is it safe to allow cats from the same litter to mate and breed?

Question

i am about to get two kittens,brother and sister ,i'm worried that should they mate there might be a problem.

Answer 1

PROS
CONS

INBREEDING
(Mating of closely related individuals)
Produces uniform or predictable offspring.
Hidden (recessive) genes show up and can be eliminated.
Individuals will "breed true" and are "pure."
Doubles up good genes.
Eliminates unwanted traits.

CONS
Doubles up on faults and weaknesses.
Progressive loss of vigor and immune response.
Increased reproductive failures, fewer offspring.
Emphasis on appearance means accidental loss of "good" genes for other attributes.
Genetically impoverished individuals
Highly inbred cats also display abnormalities on a regular basis as "bad" genes become more widespread. These abnormalities can be simple undesirable characteristics such as misaligned jaws (poor bite) or more serious deformities. Sometimes a fault can be traced to a single stud or queen which should be removed from the breeding program even if it does exhibit exceptional type. If its previous progeny are already breeding it's tempting to think "Pandora's Box is already open and the damage done so I'll turn a blind eye". Ignoring the fault and continuing to breed from the cat will cause the faulty genes to become even more widespread in the breed, causing problems later on if its descendants are bred together

Inbreeding is the mating together of closely related cats, for example mother/son, father/daughter, sibling/sibling matings and half-sibling/half-sibling. It is the pairing of animals which are more closely related than the average population. For breeders, it is a useful way of fixing traits in a breed

However, inbreeding holds potential problems. The limited gene-pool caused by continued inbreeding means that deleterious genes become widespread and the breed loses vigour. Most cat breeders are well aware of potential pitfalls associated with inbreeding although it is tempting for a novice to continue to use one or two closely related lines in order to preserve or improve type. Breeding to an unrelated line of the same breed (where possible) or outcrossing to another breed (where permissible) can ensure vigour.
Highly inbred cats also display abnormalities on a regular basis as "bad" genes become more widespread. These abnormalities can be simple undesirable characteristics such as misaligned jaws (poor bite) or more serious deformities. Sometimes a fault can be traced to a single stud or queen which should be removed from the breeding program even if it does exhibit exceptional type.

Answer 2

cats from the same litter given complete freedom would not interbreed. the males would leave the mother and go walkabout.
female cats given the opportunity have a small well defined territory. males have a much extended territory which covers the territories of several females.
young males have to travel far to find their own territory, therefore they would not naturally mate with their mothers or siblings.

close inbreeding is not healthy, any faults thrown by the parents will be exaggerated by breeding siblings.

the simple answer in your case however is to get them neutered and the problem will never arise. it is possible to neuter tham early at say 14 weeks, but most are neutered at 6 months.

Answer 3

it is not safe for ANY cats to mate.. with the rare exception of purebred cats who have gone to shows to prove they are excellent examples of the breed WORTHY of having a litter AND been checked by a vet

you are thinking of genetic freaks which may be created but even if not... with over 2 MILLION cats and kittens being euthanized every year.. each litter adds to the problem - and doesnt help... suppose they had kittens and the kittens were fine and you found homes for them.. that only means somebody else's kittens DID NOT find homes... and were put to death

so.. NO it is NOT SAFE..

Answer 4

Cats will naturally breed with other cats from the same litter. They know no distinction. I would have these cats spayed and neutered so that this does not occur, If you do not, they will continue to breed and their offspring will breed, etc. If you are unable to get them spayed or neutered immediately, just take one kitten that stays inside. It is really important, though, that they visit the vet and be spayed and neutered. Male kittens (age 4-6 months) will spray urine to mark territory. Reduce pet overpopulation and get them spayed and neutered. Contact humane societies and shelters. They sometimes offer reduced rates.

Answer 5

Get them both neutered. This can be done from 6 months. Some websites say you can have cats sterilised from 6 weeks, but that is NOT a good idea as the cat is still developing.

male cats who are not neutered can be a hassle: they will spray to mark their territory, especially with another cat around. Female cats have some sort of a period, once or twice year, which tends to be quite messy. And a female car in heat (unsterilised) screams your head off.

In other words: plenty of reasons to get them spayed.

Answer 6

Its hard to say if there will be problems, I say this because if your cat is an out door type its possible if when in heat for them to have multiple partners. Lord only knows what DNA is goin to what kitten. Yeah, your kitty can be a hoochie. We had kittens from a brother and sister and however morally humanly wrong ironically they seemed to be normal. Good question.

Answer 7

Inbred cats have a good likelihood of being very, very sick. I rescued a semi-stray cat that was inbred, and he had a ton of serious (and expensive) medical problems. I had him going to three different vets, and he still only lived 6 months.

Get your kittens spayed and neutered as early as the vet will allow! Getting them spayed and neutered will not only prevent them from having inbred kittens, but it will make your cats much friendlier and less troublesome.

Answer 8

YOU DO NOT WANT THEM TO BREED!!!

Animals are like people in the fact that if brother and sisters breed there can be serious problems!!
Retardation is HIGHLY likely in these cases!!

Please have one or both fixes. Unlike people they do not know the risks for inbreeding. When an animal breeds it is not for pleasure, it is an instinct the animals have to produce offspring.

Answer 9

There could quite potentially be a problem, considering inbreeding. Be sure to get the male neutered and the female spayed (both at 4-6 months of age) and you won't have any worries! :)

Answer 10

I work as a volunteer for a animal rescue center in my spare time.

The fact that you are even asking this question, slightly worry's me to be honest.

If you intend to own a male and female cat then then should be spayed/neutered at around 5 to 6 months, you should not allow them to breed under any circumstances, we already have enough animals to rehome thank you.

If you are on a tight budget please look at the PDSA website who will happy to help fund the sterilisation of your pets.

Please, please be responsible and think of your animals.