Clinical approach to infertility in the cat

Abstract

Causes of infertility in the cat are often multifactorial. Cattery management should be addressed prior to evaluation of individual animals. Factors such as housing/lighting, preventive care, and disease status of the colony should be evaluated. A complete physical examination is vital to rule in or out anatomical abnormalities leading to infertility. In the tom and queen, good breeding management is vital for success. In queens, infertility can be caused by persistent receptivity/estrous behavior, refusal of the male, and ovulation without pregnancy. When evaluating a tom, failure to mate or failure to achieve pregnancies are the most common categories. A detailed history and complete breeding soundness examination is important to differentiate and identify potential causes of infertility.