Male cats do have nipples

Just like any other mammal, nipples are developed in the womb prior to the sex of the baby is determined. As such, you will find that both male and female cats have nipples. Male nipples do not have any function, as they do not get breastfeed after making love. All the same, they are present. However, the one question that has puzzled even pets is the number of nipples that cats in general have.

Are there a similar number of nipples found in cats?

Regardless of the breed, there is no particular answer to this question. There is never an even amount of nipples in cats. In fact, they have been known to have an odd set of nipples. There are cats that have four nipples and others as many as ten.

The average number of nipples that cats have is six. Nevertheless, this number is not determined by the sex of your cat. Sometimes, you will find a litter of kittens having a different number of kittens regardless of coming from the same parents. Therefore, as a cat parent, you may never know which cat will have four, six, or eight nipples.

Therefore, it is normally a case of genetics as one kitten may take on the number of nipples the male cat has and the other the number that the female cat has.

Size of the nipple

Naturally, just like all mammals, the size of the nipple is determined by pregnancy. Most cat parents know that your cat’s nipples will enlarge during pregnancy to prepare for suckling. The nipples become sensitive as they swell up.

Location of the cat nipples

You will find cat nipples just below the area where the chest is located. They are placed one to two inches from the pelvis. Therefore, they may be hard to locate. This is the reason why cat parents still have a problem trying to answer the question; how many nipples do cats have.

Importance of knowing how many nipples you cat has

Essentially, for male cats, nipples have little purpose. However, for female cats, they need to suckle after 65-69 days of pregnancy. Therefore, if you are to care for your cat during its gestation period and after giving birth, you need to know the number of nipples it has as they will darken and enlarge during the 3^rd week of pregnancy.

As such, it is essential to ensure that you know the number of nipples it has to give it better care during and after pregnancy. This will ensure that your entire litter is better fed. For instance, if your cat has the average six nipples and gets a litter of six kittens but one happens to get too sore to feed. Then, you risk losing one kitten. As such, this is the importance of knowing the number of nipples that your cat has beforehand.

Furthermore, when you ask the question how many nipples do cats have? It is necessary to note that this may become a burden during pregnancy. Therefore, ensure that you count the nipples while they are young.

Other reasons why nipple count is essential

As mentioned above, nipple count is difficult. For instance, if you have bought your cat at an animal shelter, you may not have time to count the nipples. However, if the cat is female and furry, you need to see a vet. This is due to factors such as diseases that may affect the nipples and affect a female during suckling to feed the kitten litter. These conditions include the following.

• Mastitis: This occurs when your cat is lactating and there is an inflammation in one or more of the mammary gland. This leads to appetite loss, lethargy, and fever to the point where your female cat is unable to nurse it kitten litter. Therefore, you do need to know how many nipples your kitten has to ensure that you know that they are all healthy and that the cat will manage nursing the whole litter to health.
• Mammary cancer: This affects both male and female cats. It affects older unsprayed cats and sprayed females as well. The condition may affect more than one gland and the symptoms include swelling, pain, and ulceration. Therefore, when you ask the question, how many nipples do cats have?
• These are the factors that you should place into consideration. You need this knowledge on the number of nipples on your cat to know which is affected and which is not. This way, when you learn which nipple is affected, the vet will remove it surgically.
• Galactostasis: This is a condition that occurs when you are weaning your kittens out of breast milk. The mother may have a huge collection of milk still enough to feed the children. As such, when you know what number of nipples your cat has, you are able to know how to handle the situation. This condition resolves itself in time.
• Feline Mammary hypertrophy: This is a benign tumor that occurs in one of the mammary glands. With the right knowledge of the number of nipples on your cat, you will know how to check which nipple or breast has the tumor. Treatment is done through surgical removal or spraying of the female.

However, if the cat is too sick, you can bottle feed the kittens and buy them products such as Miracle Nipple Mini if the kittens are too loud.

The condition can affect males too, but it is most common in females. However, with a good knowledge of nipple count for your male cat, you can save it from losing its life.

Therefore, regardless of how ridiculous the question sounds. How many nipples do cats have? The question has a profound effect on your male and female cats at a certain point in their life. For the female cats, it is during pregnancy, for the male cats, hormones, may lead to some of the tumors mentioned above. Therefore, it is important to ensure you know the number of nipples your cat has male or female, for good health.

Ensure that you take your cat to your vet if you not a swelling or hardness in the underbelly of your cat that you had not felt before. This is the importance of knowing the number of nipples that your cat has from an early age as it may save its life.