Can a cat just have one kitten?

Answer 1

If a female cat has had several litters yes it is normal for her to have only one kitten and indication the cat is having too many litters. And she needs to be spayed.

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It isn't normal, but it isn't out of the question either, and here is why.

Cats mate differently from most other mammals. When they go into heat, it just means they are ready to get pregnant. They only release an egg when they mate with a male cat, and even that isn't guaranteed. So if you cat only mated once with a male, it is likely to only have one kitten. If your cat mated several times with a male (or several males, which does happen), your cat will likely have multiple kittens. Their ovaries can only release so many eggs per heat cycle, so that is also why if a cat mates, let's say fifteen times in one heat cycle, they won't have fifteen kittens; they will only have four-six, for example. And as the person said above, the more litters a cat has had, the less eggs it will release.

Answer 2

that's not unordinary...they do that all the time...its hard to tell when they are pregnant. it just means that (usually) the mother cat is a little more protective of the kitten if i was helpfull to you could you please recommend me!! that would be great

Answer 3

No, it's not. Cat's ordinarily have at least three kittens at a time. This could have been caused by a disease, possibly feline leukemia, which is very common. This could have caused the other kittens to die while still inside her. If this is the case, your cat needs a vet ASAP because she probably still has the dead fetus's inside her which will kill her, if the F.L. doesn't first.

That, although it is the most probable cause, does not mean it is the cause. If your cat and the new kitten both look, act, and seem healthy, then they probably are. It could just be a fluke. I have heard of a cat giving birth to twins once. Anything is possible.

Answer 4

If a cat only has one kitten, it usually means only one egg was fertilized. This could be due to old age, being way too young, fertility problems, or bad health.

There could have been other fetuses, but again, they could be lost for numerous reasons. If the cat is not of proper age, is unhealthy, etc, they could abort the kittens.

Also, the male cat could have had a low sperm count, lowering the possibility of a larger litter.

And one other thing- mixed breeds tend to have normal sized or large litters, while staying within a particular breed can yield medium or small litters, because the genetic pool is so worn out.. The past inbreeding required to produce a particular breed results in lowered reproduction, lower health/immunity, illness susceptibility, and lowered life span.

Answer 5

i know lots of cats who have had only one kitten. Don't worry if your cat has. one of my cats had just one kitten and she is as healthy as she can be.

Answer 6

Yes, most likely, they usually have at least three or four.

Answer 7

they can, and it's possible for cats to have 1 kitten in a litter aswell.

Answer 8

Maybe the rest of the sperm from the male died.

Answer 9

Yes, it actually depends on what type of cat. It's rare for one kitten. I mean least would be 3.