Breeding season in female cats acclimated under a natural photoperiod and interval until puberty.
The breeding season was investigated in 174 female cats that were acclimated under a natural photoperiod, and determined the interval between birth and initial estrus (puberty) was determined in 125 cats. Although the breeding season differed noticeably among individual animals, the mean was 180.4 +/- 3.0 (SE) days between the end of January and the end of July. The interval between birth and first estrus ranged from 181 to 560 days, with a mean of 345.0 +/- 0.9 days. With respect to month of birth, the mean interval was 343.0 +/- 9.5 days in cats born between March and June. Among cats that were born between July and October, the mean intervals were 242.0 +/- 6.3 days in cats that exhibited estrus the year after birth and 519.2 +/- 5.8 days in those that exhibited estrus 2 years after birth.
Department of Reproduction, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University, Tokyo, Japan.
Toshihiko
T
Tsutsui
Kiyoshi
K
Nakagawa
Taichi
T
Hirano
Keiichi
K
Nagakubo
Masakazu
M
Shinomiya
Keiko
K
Yamamoto
Tatsuya
T
Hori
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D017440:Photoperiod; D012621:Seasons; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors