Why is my male cat trying to mate with my pregnant female? Separate them?

If the male cat is irritating your pregnant female the best thing you can do is to keep them separated until after the kittens are born. It should not affect the kittens if they are around each other but it may lead to undue stress for your female cat. If you are unable to safely separate them at home you may want to consider boarding the male cat or having him stay with a friend or family member until the kittens are born. It may also be beneficial to have the male neutered as soon as possible. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hormonal changes can definitely cause changes in behavior such as what you are describing. It would be best to keep the male separate from the queen, especially if she is already acting aggressively toward him. Once the kittens are born, the queen will likely get even more protective, which could result in injury if you leave the cats together.

Hello, I would agree that her aggression means she probably does not like him or is coming out of heat and not interested in his advances. Keeping them separated when they cannot be monitored may be best to keep them from fighting. You could reintroduce her at the beginning of her next heat cycle if you are hoping for her to be receptive to mating. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is definitely possible that your male is trying to mate with your female. While unlikely, it is possible for your female to get pregnant at an early age (though typically not until 5 months or older), so I would recommend separating them until you can get them both fixed, at least so your female is not being constantly harassed by your male. I hope this helps, and that your cats are otherwise happy and healthy!

She’s probably coming into heat again and that’s why he’s after her. I recommend spaying her when the kittens are weaned. Once she’s no longer cycling this behavior should improve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cats.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Pregnancy can be a very stressful time for animals, and it may be hard for your cat to be separate from her previous offspring. However, my recommendation would be to separate him from her so that he cannot suckle/breastfeed from her before her kittens are born. The milk produced at the beginning of lactation is very antibody-rich and important for the brand new kittens to ingest. There is also the possibility that the previous offspring could out-compete the brand new kittens for nipples if they are left together. The new kittens will need the most care and nutrition from the very beginning, and if he is allowed to suckle from the mom, the newest kittens may not get all of the nutrition they need. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cats. Cats are able to become pregnant by the same cat for multiple litters. Both cats would need to be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine if a fertility issue is to blame and to determine which cat has the problem. This is fine to do now or you can allow them to mate during her next cycle. I hope this information helps!