cats living in the same household do not perceive each other to be in the same social group, although under stress they will tolerate the presence of others – especially for a particularly valued resource such as food, a fuss from the owner, or the sunniest spot in the house. Size can really vary sometimes, though generally the kittens will look the same age and be close in development. Female cats often mate with more than one tomcat - and it's common in this situation to have kittens in the same litter which have different fathers. For this reason, the best combination of cats is actually littermates and if you are taking on more than one kitten it is certainly better to consider taking on two from the same litter. Why Do Cats Pee Outside the Litter Box? Don’t try to calm or soothe your aggressive cat, just leave her alone and give her space. Many cats prefer to poop in one and pee in the other—it's instinctual to not leave all their waste in the same place.” Cats Not Covering Their Poop. Different pedigree breeds have different characteristics and temperaments, and you are more likely to have success by integrating two cats or kittens from the same, or related, breed. same way as theft of any other property is. Then which ever gene combo is the strongest in the babies those will show up. Maybe they like your finest china. I have brother and sister kittens from the same litter. Why is it that the kittens in a litter can all be different colours? Training Shows Differences Between Dogs and Cats. Placement is a huge key. They are protective of their resources and very territorial. Unless the breeding occurred in a controlled environment, kittens of the same litter can actually have different fathers. Remember, dogs are pack animals who closely and willingly follow their master's orders. Many are! There's no way that all of them were hers, she stole someone's kittens. Cat siblings are generally genetically very different. I've found a mother cat with kittens different ages before - 4 weeks and ~6 weeks. A cat that is lost or has strayed is generally regarded as the property of the original owner. Most wild cats tend to be lone hunters. Chances are he'll sample each, but only pee in his favorite. Why Do Cats Change Sleeping Spots? It's a misconception that cats aren't trainable. so there can be many different looks in the litter. There are two things all cats have: * a base colour * a tabby pattern The base colour can be either black or red, and the tabby pattern classic, ticked, spotted or mackerel. Once you've determined which litter your cat likes, it's important to stick with it. We attempt to answer these and other questions here. Your cat is acting on instinct. Why Do Cats Fight? If your cat has a litter box aversion, play around with clumping vs. clay litters and covered and open boxes. A cat affected with struvite crystals, calcium oxalate crystals (or any other type of crystal) will suffer from the same array of symptoms and are affected in the same way. Behavior problems: Though cats from the same litter are by no means necessarily similar, there is the chance they’ll both have personality issues such as aggression. These are the litters that look like sand, and in fact for a long time sand (and/or dirt) was what was used for cat litter. If you're thinking about bringing a kitten into your life, there are many reasons why you should actually consider doubling that and bringing home a pair. It is common for cats to sleep in a range of different places in the house, and there’s a very good reason why. Reduce competition between the cats by providing multiple, identical food bowls, beds and litter boxes in different areas of your house. While puppies in the same litter can't be different pure breeds, they can have different fathers. Give it to them! Since cats can experience many of the same health issues as we do—cancer, HIV and Alzheimer’s, to name a few—they make perfect models for studying human disease. Can a litter of cats have different fathers? Between dominant genes, modifier genes, white spotting, and different fathers, no wonder kittens in a litter can have a variety of coat colours. Cats learn to use a litter box quickly, often by instinct and require only a few reminders. What's the point of bringing you that mouse? Why do cats do that? My 2 cats came from the same litter and I think they bred and created my 3 kittens. “You can tell if puppies in the same litter have different fathers by the characteristics, sizes and colors,” Dr. Shellenberger says. Kiara (the girl) is a tortoise shell tabby looking cat and Umbrion (the boy) is a tuxedo. In the wild, cats generally have strong relationships with their moms, aunts, and siblings, says Dr. Jill Sackman, head of behavior medicine service at BluePearl Veterinary Partners. How come? For example, Siamese are known not to get on well with rex-coated or sphynx cats - all have extrovert personalities but are very different. I read in a book about cats that in fact females can carry two different litters at the same time, that arent the same age. But you may be surprised if her little ones all look completely different. By figuring out how cats have evolved to resist diseases, researchers can, potentially, learn how to prevent disease in humans as well. Just to add. and NO, it's not mutltiple fathers. Most cats don't like changes to their routine. It's especially difficult if each puppy boasts a unique look. Yes, think two instead of one. I was always sure that my boy and girl had different fathers because they are different breeds. A black mom and a black dad will usually have black kittens. Provide additional perches. However, cats often express their opinion. Let’s talk about superfecundation and cats. How about why they act like they're making bread in your lap or on a couch? Discovering your little Miss Kitty is expecting is almost as exciting as seeing those adorable little smushed kitten faces once they're born. The mother is the same (obviously) but they can and do look very different from their siblings and from what you might have thought the father was. Vetstreet can help: Click through the gallery for a look at some “twin” breeds and their sometimes subtle differences. Applied Animal Behavior Science surveyed 1,177 cats, with most having around five preferred sleeping areas. Usually it’s simply how the genetics for colours work. Do they really get stuck in trees? This is known as superfecundation.. But once they’re on their own, they tend to be more solitary creatures. It may be possible that your kitten got lost from it's mother and was taken in. Trying to decide which of the adorable puppies in a mixed breed litter is meant for you isn't easy. What the kittens turn out to be will depend on both parents. A cat urinates outside its litter box for one of two general reasons: a medical problem or a behavioral issue. And even those kittens who have both of the same parents, have likely randomly inherited a number of different gene combinations. You never use it anyway. But what if our cats don’t feel the same way as we do? Kittens can have different fathers. The girl got well first and would keep trying to play with her brother and clean him up. How can we tell? The first step to stopping cat fights is to understand why they start. They may like ceramic, plastic, glass. Most cat owners, however, would prefer a more harmonious solution. To do this, fill a few pans with the different litters, line them up, and see which one your pet likes best. The more breeding the cat does, the more kittens it bears, even if they are fathered by different cats. Before you can begin to correct a litter box problem, it's important to understand why your cat is peeing inappropriately. However, it is important to know which crystals a cat has so that we can tailor our treatment, as the crystals form for different reasons and respond to different therapies. Cats are reflex or induced ovulators, that is, breeding induces or stimulates the release of eggs or ovulation from its ovaries. That is she can get pregnant and while pregnant, go in heat and get pregnant with a whole other litter, that will be born later then the first. But clay is a lot more absorbent, and in the late 1940s, industrial absorbents were repackaged and clay cat litters became available commercially. Cats like different bowls of fresh water, cups, running water, shower droplets. The two cats holding several genes with different colors pass those genes down to their babies. Others, to the dismay of their humans, prefer to leave everything out in the open. As if coat colour genetics isn’t confusing enough, a litter of kittens may also have more than one father as a female cat in heat will mate with one male if given the opportunity. More importantly, can we fix this? • Some cats will ‘block’ access to food, water or litter trays from other cats that they live with. Each cat has a base color and a pattern. More hiding spots and perches will allow your cats to space themselves out as they prefer. Every cat is adorable, but sometimes it can be hard to know one breed from another — especially in the case of look-alike cats.How can you tell if you’re looking at a Russian Blue or a Korat?A Siamese or an Oriental Shorthair?. The answer to the second question appears to be easy (it isn't but we are trying to keep this simple) a female cat may mate with many different males when she is in season and, as each egg is fertilised separately, each kitten can theoretically have a different father. Now we know the different ways cats show affection to humans. It is therefore necessary to make all reasonable endeavours to locate the original owner whenever possible. Kittens born minutes apart by the same mom can look completely different, and might have different dads! Their Mother was grey. starting off with two may actually be much easier and more beneficial… for the kittens and for you. Maybe your two black cats had an orange kitten, or your two white cats had a tabby. Did you ever wonder why cats blink at you, or bring you a mouse? When I got them as kittens they were both sick and I had to nurse them until they were healthy. Anyways, it's because cats tend to have a lot of different genes in them. My cat will look for every opportunity to sleep on my lap. The one that looks like a Siamese may be from the same litter as the calico, the tabby, and the one with orange stripes. According to veterinarians, how much the cat is bred can influence the litter size of a cat. Cats are induced ovulators, so if they breed several times with different toms, they will release separate eggs and each will be fertilized by different sperm. While cat genetics are varied and fascinating, the answer to these mysteriously colored kittens may be something less complicated: it is entirely possible for kittens from the same litter to have different … Multiple-breed litters aren't unusual, and are due to the way a cat gets pregnant. Some cats are born tidy, meticulously burying their business immediately after using the litter box. Have you ever looked at a litter of kittens and suspected that they may have different fathers? The house cat, while being a social animal, still retains her territorial instincts.