05/12/2025
Breeding pedigree cats is not as straightforward as boy meets girl!
One of the issues breeders need to consider is incompatible Blood Types - yes cats, like humans, have different blood types and if a mating occurs between 2 cats with different blood types the resulting kittens may die. It is vital breeders are aware of the blood types of their cats. Blood Type B cats all have high levels of anti- A Type antibodies in their blood. Like all mammals, antibodies from the female cat are passed into her colostrum when feeding kittens. During the first 16-36 hours of life, a kitten's intestine is specially adapted to be able to absorb these antibodies as these antibodies will help protect them against disease in the early weeks of life. This is where blood type incompatibility becomes a serious issue.
If a B queen is mated to an A male, some of the resulting kittens will be type A they will absorb the anti A-antibodies. This can be a significant cause of death in newborns. By knowing in advance the blood types of the parents, breeders can take precautions and the kittens can be saved. In those critical hours, kittens must be bottle fed by the breeder to prevent absorption of anti-A antibodies. To avoid separating mum and bubs, breeders can put an adapted baby grow suit or vet suit on the queen, just like Katja in our photo, allowing mum to still clean and bond with her babies until it is safe for them to suckle. In most cases, after 24hrs has passed, mum is able to suckle her babies normally and the lack of sleep suffered by the breeder fades away in the joy of a happy, healthy little family.