The blood groups in cat breeding
Why are the blood groups of cats important in a breeding?
If you mate cats with each other, you should be aware that it is not possible without pre-planning. In fact, if the mating partners have the wrong blood type, this can lead to the death of the kittens after birth within hours to a few days after birth. One speaks of the so-called “fading kitten syndrome” or a “feline neonatal isoerythrolysis”, in short: blood group incompatibility.
The blood cells of the newborn kittens are destroyed by the antibodies of the mother cat’s blood group, which are absorbed through the colostrum. This leads either to the death of some limbs or to an agonizing death.
This can be prevented by having the blood groups of the cat and the male tested before mating.
Which blood groups are present in cats?
Basically, a rough distinction is made between the blood groups A, AB and B. Male cats with blood group B may basically cover all 3 blood groups. Likewise, female cats with blood group A may be mated by all blood groups.
Here is an overview of the blood groups with classification
BOLDMarked fields: Risk mating
| Cat | Cat | Kitten |
| A | A | A |
| A | AB | A or AB |
| A | B | AB |
| AB | A | A or AB |
| AB | AB | A, AB or B |
| AB | B | AB or B |
| B | A | AB |
| B | AB | AB or B |
| B | B | B |
If such a risk mating has taken place, the kittens must not take milk from the mother for the first 24 hours after birth. They must then either be raised by vial or given to a nurse cat with the appropriate blood type. After 24 hours, the intestinal wall of the kitten no longer allows immunoglobulins to pass through, so that the kittens are then allowed to drink from their mother again. In the meantime, milk substitutes must be provided. If you feed yourself, this must be done every 2-3 hours, depending on the type of milk. In the first days of life, a newborn kitten should receive approximately 1.5 – 3ml of milk replacer per meal.
The blood groupspen in cat breeding
Why are the blood groups of cats important in a breeding?
If you mate cats with each other, you should be aware that it is not possible without pre-planning. In fact, if the mating partners have the wrong blood type, this can lead to the death of the kittens after birth within hours to a few days after birth. One speaks of the so-called “fading kitten syndrome” or a “feline neonatal isoerythrolysis”, in short: blood group incompatibility.
The blood cells of the newborn kittens are destroyed by the antibodies of the mother cat’s blood group, which are absorbed through the colostrum. This leads either to the death of some limbs or to an agonizing death.
This can be prevented by having the blood groups of the cat and the male tested before mating.
Which blood groups are present in cats?
Basically, a rough distinction is made between the blood groups A, AB and B. Male cats with blood group B may basically cover all 3 blood groups. Likewise, female cats with blood group A may be mated by all blood groups.
Here is an overview of the blood groups with classification
BOLDMarked fields: Risk mating
| Cat | Cat | Kitten |
| A | A | A |
| A | AB | A or AB |
| A | B | AB |
| AB | A | A or AB |
| AB | AB | A, AB or B |
| AB | B | AB or B |
| B | A | AB |
| B | AB | AB or B |
| B | B | B |
If such a risk mating has taken place, the kittens must not take milk from the mother for the first 24 hours after birth. They must then either be raised by vial or given to a nurse cat with the appropriate blood type. After 24 hours, the intestinal wall of the kitten no longer allows immunoglobulins to pass through, so that the kittens are then allowed to drink from their mother again. In the meantime, milk substitutes must be provided. If you feed yourself, this must be done every 2-3 hours, depending on the type of milk. In the first days of life, a newborn kitten should receive approximately 1.5 – 3ml of milk replacer per meal.
