
They will first occur about every 10 minutes and will last about 30 seconds.
They are not hurting her, but she will need to go out more often to pass her urine and her
bowel movements will get quite loose.
The Delivery
She will progress into the second stage - where you can actually see the contractions.
They occur about every 8 - 10 minutes. These are not the "pushing" contractions, but she
may begin panting.
At this point, you should move her to the whelping box that has the old sheets, papers and
towels ready for her to make her 'nest'.
She will pant and be obviously apprehensive.
She may begin tearing up the bedding and paper, getting up and lying down frequently.
She will want comfort from you and will be obviously reassured by your presence.
The contractions will become longer in duration and get closer to-gether.
When she is almost at the next stage, the contractions will be occurring about every
minute and lasting almost the whole minute.
The 3rd stage - the actual whelping stage - is immediately preceded by her tail lifting
with each contraction.
She may cry with pain and will be obviously worried and apprehensive.
She will have one contraction after the other.
You must reassure her that all is well and that you are there to comfort her.
Just before the delivery, the first puppy can be felt as a hard bulge in the space between
the rectal opening and the vagina.
You'll then have a squirt of water - it may be blood-streaked or green-tinged but is most
often quite clear - come out of the vagina.
This is a lubricating fluid that precedes the pup which will then be expelled.
The pup may emerge slowly, with each contraction or it may 'shoot' out quickly.
Very often the first puppy is a "breech" presentation and is often a large sized one which
makes the first delivery difficult for her.
If it is a prolonged delivery it would be helpful for you to grasp the part of the exposed
body to keep it from going back up into the bitch, until the birthing is complete.
I supply the cloths and all the other necessary supplies in my Whelping Supply Kit and
demonstrate how to do this.
The pup ( the whelp) is contained in a clear thin sac and the placenta is attached by a
cord.
I also demonstrate on my video tape " Whelping & More" how to tear the sac away from
the head, cut the cord and clear the nasal passage.
The bitch may or may not clear away the sac and she may or may not bite the cord
properly.
I have always felt more at ease doing these things than allowing the bitch to do them.
After each pup has been dried off, weighed and checked over, give it to the dam, who
will lick it all over, especially around the rectum. This is to make sure the puppy passes
the little bit of 'meconium' which is the first bowel movement.
This meconium is rather sticky and greenish black in colour.
After the dam has also suckled the pup, and you know she is about to deliver another pup,
you can put it in a clean box with sides, on a towel that has a hot water bottle under it, or
2 towels over a heating pad turned on LOW until all the litter has been delivered.
When you are sure there are no more puppies to be delivered, you can change the
bedding or papers in the whelping box, take the dam out to 'potty' her, give her a drink of
warm milk or soup, and return all the puppies to her.
Make sure they are all nursing well.
You should not hear any 'munching' or 'sucking' sounds.
If you do, the pup is not latched on properly.
The tongue curls up and around the nipple forming a complete suction when attached
properly.
Have only a small lamp turned on - the pups eyes are still forming and make sure the
room is warm - 85 degrees - because the pups will get chilled very easily.
If the pups are all the same colour, with no marking to distinguish one from the other, and
if you are keeping track of weights, then you can identify each of the pups for a few days.
After that however, you will have to design a different I.D.method.
Some people use coloured nail polish on a foot or a tail or top of head, others use
coloured 'rick-rack' or satin ribbon, until they are old enough for tiny puppy collars.
Our pups are never left unattended
We use a monitor to listen to the puppies when we are not in the room and we sleep on
the floor beside the box for the first 10 days.
When to call a Vet:
1. If the temperature has dropped down but the bitch is not showing signs of labour
within 24 hours. This indicates uterine inertia
2. If you see green discharge coming from vagina. This indicates a puppy in distress.
3. If the first pup cannot be delivered by the bitch, the Veterinarian will have to do a
Caesarian section to save the other puppies who are being obstructed.
This problem may be due to different reasons - the pup is too big, the presentation may be
unusual (neck or limb presentation) or two pups may have arrived at the opening at the
same time.
4. If, in the midst of the labour a pup cannot be presented normally, it may be due to one
of the reasons above.
5. Circulatory embarassment or collapse due to an exceptionally large litter.
The bitch will have difficulty breathing and will often lie with her rear legs extended with
the feet facing down.
6. If more than 2 hours pass between pups with no further contractions.
Any time you are concerned!!
I reiterate - lives are at stake, so don't ever sit back and do nothing!
Don't Delay!!
Birthing Puppies:
Preparing for your dog's labor and puppy care can be both exciting and fun; still,
awareness of potential problems is of paramount importance. It is a good idea to keep
track of your dog's breeding date so as to know when to expect what.
After about 35 days of pregnancy, the mother's caloric requirements will begin to
increase. In general, she should require about twice as much food as usual whereas, when
she begins nursing, she will need three times as much food. Do not supplement calcium
as this can cause metabolic imbalances; also, excess vitamins may be harmful to the
puppies. The best nutritional plan is to buy a dog food approved for growth and feed
according to the package; such diets are balanced and require no supplementation.
Exercise of the pregnant bitch need not be restricted until after the first 4 to 6 weeks of
pregnancy.
Some time around the 45th day, your dog should be examined by a veterinarian. At this
time, the skeletons of the unborn pups will have mineralized and are thus visible on a
radiograph. Your dog's abdomen should be x-rayed so that you know how many pups to
expect. Ultrasound may be used to confirm pregnancy much earlier (after 25 days, the
embryonic heart may be seen beating) but it is more difficult to count the number of pups
using this method.
A comfortable area should be set aside for whelping and raising the puppies. The bitch
should feel at home here and should be able to come and go as she likes while the
puppies must remain confined.
The gestation period of the dog is considered to be 63 days though this is not written in
stone and a normal range might be 58 to 68 days.
Impending Labor
When your dog's due date is approaching, you should begin monitoring her rectal
temperature. When her temperature drops below 100F (normal canine temperature is
101F-102F), labor may be expected within 24 hours.
The First Stage of Labor
During this stage, uterine contractions begin. The bitch will appear very restless and may
pace, dig, shiver, pant, or even vomit. This is all normal and all an owner can do is see
that the bitch has water available should she want it.
The Second and Third Stages of Labor
The second stage is the hard labor stage in which the puppy is expelled. The third stage
refers to the expulsion of the placenta and afterbirth. Each pup may not be followed by
afterbirth; the mother may pass two pups and then two placentas. This is normal.
Puppies are born covered in membranes that must be cleaned away or the pup will
suffocate. The mother will bite and lick the membranes away. Allow her a minute or two
after birth to do this; if she does not do it, then you must clean the pup for her. Simply
remove the slippery covering and rub the puppy with a clean towel. The umbilical cord
may be tied in a knot about one inch from the pup and cut with scissors on the far side of
the knot.
Expect one pup every 45 to 60 minutes with 10 to 30 minutes of hard straining. It is
normal for bitches to take a rest partway through delivery, and she may not strain at all
for up to 4 hours between pups. If she is seen straining hard for over an hour, or if she
takes longer than a 4-hour break, consult a veterinarian.
Expect some puppies (probably half of them) to be born tail first. This is not abnormal for
dogs.
Call Your Veterinarian If:
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30 to 60 minutes of strong contractions occur with no puppy being produced.
Greater than four hours pass between pups and you know there are more inside.
She fails to go into labor within 24 hours of her temperature drop.
She is in obvious extreme pain.
Greater than 70 days of gestation have passed.
It is normal for the bitch to spike a fever in the 24 to 48 hours following birth. This fever
should not be accompanied by clinical signs of illness.
Normal vaginal discharge after parturition should be odorless and may be green, dark
red-brown or bloody and may persist in small amounts for up to 8 weeks.
Problems to Watch For
Metritis (Inflammation of the Uterus)
Signs of this condition are as follows:
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fever
foul-smelling vaginal discharge
listlessness
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loss of appetite
no interest in the puppies
decreased milk production
If these signs are noted, usually in the first day or two postpartum, a veterinarian should
be consulted. Your dog may have retained a placenta or have suffered some trauma
during delivery. Animals who have required assistance with delivery are often
predisposed to metritis.
Eclampsia
This condition results when the bitch has trouble supporting the calcium demand of
lactation. Calcium supplementation predisposes a bitch to this condition. Usually affected
animals are small dogs. They demonstrate:
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nervousness and restlessness
no interest in or even aggression towards the pups
stiff, painful gait
This progresses to:
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muscle spasms
inability to stand
fever
seizures
This condition generally occurs in the first 3 weeks of lactation and a veterinarian should
be consulted immediately.
Mastitis (Inflammation of the Breasts)
Normal nursing glands are soft and enlarged. Diseased glands are red, hard, and painful.
In general, the bitch does not act sick; the disease is confined to the mammary tissue. The
bitch may be sore and discourage the pups from nursing; however, it is important to keep
the pups nursing the affected glands. This is not harmful to the puppies and helps flush
out the infected material. Hot packing may be helpful.
Problems with the Puppies
Newborn puppies should spend their time feeding and sleeping; they are not very playful
or active for the first week. Puppies that nurse poorly, cry constantly, or do not sleep with
the rest of the litter are in trouble and should be examined by the veterinarian. Ideally the
puppies should be weighed shortly after birth and should be expected to gain 5% to 10%
of their birth weight daily. (A small weight loss in the first day of life is normal but this
should be less than 10% of their initial weight.) Puppies that do not gain weight properly
are in trouble and should be checked by the veterinarian. It is helpful if puppies are
weighed at least daily to be sure they are growing properly. Very young puppies have
clear or slightly yellow-tinged urine. Obviously yellow urine is a sign of dehydration.
If you think there is a problem with the mother or any of the puppies, contact your
veterinarian. Examination may be needed for the mother and entire litter, not just the
individual who appears sick.
Most dogs are excellent mothers and problems are few. The basic rule is to seek
veterinary care if she seems to feel sick or if she ceases to care for her young. Puppies
nurse until they are about 6 weeks old and then may be adopted by new homes.
Cat reproduction and birthing:
Too often a litter of kittens comes as an almost total surprise. One spring day you notice
the cute little girl kitten from last fall is a bit round in the middle. No one got around to
spaying her and she seemed too young for – er - adult entertainment. Now we have a
quandary: shall we have the kittens or not? It is not too late for spaying, even fairly late in
pregnancy, and there is a spectacular over-population of cats. As tempting as it may be to
extend the family with just one litter of kittens, please do not think of them as your
grandchildren in feline form. There are plenty of adoptable feline grandchildren in the
shelters and adoption groups so we encourage you to spay.
That said, the rest of this web page concerns feline reproduction and neonatal care. We
will assume you have decided to have the kittens anyway, finding them responsible
homes or perhaps this was a planned breeding from the start.
See more details on feline spay.
For the rest of the story, read on.
How this Happened in the First Place: Baby Girl Grows up
Many people are surprised to find that the feline reproductive system is seasonal. Cats are
designed to give birth only during warm months (spring through early fall).
The female cat begins cycling when she has reached 80% of her adult size and when the
days are appropriately long. This could be as young as 5 months of age. After age 7 or 8
years, cycles become irregular and there are more complications with birth so it is
important to finish a female cat’s breeding career before this time.
Indoor cats are sheltered from the light cycles of the sun and may not cycle as frequently
as their outdoor counterparts. On the other hand, breeders who keep their cats completely
indoors can manipulate the light cycle of the cattery so as to allow for year round cycling
if desired.
Proestrus: This is the time in the cycle when the female begins attracting males but is not
yet receptive to their advances. Estrogen is building up and she is preparing for ovulation.
The female is extra affectionate at this time, rubbing her head and sticking her rump in
the air. She may also urine mark in the house and vocalize loudly and frequently. This
period may be as short as 12 hours and as long as two days.
Estrus: The female cat’s behavior continues: rubbing, crying, etc. but the difference here
is that the male is accepted when he approaches. This behavior persists approximately 7
days (on the average) and during that time the female’s behavior is often objectionable to
the owner. Contrary to previous belief, the act of mating does not shorten the estrus
period, although it does substantially lengthen the time before the next estrus period. The
female cat is ready to ovulate at this time but will not do so unless a male cat breeds her.
Interestrous Period: This is the period between times of behavioral estrus. If the cat is not
bred or is bred and fails to ovulate, this time period lasts 8 to 10 days on the average. This
means that the yowling, rubbing, urine marking, and other estrous behaviors continue for
about a week, then discontinue for about a week, then begin again, back and forth all
spring and summer and into the fall until the cat is either bred, spayed, or perceives the
coming of winter. This behavior of the mature female cat is often all the motivation it
takes for an owner to get her spayed even if she is completely confined indoors and has
no chance of unwanted pregnancy.
Diestrus: If the female is bred and ovulates, she goes into this different reproductive
stage. Her ovaries prepare for possible pregnancy and she will stay out of heat for at least
35 to 37 days even if she is not pregnant. If she is pregnant, she will carry her kittens for
64 to 66 days before delivering the litter. If for some reason spaying is desired but must
be delayed, and yet the estrous behavior is driving the owner crazy, she may be fooled
into thinking she has been bred through manipulation with a rectal thermometer. If you
are interested in this procedure, contact your veterinarian as it is not as simple as it may
sound but is often effective in providing peace at home.
How this Happened in the First Place: The Lovers
The female cat in estrus is a flirtatious creature. She seeks territory that has been urine
marked by the male of her choice. (If the breeding is planned, it is generally best to bring
the female to the male’s territory to approximate the natural situation). She approaches
the male, rubbing, nuzzling etc. If she is in a receptive period of her cycle, she will allow
him to bite the nape of her neck and will give him about 30 seconds to complete his
sexual act. She typically yowls loudly during this time. The female immediately becomes
“refractory” and attacks the male who backs off to wait for another chance. The female
after-reaction to breeding involves obsessive rolling around on the ground and vaginal
licking. After a few minutes, she is ready for more and will indicate this by more rubbing
on him or patting gently at him. With each breeding, the time until the next attempt grows
longer but may continue all day long.
Diagnosis of Pregnancy
You may notice that the unspayed female is rounder than usual and that her nipples have
become prominent (called pinking up). This may not be noticeable until well into
advanced pregnancy, depending on how observant you are, how large the litter is, etc.
There are several ways to confirm feline pregnancy:
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Blood test: The witness pregnancy test is approved for both canine and feline use
and can be performed in about 15 minutes at your vet’s office. She must be about
30 to 35 days into the pregnancy for this.
Ultrasound can readily confirm pregnancy at approximately 22 to 25 days of
pregnancy but is not readily available in all animal hospitals.
Radiology: At about 45 days of pregnancy, the kittens will have mineralized
skeletons and they will be visible on an x-ray. This is the only procedure that
reliably can determine how many kittens to expect.
Palpation: Some veterinarians are talented enough to feel the developing kittens
between days 17 and 25.
Care During Pregnancy
The female cat has relatively few needs during pregnancy. She will need food that is
approved for growth (i.e., a food appropriate for kittens) as she will need the extra
calories, particularly after delivery when she is nursing. Her metabolic demand during
nursing will triple and she will need the extra calories especially then.
Flea control is important during pregnancy as flea anemia is one of the leading causes of
death in neonatal kittens. To find an appropriate flea control product approved for use in
feline pregnancy click here.
Do not vaccinate a pregnant cat.
Hopefully, her vaccinations were current prior to pregnancy. Developing kittens are
vulnerable to live viruses used in modified live virus vaccinations, feline distemper in
particular. A female cat either infected in pregnancy or vaccinated with live virus during
pregnancy can produce kittens with a specific birth defect called cerebellar hypoplasia, a
brain malformation that leads to tremors and wobbling, particularly when the cat is
attempting a specific task (the so-called intention tremor).
Most mother cats will seek their own nesting area in the last week or so of pregnancy. If
you wish to help her, expect her to require soft bedding, an area with minimal human
traffic and separation from other pets in the home.
Labor
Several hours (and perhaps a whole day) of restlessness, grooming, nesting, pacing,
panting, vomiting, and crying indicates that labor has begun. As with dogs, there is often
a drop in body temperature (to less than 99° F) indicating contractions will commence in
the next 12 to 36 hours, but this is not as reliable a finding as in dogs. The cat secludes
herself in her selected nest area and begins to purr.
The above first stage of labor progresses to the second stage of labor with the initiation of
hard contractions and the birth of a kitten. The third stage of labor refers to the passing of
the placenta. The entire litter is usually born within 6 hours with kittens arriving every 30
to 60 minutes. If she is stressed or distracted, she is able to stop her labor and restart the
next day. The new mother usually eats the placenta and membranes of the kitten’s sac.
There is no special benefit to this behavior so if you wish, you can remove these tissues
from the nest to prevent her from eating them; however, be careful not to tug on the
umbilical cords because if you cut them it can damage internal organs of the baby. Do not
attempt to move her and the kittens to a “better” nest spot after labor has started. This
may stress her into curtailing her labor or worse may scare her into neglecting the litter.
Strong contractions for more than 60 minutes without production of a kitten indicate she
needs help and should see the vet right away.
Most of the time labor is normal and goes off without a hitch. Kittens may begin solid
food around age 4 weeks of age and may be adopted to new homes at age 8 weeks.
Vaginal discharge is normal for up to 3 weeks post-partum. This discharge is typically
black or reddish and consists mostly of old blood. If the discharge seems particularly
bloody, have the vet assess her blood loss. If the discharge looks like pus, she may have a
uterine infection. Bring her to the vet; she may need to be spayed right away.
Complications Surrounding Labor and Pregnancy
Vaginal Bleeding: Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is not normal and suggests that she
is aborting the litter. If this is occurring late in pregnancy (the 8th week) she may be
delivering the litter prematurely and a cesarean section is likely necessary. In either case,
have the vet check her to assess the blood loss and decide what to do.
Dystocia: If she has been having strong contractions for greater than 60 minutes, she
needs assistance in passing the kitten. Bring her and any kittens delivered to the vet’s
office right away.
Retained Placenta/Metritis: If the mother cat retains a placenta , she can develop an
infection, fever, appetite loss, and kitten neglect. If this occurs, she will need to see the
vet right away, possibly be hospitalized, and will probably need to be spayed to remove
the infection.
Neonatal Isoerythrolysis: If the mother cat has Type B blood and the kittens have Type A
blood, antibodies in the mother's milk will destroy the kitten's red blood cells. This is
only preventable if one knows the blood type of the mother in advance (most cats are
Type A, but certain breeds commonly have Type B blood). Kittens in this situation can
be saved if they do not nurse from their natural mother.
Getting Her Spayed at Last
Many people are surprised by their cat’s pregnancy and do not really want the kittens, but
since she is pregnant they choose to go ahead with the litter with the intention of spaying
when the kittens are weaned. The female cat may have other plans. Nursing the litter
generally suppresses the return to cycling, but the average female cat is back in heat
about a month after delivery of a litter. If she has access to a male cat, she will likely
become pregnant before she is finished weaning the current litter.
Ideally, she should be confined until she can be spayed and ideally she should be spayed
a month or so after the kittens have stopped nursing. The reason for this is to allow the
mammary tissue to dry up and go back to a more normal, less vascular state. Spaying the
female while her glands are still full leads to more bleeding and a more difficult surgery.
However, if the choice comes down to spaying her with mammary development versus
having an unwanted litter, spaying is a better choice.
Raising Orphans
Sometimes you are faced with a litter that is too large for one mother cat to handle or
disaster may strike, leaving the kittens motherless. See instructions on what to get and do
in order to successfully raise a litter of orphan kittens.
When the Mother Cat is Feral
A feral animal is a member of a domestic species (such as a cat) who is living wild. If
kittens are captured prior to age 10 weeks, they can usually be tamed and become
normally socialized to human contact. After this age, socialization is much more
challenging. Feral adult cats are often best left living in the wild world despite its
hazards. This does not mean that they should be allowed to freely reproduce, however.
"Trap-Neuter-Release" has become the official feral cat management policy of many
municipalities, including Los Angeles Animal Services.
For information on how to care for a feral cat colony appropriately, contact the Feral Cat
Caretakers or visit their web site at www.feralcatcaretakers.org or
www.straycatalliance.org. In areas outside of Los Angeles, contact your local animal
regulation department for feral cat groups in your area.