Breeding - The Facts
Glossary
This factsheet aims to provide a quick guide to the terms used and
key dates involved in breeding from your dog, cat or rabbit.
Season / Heat / Call
Gestation
Whelping / Kittening
Neutering / Spaying
Coming into season for
the first time represents
a dog or cat reaching
sexual maturity. In dogs
this is referred to as
being ‘on heat’ or ‘in
season’ and in cats
being ‘in call’.
The period in which
the bitch (dog) or
queen (cat) carries
the litter in their
womb, until giving
birth.
Whelping is the process of
giving birth in dogs from the
start of labour through to the
delivery of the full litter.
Kittening is the process of
giving birth in cats, from the
start of labour through to the
delivery of the full litter.
Neutering is the process
whereby pets are surgically
prevented from reproducing.
In males this operation is
termed ‘castration’; in
females it is called ‘spaying’.
When might my pet reach sexual maturity?
Both dogs and cats have their first season around 6 - 9 months
old. In rabbits this will be around 4 months old. It is important
to seek the advice of your vet if you wish to breed from your
pet to check if they are physically ready or if you suspect they
may have already mated.
When can I have my pet neutered/spayed?
As a pet owner you should remember that if breeding
is uncontrolled our pets can breed frequently.
On average it is worth noting the following:
Dogs can have up to 2 litters per year
Cats can have up to 3 litters per year
Rabbits can have up to 10 litters per year
Cats will usually be spayed at around 5 - 6 months old.
Unspayed cats are 99% likely to get pregnant if they go
outside once they have reached puberty!
What are the Average Gestation Periods
for dogs, cats and rabbits?
The table below shows the average length of pregnancy
in each species (figures in brackets represent range).
Dog
63 days (57-65 days)
Cat
63 - 65 days (60-67 days)
Rabbit
28 days (27-35 days)
If you do not plan to breed from your pet you should consider
having them neutered or spayed. Not only does this help
avoid unwanted pregnancies (and subsequently the difficulty
of finding good homes for the litter) but it also has many
health benefits for your dog or cat.
For example, it is likely that an unspayed bitch will develop
mammary tumours and/or a womb infection, both of which can
be life threatening and require urgent and expensive surgery.
Bitches can be spayed before their first season at around
6 months of age. Some vets recommend that larger breeds
should have at least one season first, others are happy to
spay all bitches at 6 months.
Petplan Breeder - Jenny Hopkinson