OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to establish the incidence of dystocia in pedigree cat breeds and investigate mortality rates in kittens up to the age of 12 weeks. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted that utilised convenience sampling. Registered cat breeders from 29 countries whose cats had given birth within a single year (2019) were asked to complete an online questionnaire. This study is the third in a series over 30 years that have assessed changes in birth-related statistics in cat breeds. RESULTS: Data were collected from 448 breeders on 853 litters, with 3560 live-born kittens from 45 pedigree breeds (as per the queens' breed). The incidence of dystocia that required veterinary intervention was 14.9% and varied by breed (range 0-22.2%). Caesarean section was required for 10.7% of litters, most commonly in Cornish Rex cats. Despite apparent breed variation, there was no statistically significant difference among breeds. Queens aged over 5 years and litters of more than six kittens were associated with a reduced risk of dystocia, whereas a longer gestation period increased the risk. Bengal cats had the highest cumulative kitten mortality up to the age of 12 weeks (23.4%). Significant breed differences (P <0.001) were noted, with Ragdoll and Norwegian Forest Cats having lower litter mortality compared with Bengal and British Shorthair/Longhair cats. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The incidence of dystocia in pedigree cats was higher than the historical values for non-pedigree and pedigree cats. The age of the queen, gestation length and litter size affected the incidence of dystocia. Kitten mortality was affected by the requirement for caesarean section, presence of birth defects and breed.

Department of Clinical Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA

Small Animal Clinic The University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Brno Czech Republic

The Royal School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK

See more in PubMed

Gunn-Moore D, Thrusfield M. Feline dystocia: prevalence, and association with cranial conformation and breed. Vet Rec 1995; 136: 350–353. PubMed

Ekstrand C, Linde-Forsberg C. Dystocia in the cat: a retrospective study of 155 cases. J Small Anim Pract 1994; 35: 459–464.

Bailin HG, Thomas L, Levy NA. Retrospective evaluation of feline dystocia: clinicopathologic findings and neonatal outcomes in 35 cases (2009–2020). J Feline Med Surg 2022; 24: 344–350. PubMed PMC

Robbins MA, Mullen HS. En bloc ovariohysterectomy as a treatment for dystocia in dogs and cats. Vet Surg 1994; 23: 48–52. PubMed

Sparkes AH, Rogers K, Henley WE, et al.. A questionnaire-based study of gestation, parturition and neonatal mortality in pedigree breeding cats in the UK. J Feline Med Surg 2006; 8: 145–157. PubMed PMC

Holst BS, Frössling J. The Swedish breeding cat: population description, infectious diseases and reproductive performance evaluated by a questionnaire. J Feline Med Surg 2009; 11: 793–802. PubMed PMC

Holst BS. Feline breeding and pregnancy management: what is normal and when to intervene. J Feline Med Surg 2022; 24: 221–231. PubMed PMC

Holst BS, Axnér E, Öhlund M, et al.. Dystocia in the cat evaluated using an insurance database. J Feline Med Surg 2017; 19: 42–47. PubMed PMC

Cats Protection. CATS report 2023: cats and their stats (CATS) UK annual report. https://www.cats.org.uk/about-cp/cats-report (2024; accessed 13 June 2024).

Schmidt MJ, Kampschulte M, Enderlein S, et al.. The relationship between brachycephalic head features in modern Persian cats and dysmorphologies of the skull and internal hydrocephalus. J Vet Intern Med 2017; 31: 1487–1501. PubMed PMC

Monteiro CL, Campos AI, Madeira VL. Pelvic differences between brachycephalic and mesaticephalic cats and indirect pelvimetry assessment. Vet Rec 2013; 172: 16. DOI: 10.1136/vr.100859. PubMed

O’Neill DG, Romans C, Brodbelt DC, et al.. Persian cats under first opinion veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders. Sci Rep 2019; 9. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49317-4. PubMed PMC

Schirrer L, Marín-García PJ, Llobat L. Feline polycystic kidney disease: an update. Vet Sci 2021; 8. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8110269. PubMed PMC

Chapman AB, Devuyst O, Eckardt K-U, et al.. Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): executive summary from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference. Kidney Int 2015; 88: 17–27. PubMed PMC

Harris PC, Torres VE. Polycystic kidney disease. Annu Rev Med 2009; 60: 321–337. PubMed PMC

Bilkei G. Effect of the nutrition status on parturition in the cat [article in German]. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr 1990; 103: 49–51. PubMed

Hibaru VY, Pereira KHNP, Fuchs KDM, et al.. Topics in the routine assessment of newborn kitten vitality: APGAR score, reflexes and complementary assessments. J Feline Med Surg 2022; 24: e34–e42. PubMed PMC

Claus MA, Levy JK, MacDonald K, et al.. Immunoglobulin concentrations in feline colostrum and milk, and the requirement of colostrum for passive transfer of immunity to neonatal kittens. J Feline Med Surg 2006; 8: 184–191. PubMed PMC

Tadeusz F. Guideline for maternally derived immunity and vaccination. http://www.abcdcatsvets.org/maternally-derived-immunity-and-vaccination/ (2017, accessed 13 June 2024).

Münnich A. Fading kitten syndrome: factors predisposing to “faders” and treatment options. J Feline Med Surg 2022; 24: 243–256. PubMed PMC